Forbes, James, 1749–1819, James Forbes letter, Dhuboy, 1775 August 3, copied between 1794 and 1800
- Call Number:
- Folio A 2023 69
- Holdings:
- Accessible by appointment in the Study Room [Request]
- Creator:
- Forbes, James, 1749–1819
- Title(s):
- James Forbes letter, Dhuboy, 1775 August 3
- Date:
- copied between 1794 and 1800
- Classification:
- Archives and Manuscripts
- Series:
- Series I: A voyage from England to Bombay with descriptions in Asia, Africa, and South America
- Part of Collection:
- volume 8, page 129-137
- Provenance:
- Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection
- Conditions Governing Access:
- The materials are open for research.
- Conditions Governing Use:
- The collection is the physical property of the Yale Center for British Art. Literary rights, including copyright, belong to the authors or their legal heirs and assigns. For further information, consult the Curator of Rare Books and Manuscripts.
- Scope and Content:
- Forbes introduces his next letter as a study of Ragobah’s (Raghunathrao) character, and of the individuals who comprise his immediate associates and advisors. He begins with Ragobah, though admits that “to draw a true character of Ragobah is no easy task.” Indeed, Ragobah appears as a sort of shapeshifter in Forbes’s account. He begins, under the reign of his brother, as a figure “active, brave, and generous” who “veiled his ambition.” Under the next ruler, he transformed into a practitioner of political intrigue, who eventually played a role in the young ruler’s murder. Forbes writes: “I am afraid he was at that time possessed of very few virtues, and perhaps none of them pure, or free from the contagion of vice.” In this guise he alienated his subjects and ruled with cruelty. Once removed from his position of power by his Maratha opponents, however, Ragobah took on another identity. “He assumed a very different character: the austerities of the superstitious Brahmin and bigoted Hindoo seemed now to absorb all his virtues, and all his vices.” Forbes is uncertain whether this conversion was sincere, for once joining forces with the English and nearing victory, these pieties gave way to “views of sublunary greatness.” Ragobah, once again, has altered his character. Forbes turns from Ragobah to his wife, Arundabhy (Anandibai). He describes her as a woman of “amazing intrepidity, masculine spirit, and intriguing disposition.” She is, Forbes says, incredibly loyal to her husband, but also has power over him, pushing him to act for his own interests. She is, Forbes complains, “deficient in that softness of manners and feminine sweetness, which are the most pleasing characteristics of the sex, and particularly distinguish the Hindoo women of rank.” She has recently given birth to a son, which will inevitably cause conflict with Ragobah’s adopted son. Forbes then lists Ragobah’s primary advisors, focusing on four who, he says, have the most influence over the operation of the army and state. The remainder of the generals have little or no voice in the affairs of state—they serve as mercenaries. Only one is, in Forbes’s eyes, an exception to this rule, a member of the Guicawar family. He proceeds to give a brief history of this family, and its significance for the Maratha state. Fearing the power of the family, members of the Maratha state made a bargain: they offered the family fertile and productive lands in exchange for a commitment to a regular tribute and a contribution of forces for public service. For this reason, the family has played a large role in the Maratha Empire ever since. This text does not appear in <title>Oriental Memoirs</title>.
- Physical Description:
- 9 pages
- Genre:
- Correspondence , Botanical illustrations, Ornithological illustrations, Travel sketches, Maps, Watercolors (paintings), Drawings (visual works), Engravings (prints), and Portraits
- Subject Terms:
- Forbes, James, 1749-1819. Descriptive letters and drawingsForbes, James, 1749-1819. Oriental memoirs
- Associated Places:
- EnglandItalyScotlandWales
- Associated People/Groups:
- East India CompanyForbes, James, 1749-1819
- Finding Aid Title:
- James Forbes archive
- Collection PDF:
- https://ead-pdfs.library.yale.edu/11734.pdf
- Archival Object:
- https://archives.yale.edu/repositories/3/archival_objects/3199763
- Metadata Cloud URL:
- https://metadata-api.library.yale.edu/metadatacloud/api/aspace/repositories/3/archival_objects/3199763?mediaType=json&include-notes=1&include-all-subjects=1