Company Bahadur Part 6 Warren Hastings Section IV: End of an Innings

Canberra, 18 April 2024 While hastings was in Benares, the new Councillor, John Macpherson arrived in Calcutta from England. He had earlier served in Madras and had established himself as Hastings’ friend. However, Macpherson was an adventurer who was prone to making shady financial deals and was known to accumulate personal wealth. Even so, Macpherson […]

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Company Bahadur Part 6 Warren Hastings Section III: A Star Ascendent

Canberra, 11 April 2024 The trial and execution of Raja Nand Kumar turned Hastings’ official fortunes. Although the Council continued to oppose and criticise his actions, their obstructiveness was ineffective. They had lost their ability to control or even repudiate the GG’s actions. Francis tried to re-introduce Clive’s dual-government system, purely because Hastings had abolished […]

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Indian History Part 81 Akbar Section IV: The Conquering Emperor (1)

Canberra, 28 June 2020 SETTING THE SCENE Akbar continued the policy followed by Biram Khan, of steady and ceaseless expeditions to expand the territorial spread of the Empire. Akbar is supposed to have said, as reported by Abul Fazl and quoted by Bamber Gascoigne in his book, The Great Mughals (page 72), ‘a monarch should […]

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