Portrayal of character of Maharaja Ranjit Singh by Baron Charles Von Hugel in his early 19th century travelogue: Travels

in Kashmir & the Punjab Parminder S.Bhogal* [Conference paper presented at the International Seminar on Reflection of Indian Culture
& Culture New Delhi, 12 to 14 March, 2012] Civilization Studies in JNU, Travelogues hosted by Centre of Indian Languages, School of Language, Literature and

The Penguin Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory, classifies the travelogues as a neglected and much varied genre of great antiquity to which many famous, more or less professional or full-time writers have contributed, but which also has been enriched by a number of occasional writers. For the most part these have been diplomats, scholars, missionaries, soldiers of fortune, doctors, explorers and sailors.(1998, p,937) Travelogues until recently have been very significant part of the literary traditions of all societies. Their attraction lies in providing the curious mind with both useful information and entertainment. Enterprising people would set out for journeys with different purposes to different destinations depending upon their motives which may have been pilgrimages or trade or exploration of the far and wide ends of the world. The unique experiences and observations of such expeditions would then be recorded and narrated to the fellow countrymen. Later on with the onset of printing technologies these would be published and people would read these with keen interest to know and see the world through the eyes of those courageous few who had dared to break away from the safe and secure routines of their lives and travelled to the unknown far and wide. The travel writer would in fact be a wanderer and a person with an audience in a set cultural and literary milieu. Travel writers exhibited keen interest in the everyday lives of others of the new lands. They produced knowledge by translating their personal experiences and observations into generalizations. They in a way expressed the new and unknown of their travelled lands in terms of the known of their native land, in order to convey their experiences to their curious readers and audiences. Baron Chrales Von Hugel, an Austrian nobleman, was an Austrian army officer, diplomat, botanist and explorer. He is primarily remembered for his travels in northern India during mid 1835 to early 1836. On the basis of his visit to the northern areas of India he produced a very elaborate and significant travelogue after

his return to his native land. The four volume travelogue Kaschmir und das Reich der Siek or Cashmere and the Realm of the Sikh was published during 1843 to 1844. The original publication is in Dutch. The following year it was translated in to English by an Englishman, Major Thomas B. Jervis. It has been re-printed in 2003 by the Oxford University Press of London. Baron Hugel came to India some times in May 1835 through Bombay port and reached Shimla sometimes in the month of September of the same year from where he started for his journey of Kashmir on 13 October 1835. He moved towards Srinagar the capital of Kashmir, then a part of Maharaja Ranjit Singhs Empire. After spending some days in Srinagar and seeing the surrounding areas he began his journey towards Lahore, the capital of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. He reached Lahore some times in early January of 1836 and stayed there for about twenty days. During the course of his journey towards Lahore Baron Hugel met a number of significant officers of Maharaja Ranjit Singhs empire. These significantly include apart from others, the great Sikh General & Commander in Chief, Hari Singh Nalwa who led his forces as far as Kabul and effectively controlled and subdued the fierce Afghans, Foreign Minister of Ranjit Singh Faquir Azizudin, Heir Apparent Prince Kharak Singh, his son and favorite of Maharaja Ranjit Singh Kunwar Nau Nihal Singh and Generals Ventura and Allard, the French generals of Artillery of the army of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Baron Hugel was a serious observer who tried to reach the spirit and character of the subjects of observations, be it the ordinary folks whom he came in touch during his journey or the geographic features or even the flora and fauna of the area. In the preface to his travelogue he writes, With what prolonged delight do we dwell on the breathing form of an animated creature, after amusing ourselves awhile with its pictures; precisely such is the interest called forth by a foreign people; it commences, in truth, when the first impression of strangers have worn off. It is the different aspect under which human nature is viewed that exercise the attention of the reflecting traveler. Superficial observers are pleased only with the objects so long as they have the charms of novelty. The interest in the latter case ceases, Infact, where that for the first commences; and this feeling of hopeful expectation can alone compensate for all the discomforts of tedious adventure , for years of travel, and that depressing sense of frequent unbroken solitude, amid strangers, which fills the heart, constantly looking forward for something to occupy it, with unavailing anxiety.

