Continued from last issue…
The cruel custom of burning widows had the sanction of antiquity and the approbation of the Hindu people. The alien Rulers did not venture to touch it lest thereby they incurred the displeasures of the Hindus and stood the chance of losing their revenue and empire. The custom could have been stopped if the Nizamat Adalat had given rulings on the lines indicated by Rammohun Roy. No special resolution would have been necessary in that case. But the Judiciary dependent upon the Pundits for the interpretation of law and the legal advisors were orthodox people. The Government circular had its reaction upon the orthodox community and it has increased their efforts to defend their practice by adding to the number of cases. Rammohun was virtually attacked and he was considered as outcaste. The Government had taken aback by this sudden outburst of feelings. Lord Hastings had desire to put his instruction in the form of a definite code but the agitation of the people stood in his way. His successor also did not feel encouraged legislate upon the matter. Lord Minto had ordered in 1813 that information of an intended Sati had to be given to the nearest Magistrate and his consent had to take before the performance of the rite.
On January’ 1828, Lord Amherst again declined to legislate looking to “general instruction and the unostentatious exertion of local officers” to bring about the diminution “at no very distant period of the final extinction of the barbarous rite” On the other hand he was averse to total suppression and desired to wait for few more years for the public opinion to grow. The insistent request of the Judges to legislate, did not receive approbation of Lord Amherst.
He was succeeded in General Governorship by a man of very different character. What all earlier prudent Governors did not venture to undertake, that was accomplished by a bold sympathetic Englishman. Lord William Bentinck was one of these resolute Englishman of slight culture but remarkable practical insight who seeing that a certain thing needs to be done, do it and by the fact accomplished dissipate a thousand fears and difficulty. He found the Sati problem confronting him. He was not content like Lord Amherst “to wait a few more years” He proceeded to grapple with it at once. He was well aware that the ultimate sanction of British sway was swords. He consulted many eminent persons including Marquis of Hastings. In reply to his enquiry the late Governor General wrote” to attempt the extinction of the horrid superstition without being supported in the procedure by a real concurrence on the part of the army, would be distinctly perilous. I have no scruple to say that I did believe, I could have carried with me the assent of the army towards such an object. That persuasion however arouse from circumstances which give me peculiar influence over Native Troops”.
Similar views was expressed by Lord Amherst who shrunk from a bold step lest thereby the native troops might lose their confidence on the good faith of the Government and produce a situation which the Government might not be able to control. The fear of a popular rising and mutiny among the troops deterred them from eradicating the evil which felt as inhuman.
Lord William Bentinck ascertained the views of the officers regarding the attitude of the troops. His first quest was to know how far the army would support him. Confidential inquiries from forty nine experienced officers, who were likely to give the best information and who are in touch with the Indian troops, elicited the gratifying information and that the Sepoy would be scarcely, if at all affected by the prohibition of the practice. Only five were opposed to any interference with the practice. This reply was however assured the Government that there was no fear of a rising of the troops and therefore the objection of the previous rulers did not hold good. As regards the popular discontent, Lord William Bentinck began to sound the leading men. Native opinion was more difficult to sound directly. But the governor General was too keen for the material facts of the situation to overtook the value of the man who had been a lifelong mediator between Hindu and European civilisation and he was still less likely to omit consulting the great native champion of the Anti-Sati movement. Lord Bentinck had heard Rammohun Roy as the greatest advocate of abolition of Sati. He on hearing that he would receive considerable help from Rajah Rammohun Roy in suppression the pernicious custom of widow burring wanted to counsel of Roy.
There is interesting story of the way their first meeting arranged. Lord William Bentinck sent one of his aides-de-camp to him expressing his desire to see him. To this Rajah replied “I have now given up all worldly avocations and am engaged in religious culture and in the investigation of truth. Kindly express my humble respect to the Governor General and inform him that I have no inclination to appear before his august presence and therefore I hope he will kindly pardon me ”This words the aide de camp conveyed to the Viceroy who enquired “what did you say to Rammohun Roy?” The aide-de-camp replied “I told him that Lord William Bentinck, the Governor General would be pleased to see him” The Governor General answered “go back and tell him Mr William Bentinck will highly obliged to see him if he will kindly seen him once” This the aide-de-camp did and Rammohun Roy could no longer refuse the urgent and polite request of his Lordship.
This incidence shed light on the character of both the illustrious reformers.
Rammohun’s refusal may at first cause some surprise. He might have been expected to welcome conference with a Ruler so able to accelerate reform. But it must be observed that the invitation gave no hint of the particular purpose for which it was issued. Rammohun did no more than decline an invitation to court. He pleaded a distaste for its worthy pageantry and frivolous ambitions and perhaps he was unwilling to give colour to the charge of his being a tool of the conquerors. When he found it was the man and not the Court functionary who appealed to him, he straightway waived all scruples and agreed to come.
To be continued…