Rare first edition pamphlet discussing the Madras officer revolt of 1809 against the East India Company administration of Sir George Barlow, offering a contemporary insider perspective on one of the earliest crises in British colonial military governance.

Bibliographic Details

Author: Anonymous.
Title: A Letter from a Gentleman High in Office at Madras, upon the Late Discontents in that Presidency: Containing Comments on the Principal Transactions of Sir George Barlow's Government.
Place of Publication: London.
Publisher: Black, Parry, and Kingsbury.
Date: 1810.
Edition: First edition.
Collation: [vii], 47, [2 publisher's catalogue] pp.
Format: Octavo (21.2 × 13.5 cm).
Binding: Recently rebound in maroon cloth with gilt lettering to spine and new endpapers.

Condition

Very Good condition overall. Modern cloth binding clean and firm with bright spine lettering. Text pages crisp with minor age-toning. Small spot to penultimate leaf and faint foxing to the half-title. Structurally sound throughout and neatly preserved.

Description

A rare and revealing political pamphlet relating to the so-called “White Mutiny” of Madras (1809), one of the most serious early crises faced by the British East India Company in India. Written anonymously but clearly by a well-informed contemporary observer, the work provides a pointed commentary on the policies and administration of Sir George Barlow.

The unrest in Madras arose when Barlow attempted to abolish certain long-standing privileges enjoyed by East India Company officers, particularly lucrative supply and procurement contracts. His rigid administrative reforms alienated many officers of the Madras Army, culminating in open defiance and a coordinated protest movement that threatened the stability of Company rule in the presidency.

Although not a rebellion by Indian troops — hence the later term “White Mutiny” — the affair represented a major embarrassment for the Company. The crisis exposed tensions within the colonial military establishment and highlighted the fragile balance between administrative reform and the vested interests of Company officers.

This pamphlet offers a contemporary critique of Barlow’s government, discussing the policies that led to the confrontation and analysing the personalities and decisions that shaped the conflict. The tone is direct and often sharply critical, providing valuable insight into the political atmosphere of British India during the early nineteenth century.

Sir George Barlow had previously served briefly as Acting Governor-General of India (1805–1807) before being transferred to Madras. His unpopular leadership during the Madras crisis ultimately led to his recall to Britain in 1812. Events such as the White Mutiny formed an important early precedent for later conflicts between Company authority and its military establishment.

Notes

Early nineteenth-century pamphlets dealing with East India Company governance are increasingly scarce, particularly those addressing controversial contemporary political events.

Library records indicate only a handful of institutional holdings (Copac records approximately four locations), underscoring the rarity of this publication.

An important and uncommon piece of British colonial political literature documenting one of the earliest internal crises of Company rule in India.