The significance of Baron Hugels travelogue and observations in it is that he was in no way related to the East India Company & Britain. He was primarily interested in Kashmir, tales of its natural beauty and, in his words to describe the valley of Kashmir and its inhabitants according to best of my ability and judgment; nor have I suffered myself to be led away from this design, either by the fascination of the romantic, or the love of the marvelous. Kashmir was then a part of Maharaja Ranjit Singhs empire so obviously it interested him, and more so because it was a kingdom which as being the only state of importance adjoining British India, cannot fail to interest Europe in general. Baron Hugels first meeting with Maharaja Ranjit Singh took place on 13th January 1836 in Lahore. It was a formal meeting in which almost all the sirdars or noblemen of Ranjit Singh were present. Baron Hugel observes that soon after the formalities were over, the Maharaja began to ask so many questions from Baron Hugel about his observations on various subjects including the administration of Kashmir. He describes his first impressions of the personality of Maharaja Ranjit Singh in these words Ranjit Singh is now 54 years old. The small pox deprived him of his left eye when he was still a child..his face is scarred by the same malady. His beard is thin and grey, with a few dark hairs in it: according to the Sikh religious custom it reaches a little below his chin, and is untrimmed. His head is square and large for his stature, which though naturally short is now considerably bowed by disease. His forehead is remarkably broad. His shoulders are wide, though his hands and arms are quite shrunk; altogether he is the most forbidding human I have ever seen. In the later part of his travelogue he has noted that how despite his repulsive physical appearance how he is able to manage his equally formidable charm and sway over all his subjects irrespective of their status in his establishment. In Baron Hugels words, If nature has been niggardly to him in respect of personal appearance, denying him the privilege of thereby making a favorable impression on strangers, she has recompensed him very richly by the power which, in common with all remarkable men, he is enabled to exercise over every one who approaches to him. He can in a moment take up the subject the conversation, follow it up closely by questions and answersWith a voice naturally rough and unpleasant, he can assume a tone of much fascination whenever he wishes to flatter; and his influence over the people of northern India amounts to something like enchantment. They believe that he can do whatever he pleases, because higher powers are at his command. Another quality of Maharaja Ranjit Singhs personality that Baron Charles Von Hugel has noted is the extreme

inquisitiveness of the Maharaja and also his unique technique of extracting the views and opinions of his visitors about mainly his military preparedness and prowess. His large brown, unsteady and suspicious eyes seems diving into the thoughts of the person with whom he converses, and his straight forward questions are put incessantly and in the most laconic termsAfter I had been subjected to this examination for a whole hour without one moments intermission to put a single in return, he turned to Mr. Vigne. Baron Hugel has repeatedly noted Ranjit Singhs habit of asking endless questions from his visitors even to his discomfiture. He is particularly interested in the information pertaining to military resources of the European Nations. He rarely spoke of India or the English territories there, but chiefly asked my opinion of his own country, his army, the European officers in his service, and the designs of foreign countries and very distant lands of which he has hitherto heard nothing. Baron Hugel observes that each question was conveyed in the fewest words possible, and one followed upon another in such rapid continual succession that it seemed though his mind required continual nourishment; that he did not wish for any details, but simply a reply This was the state of his mind despite the fact that his speech is so much affected by paralysis and that due to this it is no easy matter to understand him. Baron Hugel has also noted the food habits of the Maharaja. According to him, what he ate was simple enough and not much in quantity, He drank spirits in ruinous quantities. The Baron has also noted a recipe for the brandy that was prepared especially for the Maharaja. In it were the strongest sauces compounded from the flesh of every kind of animal, beef excepted, pearls and jewels, musk, opium, plants of various kinds, all mingled together into a beverage, which must be as strong as alcohol itself . This devils drink I had myself tasted the evening before and found the flavor good enough, but the following morning my spirits were exceedingly depressed. Maharaja continued with this drink routinely despite the medical advice against this. Another passion of Maharaja Ranjit Singh was the horses. Baron Hugel was fascinated by the sight of Maharajas horses. He observed, what particularly attracted me was the sight of Maharajas horses The animals are large and their movements are very gentle; they may be trained to execute the most graceful curvettings, and the Sikhs value them according to their proficiency of their movements..The passion of Ranjit Singh for horses has passed into a proverb in the East. The bridal, saddle and other ornaments of these creatures are most costly Baron Hugel also saw the legendary horse of the Maharaja which was named Lailli and which had made his name almost as well

