Home Miscellaneous Seris

HOME MISCELLANEOUS SERIES is a manuscript series of records in the India Office Library, London. It is not chronologically arranged, and seems to have been classified to absorb surplus or duplicate copies of records which could not be included in the regular series. Many of the papers in this series relate to Sikh affairs and they include private letters of Captain Mathews, the Deputy Commissar of Ordnance at Fatehabad to the Acting AdjutantGeneral, C.F. Falgan. Captain Mathews, who visited Lahore in his private capacity, was treated witli much consideration by Maharaja Ranjit Singh. While a royal guest at Lahore, Mathews got himself involved in local intrigues, particularly with the Maharaja's estranged wife, Mahitab Kaur, who sought British aid in subverting the Maharaja's power. His reprehensible conduct displeased the authorities in Calcutta, and he was recalled forthwith (Vol. 292, No 21, ff. 97126). Also included in the series are Melcalfe's Memoirs of Hindoostan West of the Jumna (180506), a document which refers to Lake's transactions in the cisSutlej region and Holkar's intrusion into the Punjab (Vol. 256A, No 23); Secret Committee's Memorandum on Metcalfe's Mission to Lahore, a document which admits the Mission's failure to engage Maharaja Ranjit Singh in a defensive alliance but which succeeded in obtaining information about the Sikh kingdom, its military resources, and the character of its rule (Vol. 511, No 80); despatches of Metcaife from Lahore which contain correspondence relative to the supposed Ranjit SinghDaulat Rao Scindia intrigues against the British government in 1809 (Vol. 592, Nos 1635 and 3344); Ranjit SinghMinto correspondence, and despatches ofOchterlony and Seton giving highly useful information on the policy of the British government towards the Sikh ruler (Vol. 593, Nos 1524); despatches of Metcaife, Edmonstone, Close and Ochterlony on AngloSikh affairs till 1810 which include a letter (No 32) dealing with the terms and import of protection granted to the cisSutlej Sikh and other chiefs; despatches of Edmonstone, Carcy and Seton which include Ranjit SinghMinto correspondence and Ochterlony's proclamation to the cisSutlej Sardars, dated 3 May 1809; and miscellaneous despatches connected with early British transactions with the Lahore Darbar, and correspondence of the Gurkha General, Amar Singh Thapa, soliciting British aid against Ranjit Singh.

References

1. Hasrat, B.J., ed.. The Punjab Papers. Hoshiarpur, 1970 B.J.H.