Year: 1874

tuV CAIldCG lTOu tue IeLIcr Oh


Lieut.. c. E. Yates, Assistant Political


Agent, Bombay Staff Corps, relative to the


death OF Maharana of OodeypoOr:


The REsIDENCY, OoDEYPooR,


RAJPooTANA. Oct. II, 1874.


would have written before if could


have found time, but have been in such


continual state of excitement lately that


it was impossible. Iwrote to you last Just


after my arrival from Erinpoora, on the Sd.


and forget when mentioned to you that


the Maharana was dangerously i'll. He


had been so for some time, and am sorry


think there was chance OF his recovery,


he had another attack and died most sud-


denly two days ago On the 4th inst. DR..


Macdowell arrived here from Neemuch,


eighty miles off, to consult with DR..


Burr here about the Maharana, for they


had hopes of his ultimate recovery, though


very slight one. On the 7th he was much


better, but at 10 O'Clock at night the doc


tors were sent for, as the Mahana was in


great pain. They returned to us very


shortly to say that it was all over, and that


they had left him dying; another abcess


had burst in the liver, and the shock had


been too much. Col. Wright. the political


agent here, and at once buckled on our


revolvers, and jumping into the carriage,


drove off to the palace as hard as We could


go. The Maharana had died Just minute


or two before our arrival, without naming


any successor. He had no children of


his own, and he had always refused to


adopt, as is customary according to Hin


doc law. He left two uncles both of whom


were at deadly enmity with each other,


and we were afraid that there would be q


row between them tor the succession;


however, luckily everything went OFT quiet


ly. Each of these uncles, must tell you,


had been accused of having bewitched the


Maharana, and the row was just coming


to q crisis when the latter died. One un-


Gle at the time was living in garden next
to the Residency, where he had come for
refuge and the protection of the political
agent. Three days before his death the
Maharana was weighed against gold, he
in one scale and gold monurs in the other.
This enormous sum, about lac and
half, 100000 rupeea,) was TO be distribu-
ted among the Brahmins; consequently,
the city was crammed full of these people,
who had come from miles round to parti.


pate in the spoil. l saw myself no less
| than $4,000 of them fed in the palace few
days ago, and after the feast was over
piece of gold to the value of between
| three and four roupees was given to each


as they went out Of the palace gates that
| is how the numbers were ascertained.


Well to return to the subject, Colonel
Wright and l, after hearing of the Mahar-


anas death, went down again to the wait
ing hall below. We found that all Col,
Wrghf's orders had been carried out. The
Zenana doors were locked and everything


was comparatively quiet. The entire
Government. of course. lapsed into Col.
Wright's hands, and he is at present the
dc tdcto ruler of the country. The excite


ment, which was great at first, gradually
got less, and about two o'clock in the


morning it was all pretty quiet. We lay


down in our clothes, and took short nap,


but neither OF US had any sleep. l do not
think the women of the Zenana got news
of the Maharana's death for some time,
and did not show their grief till early
morning. Just at dawn we were startled
by fearful wall from the Zenana, which
contains, am told, 500 women, so YOU
can fancy what a row all these wailing to-
gether could made. Their cry was taken
up by all the people in the palace. and
went on, may say, almost without inter-


mission for some three hours, till the body


was carried off to the place of cremation.
troops OF women came in from the city,


all wailing and crying in chorus. These
all passed through the palace into the Ze-


nana to add their lamentations to those of
| its inmates, and as day broke the prepara
tions Tor the funeral went on and the crowd
| began TO get thicker and thicker. At this
| time the women in the Zenana began to
| get most violent. The two wives and the
favorite concubine of the Maharana made


most determined efforts to break through
| the doors. and doubtless they would have


succeeded in getting out had not Col.
Wright taken the precaution of having
them locked in in the time. l had poses-
sion OF the key all the time. They wanted


to be allowed to commit 'suttee' and to be


burnt along with the Maharana, and sent


message after message to Col. Wright
begging to be let out. Their efforts to


get out were so determined that Col.
Wright at last posted the two chief mobiles
| of the State at the doors. and told them


that he would hold them personally re-
sponsibe that no one got out. 1t is rule
here that il u woman gets out of the Ze-


mana and shows her face she is either
obliged TO become '.suttee" and be
burned, or else to commit suicide. At last
the Maharana S mother sent message to


Col. Wright begging that as none of the
others were allowed to become suttee she


might have permission to do 80, as no Ma


harana OF Oodeypoor had ever died alone


and 1t would be disgrace if her son was


to do so. All the time great preparations


were going on for the funeral procession.
The noise was tremendous: in addition to
| the wailing of some 1000 women in the
Zenana, all the men were bowling and
| beating their breasts. They brought lot


of Jewels on the tray to the Colonel which


were to be put upon the corpse; pair Of


earrings, Il beautiful necklace, and an


anklet were to be burnt with the body.


The rest were to be brought back. The


Colonels permission was also asked to


take 5000 rupees out of the treasury for


distribution along the road. About 0 o.


clock in the morning a lot of Brahmins ar


rived and went up into the Palace, and


shortly after the body was brought down,


dressed up in full Court costume and be-


decked with jewels. 1t was placed In a


sort OF seden chair in sitting position,


covered with canopy ofcrimson and gold
| 1CnNryvrnUp ~,