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The English East India Company and Society in the Maritime Provinces of Ceylon 1796–1802

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 March 2011

U. C. Wickremeratne
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Extract

The importance of this period which marks the beginning of British rule in Ceylon is that its study furnishes an opportunity to observe the formation of incipient relationships between the government and the governed and to analyse their nature. The relationships entered into were with social groups and not with individuals. The social groups were not treated equally. The rule of law was not the basis of this government. The overriding desire of the government was to adapt its rule to the ideas and institutions of the indigenous society or, to be more accurate, the indigenous societies. In this process the caste system with its discrimination between caste and its strictures applied to the low castes was upheld and maintained by the government with all the resources at its command.

Type
Articles
Information
Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society , Volume 103 , Issue 2 , April 1971 , pp. 139 - 155
Copyright
Copyright © The Royal Asiatic Society 1971

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References

1 North to the Court of Directors, 26th February, 1799, § 7, Factory Records, Ceylon (FRC), Vol. 52.

2 Hunter to North, 14th January, 1799, Proc. Mil. Dept., 15th January, FRC, Vol. 28, 440.

3 North to the Court of Directors, 26th February, 1799, § 33, FRC, Vol. 52.

4 North to Wellesley, 17th October, 1800, Bengal Pol. and Sec. Cons., 18th December, no. 174.

5 See pp. 142–3 below.

6 Lewis, J. P., introduction, “Andrews' Embassy to Kandy”, JCBRAS, 26, no. 70, 55.Google Scholar

7 Draft of a letter proposed by the Sec. Comm. of the East India Company to be sent to the Government of Bengal, Madras, and Bombay, East India House, 17th August, 1796, approved by the Board, 18th August, Boards' drafts of Secret Letters to India, 1785–1804.

8 Webb to Andrews, Madras Rev. Proc, 2nd July, 1796, no. 2319.

9 Madras Rev. Proc, 29th July, 1796, no. 2586.

10 Greenhill to Hobart, 19th May, 1796, Madras Sec. Proc., 12th July, no. 243–251.

11 Comm. Inv. to Hobart, 16th August, 1797, Proc. of Comm. of Inv., 16th August, FRC, Vol. 2, 13; Comm. of Inv. to Hobart, 16th September, 1797, Proc. of Comm. of Inv., 23rd September, ibid., 40.

12 Proc. of Comm. of Inv., 20th September, 1797, ibid., 35 ff.

13 Proc. of Comm. of Inv., 15th June, 1798, ibid., 83.

14 North to Court of Directors, 29th February, 1799, § 16, FRC, Vol. 52.

15 North's observations on the Report of the Comm. of Inv., Proc. Rev. Dept., 5th January, 1799, FRC, Vol. 12, 146 ff.

16 Comm. of Inv. to Hobart, 6th February, 1798, Proc. Comm. of Inv., 6th February, FRC, Vol. 2, 63 ff.

17 Mercer to Marriott, 29th July, 1801, Proc. Mil. Board, 4th August, FRC, Vol. 35, 135 ff.; Dalrymple to Macpherson, 26th December, 1800, Proc. Mil. Board, 30th December, FRC, Vol. 34, 240; Proc. of 11th November, 1800, ibid., 58; Blair to Macpherson, 12th June, 1802, Proc. Mil. Board, 12th June, FRC, Vol. 35, 415 ff.; Proc. Mil. Board, 30th September, 1800, FRC, Vol. 34, 118; Forrest to Kennedy, 14th October, 1799, Proc. Mil. Board, 15th October. FRC, Vol. 35, 159; General Orders, 7th March, WOO, FRC, Vol. 36, 90 ff.

18 General Order, 16th September, 1799, ibid., 35.

19 North to the Court of Directors, 18th February, 1801, § 7–10, FRC, Vol. 52 (no page numbers).

20 Valentin, Lord, Voyages and travels to India, Ceylon, the Red Sea, Abyssinia and Egypt, Vol. I, 303.Google Scholar

21 Proc. of the Pub. Dept., 22nd November, 1799, FRC, Vol. 4, 282 ff.

22 Collected Rev.; De Meuron's memoir, Proc. Comm. of Inv., FRC, Vol. 2; Agnew's minute, Proc. Comm. of Inv., 10th November, 1798, ibid., 142 ff.

23 Alexander's minute, ibid., 135 ff.

24 North to the Court of Directors, 26th February, 1799, § 41, FRC, Vol. 52.

25 Proc. Mil. Dept., 20th February, 1801, FRC, Vol. 30, 469 ff.

26 Macdowall to North, 9th March, 1802, Proc. Mil. Dept., 13th March, FRC, Vol. 32, 104.

27 Proc. Mil. Dept., 2nd August, 1800, FRC, Vol. 30, 132.

28 North to the Court of Directors, 26th February, 1799, § 43, FRC, Vol. 52.

29 Proclamation, 13th March, 1799, Proc. Pub. Dept., 14th March, FRC, Vol. 3, 400 ff.

30 North to the Court of Directors, 26th February, 1799, § 92, FRC, Vol. 52.

31 North to the Court of Directors, 18th February, 1801, § 190, ibid.

32 J. Cordiner, A description of Ceylon, 161.

33 North to the Court of Directors, 18th February, 1801, § 200, FRC, Vol. 52.

34 North to Cordiner, 27th September, 1799, Proc. Pub. Dept., 27th September, FRC, Vol. 4, 157 ff.

35 North to Hobart, 15th December, 1801, Proc. Pub. Dept., 19th December, FRC, Vol. 7, 878 ff.

36 ibid.

37 North to the Court of Directors, 26th February, 1799, § 41 and 90, FRC, Vol. 52.

38 S. G. Perera (ed.), Douglas Papers, 16.

39 North to the Court of Directors, 18th February, 1801, § 191–192, FRC, Vol. 52.

40 Proc. of Comm. of Supt., 15th February, 1801, FRC, Vol. 39.

41 North to the Court of Directors, 18th February, 1801, § 202, FRC, Vol. 52.

42 Extract from the Minutes of Consultation, 16th February, 1798, Proc. Comm. of Inv., 15th March, FRC, Vol. 2, 73.

43 S. G. Perera (ed.), Douglas papers, 37.

44 North to Wellesley, 6th July, 1800, Bengal Pol. and Sec. Cons., 18th December, 1800, no. 167.