Indian Document Set B
Document 1
I have not acquired any fortune but I have my paternal estate and the pension of a Subedar. This
is enough for me. The people in my village seem to respect me, and are now fully satisfied with
the ease and benefits they enjoy under English rule. The man who sows now knows that he will
reap, which he never could reckon on doing in the old days. The people are still sometimes
oppressed by the subordinate Indian officials but redress can often be obtained, and in any case
this oppression gets less and less each year. If the District Commissioner sahib goes about
himself and personally inquires into all complaints, as our good sahib does and takes an interest
in our welfare, there will be little inclination to resist the Sirkar's authority. But if everything is
left to the Indian officials, as is sometimes done through the inability of the sahib to understand
what is said to him, the people become dissatisfied, talk against the government and long for a
change. My lord, the Indian officials are all corrupt . . . There may be one man who would not
take a bribe . . . , but I have never heard of him. The principal reason for this is the poor pay
provided by the Sirkar, but if it was only half as much, there would still be hundreds of
applicants who would make up by bribes what was deficient in their wages. This was always the
case in former times--the man who could give the biggest bribe would always win his case . . .
The sahibs have tried to put down bribery but there is such a combination against them that they
will never be successful . . .
Thanks be to God the Creator! I lack nothing thanks to the bounty of the Sirkar . . . If Your
Lordship, when you return to your own country, will always remember that the old Subedar Sita
Ram was a true and faithful servant of the English Government, it will be enough for me.
Subedar Sita Ram
Roy
Definitions
paternal
sows now knows that he will reap
redress
inclination
bounty
Background
Subedar
District Commissioner sahib
inherited from a father
The author is making a comparison to farming
by saying that a person who plants crops can
now harvest them for their own benefit. In a
broader sense, the author is saying that hard
work now has personal benefits.
to correct something that was wrong
a tendency to do things a certain way
generous giving
A Subedar was a 1st Lieutenant in the Britishcontrolled Indian infantry. Subedars
supervised Indian soldiers under the direction
of British officers.
“Sahib” means “sir” or “master”. The British
Sirkar’s
Your Lordship
Subedar Sita Ram
Questions
through the inability of the sahib to understand
what is said to him
Subedar Sita Ram was a true and faithful
servant
divided Indian states into districts. Each was
governed by a District Commissioner. The
District Commissioner was often the only
British official in rural districts. His staff was
usually made up of local Indians.
An Indian name given to the British official in
charge of an Indian province
a term of respect used to address a British
nobleman
Sita Ram Pande, the author of this memoir,
was one of many Indian soldiers who helped
the British to conquer India. He enlisted in
1812 in an infantry regiment of the Bengal
Native Army, and he remained a soldier until
he went on pension in 1860 after 48 years'
service.
Remember that the District Commissioner was
often the only British person in local
government. Can you think of any other
possible reasons beyond his inability to speak
the native language that might prevent the
“sahib” from understanding the local situation?
Sita Ram was interviewed by an Englishman
who wrote this account of Ram’s life in British
service. Can you think of any reasons that Sita
Ram might not truthfully describe the way he
feels about life under British rule?