known in Europe as the foundation of his extensive dominion had done. Baron Hugel has also taken an extensive note of Maharajas diplomatic, negotiating and manipulative skills in dealing with his adversaries. While Ranjit Singhs influence was thus increasing, the Punjab was divided between Sikh & Mohammedan rulers, the last being as disunited as the former, with regard to any plan for resisting the common enemy of all. Before his cunning policy therefore, they all succumbed. Ranjit Singh has always shown an unwillingness to have recourse to arms, not for any want of personal courage, but from his consciousness that while the success of battle depends on the joint will of a number, that of negotiations depends on the preponderance of one mans talent, and every stratagem is good to him that conduces to his own private ends The sole aim of Ranjit Singh is the preservation and extension of his own unlimited power and he, through ambitious mind considers all means perfectly allowable to this end. Ranjit Singh however always preferred negotiations over war and blood bath. Baron Hugel notes that he has never wantonly imbrued his hand in blood. Never perhaps was so large an empire founded by one man with so little criminality; and when we consider the country and the uncivilized people with whom he has had to deal, his mild and prudent government must be regarded with feelings of astonishment. This alone has prevented the necessity of putting to death those numerous independent Mohammedan, Hindu & Sikh princes whom he has dethroned and in most cases beggared and who might have attempted to regain their territories. It is very remarkable that no attempt of the kind has been made in Punjab; and it proves not only the talent of Ranjit Singh but the little attachment borne by the Indians to their rulers.. Another very meaning full observation that has been made by Baron Hugel about Maharaja Ranjit Singh is about the nature of his affiliation with the Sikh religion. In his words .I must add, that though without any real faith, he considers it necessary to pretend great devotion to Sikh religion, and is more over exceedingly superstitious. Baron Hugel has also observed that Maharaja Ranjit Singh may have been a great General, a master military strategist and a skillful negotiator vis a vis his adversaries including the equally cunning British but he lacked organizing and managerial vision and capabilities required to create a long standing empire & a dynasty. Baron Hugel is being as good as prophesying an early demise of Maharaja Ranjit Singhs newly founded vast empire. In his words One of the great obstacles to the duration of the empire

founded by Ranjit Singh consists in imprudence of suffering so much power to accumulate in the persons of his vassals. Gulab Singh, for example, in Jammu, with his brothers Dhyan singh and Suchet Singh possess a large district, which extends over inaccessible mountains from Attock (in the West) to Noorpur in the South -East, and thence North to Ladakh., besides other large estates in the Punjab. These brothers who are powerful in money, troops, cannon and fortresses would with great difficulty be brought into subjection by the arm of the feeble successors of Ranjit singh, and several others are similarly circumstanced. Nothing can establish this princes dynasty firmly, except an alliance with the company, which his pride and the policy of the latter have hitherto precluded. The Maharaja has no throne. My sword he observed procures me all the distinction that I desire; I am quite indifferent to external pomp. For the marvelous work that he produced, Baron Hugel was facilitated with a Patrons Medal by the ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON in 1849 for for his enterprising and successful exploration of Cashmere, the Punjab, and the surrounding countries, as communicated to the public in his work entitled Kaschmir und das Reich der Siek; and also for the zeal and ability with which he formed those collections of plants and animals in Australia, as well as in Upper India which have enriched European museums, and particularly those of Vienna. The immense significance and authenticity of Baron Hugels travelogue is best described in the citation words of the president of the Royal Geographical Society of London when he observed , I will only mention as a proof of his accuracy, that it has been stated that during the late military operations against the Sikhs, our officers derived the greatest advantage from the correctness with which he had described the country he visited, and the care with which it was laid down in the map constructed by Mr. Arrowsmith chiefly from his materials.