Robert Thorp, a
young British Army officer, arrived in Kashmir
as a tourist in 1865. It was the time when
British had vanquished Sikhs and the Dogra
ruler Maharaja Gulab Singh a beneficiary of
the Sikhs, deceived them and helped British.
As a war indemnity the Sikhs handed over
Kashmir to British and in turn it was sold to
Gulab Singh as a reward. This unlawful act of
selling the land and enslaving the people was
deplorable and shattered Kashmiris as they
lost not only ownership rights, honour and
dignity, but as slaves were forced to do what
their masters desired. Maharaja regarded
Kashmir as his personal property and never
thought of reform and reconstruction. There
was no question of social upliftment of the
people.
Foreigners required permission of the
British authorities to enter Kashmir. They
could not stay in the Valley for more than two
months at that time. Twenty-seven-year-old
Thorp stayed longer to study the appalling
condition of the people of his mother’s
birthplace. He raised his voice at the time
when there was total sanction on information
reaching the government of India. His sole
motive was to deliver the people of Kashmir
from the miserable state.
Thorp took it on
himself to inform and educate the British
people about the situation in Kashmir by
writing to the British Press without caring
for consequences. Thorp felt the British were
responsible for the plight of Kashmiris, as it
was they who had sold it to the Maharaja under
the “Treaty of Amritsar.” Thorp pleaded before
the government to release Kashmiris from the
wretched condition, oppression and misery. He
believed that public opinion was paramount to
influence the government to do what was
needed.
Thorp traveled to Valley’s nook and corner
colleting information about the plight of the
people and thoroughly investigating the facts.
He later on published a book entitled “Misgovernment
in Kashmir” and dedicated it to the people
who, according to him “do not approve of
cruelties upon human beings, and to those who
are exalted from the moral, religious and
social point of view and do not like
oppression”. Here I feel it worthwhile to
mention the extracts of his study and try to
throw some light on his real contribution.
Taxation:
Thorp
thoroughly studied the various aspects of
taxation to get to the truth of the matter and
proved each act of oppression along with its
source. This, he did, in spite of the fact
that Englishmen were excluded from the
dominions of the Jammu government during six
months of winter.
All
classes of Muslims were taxpayers except the
tailors. Even the boatman who earned 2-8
chilkas a month were taxed. The sale of young
girls to established houses of ill fame was
lawful and encouraged by the government to
swell the revenue. License granting permission
to purchase a girl was 100 chilka rupees and
additional payment was sought onwards. A girl
who got into prostitution could never quit
because it was impossible for her to raise
money for the repayment and the government
also banned remarriage of such girls.
Land
Produced Taxation:
Government
would take large portion of the produce at
various levels. The produce would be collected
under the supervision of the Tehsildar, the
Thandar, Kardar, Mukhdam, Pathwari, the
Shuqdar, the Saragowl, Taroughdar, the
Harkakar, Doom etc., who would be provided
with sepoys to collect the produce or punish
if there was any lapse. Out of 32 trakhs of
grain produced of the Rabi crop, the official
would get about seven seers in addition to 20
trakhs as the government share leaving
Zameendars starving. In addition, 3-chilka
annas as money tax would be levied on every 16
trakhs of grain. Similarly for Khareef crop
out of 32 trakhs in addition to 21 trakhs of
the govt., share, 11 ¾ seers would be shared
by other officials. A many tax of 2 ¾ chilka
annas would be levied on 16 trakhs.
Fruit
Tax:
¾ of annual
produce.
Animal tax
For 500 Kharwars
2-3 animals (half their valued would be return
to the Zameendars.)
1 Pony,
1 loie or woolen blanket under similar
conditions, half seer of ghee for each cow,
1-10 fowls from each house and 2/3 of honey
produced.
There were of course instances when a larger
portion of grain or money would be elicited
from Zameendars and the complaints if lodged
were silenced by paying bribes to the
officials concerned. The Zameendars had no
surplus supplies and government quotas were
shut at certain times so as to create
artificial scarcity and thus increase prices
for the quotas allowed to be bought by
Zameendars. They got only 15 traks for one
Kharwar. To further strangle the people
economically the trade/exchange between the
village and the city was totally banned.
Shawl system
About 100
Karkhandars each employed 20 to 300 shawl
weavers and tax levied on each Karkhandar till
1st December 1867 was 47-48 chilka
rupees for each weaver in the employment of
Karkhandar and thereafter a reduction of 11
chilkas was made.
Dagh-shali
A daghshali was
often a source of oppression in the hands of
its officers, who were armed with the
authority of the Maharaja. They harassed the
shawl weavers to the maximum extent possible.
About 200
pundits were working at Dagh-shali under the
supervision of daroga. The Karkhandar would
have to take the sample of the shawl to be
woven to Dagh-shali and pay 18.12 % of the
price of the shawl and have not the piece
stamped. The shawl could not be sold in the
market if this piece wouldn’t be fixed on the
finished shawl and all this would be regulated
by Dagh-shali by frequent inspections of
pundits who would charge the Karkhandars for
boat hire and transport, a considerable
illegal sum of money.
There were
several other fields in which the people of
Kashmir were treated like beggars.
Robert Thorp pleaded that the British were the
first nation, which led the way to the
abolition of slavery. But the people of
Kashmir were not only sold into slavery but
Britishers paved the way to the Jammu ruler.
When resistance was shown by one Sheikh Imam-ud-Din,
the Britishers forced Sheikh to obey the new
Sovereign of Kashmir or consider himself as an
enemy of British power. Sheikh yielded and
Gulab Singh’s troops were permitted to occupy
Srinagar without any resistance. Thorp pleaded
that British government had committed a wanton
outrage and injustice by handing over Kashmir
to the unjust Maharaja. He pleaded to the
British government to establish the facts as
he had done by laborious investigation in
Kashmir itself.
However,
trouble came upon Thorp and he was ordered to
leave Kashmir. Undeterred, Thorp returned to
Srinagar on November 21, 1868, and next
morning after his breakfast he died, possibly
because of poisoning. Thorp was found dead on
the Suleman Taing Hill. He was buried in the
Christian cemetery in Sheikh Bagh area of the
city. The epitaph on his grave reads: “Robert
Thorp, aged 30, who sacrificed his life for
Kashmir on 22nd November 1868.”
Thorp’s death
forced the Britishers to review the situation
in Kashmir and steps were taken to better the
conditions of Kashmir. The British officers
were appointed. Laws were enforced to protect
life and property. The state machinery slowly
started gearing up. The intervention of the
British helped in easing the situation to some
extent.
So, Robert Thorp is the first
traveler on the path of freedom struggle of
Kashmir and thus a torchbearer of our
struggle. It is in this light the Civil
Society of Kashmir has decided to confer
Robert Thorp award to the
locals/internationals who have shown exemplary
courage, contributed for the civil and
political rights and welfare of the people of
Kashmir, and taken stand against the injustice
and oppression. This award shall be conferred
every year on 22nd November, the
anniversary of Robert Thorp.
