Royal correspondence between Mewar and Nepal
In September 1838 Rana Sardar Singh of Mewar addressed two letters to the Rajguru and the Maharaja of Nepal. The epistles did not reach their destination and were intercepted at Benares. Apparently they were quite innocuous and conveyed nothing but a conventional message of courtesy. Nor was there anything clandestine about the mission for the agents of the Nepal Darbar were provided with passports and letters of introduction from the British embassy at Kathmandu.
As Col. Spiers, Political Agent, Udaipur, explained to Col. Alves, Governor-General's Agent for the States of Rajputana "The Rajahs of Naipaul are said to be descended from a younger branch of the Oodeypoor family and I believe have always, as opportunities offered, kept up a friendly correspondence with each other." Meanwhile the Government kept themselves informed about the progress of the Nepalese Mission. As early as the 7th February 1838 Campbell, then, officiating Resident at Kathmandu, had reported to Macnaghten that he had issued a
Rahadari or passport in favour of one Bansaraj and his party at the request of the Nepal Darbar. Bansaraj was going to Udaipur with presents from the Maharani of Nepal.
She was the Senior Queen and Chief wife of Rana Rajendra Vikram Shah. An ambitious woman who wanted to rule Nepal with the help of the Pande faction through whose agency she tried again and again to encompass the ruin of the Thappa leader, Bhimsen. In April 1840 she planned a romantic outrage on the British frontier and in June an attack on the Residency. But failing in her attempt to keep herself in power she quitted Kathmandu and died on her way to the plains on October 6, 1841.
For obvious reasons the Governor-General could not permit the appointment of a permanent Nepalese Agent at Udaipur and whatever the ulterior motive the Mission might have there is no evidence to show that the Rana had any share in it. In fact Spiers informed Alves that he had been assured by the Rana's Minister that the Mission would be dismissed as soon as the weather improved. Meanwhite Hodgson had been unrelenting at the other end in his efforts to have Bansaraj recalled and the Maharaja of Nepal ultimately yielded to his representations.
Rana Jawan Singh expired of a brief illness on the 30th August and his successor Sardar Singh did not assume the gadi until a week later . Despite the formalities imposed by public mourning the new Rana lost no time in sending the Nepalese envoys on their homeward journey and they left Udaipur on the 5th October. The story however does not end here. Bansaraj was trying to bring in his train one Laldas, an emissary of the Rana of Udaipur, with presents from His Highness. Such an action would constitute a flagrant violence of the passport and breach of treaty.
The search was conducted by the Magistrate's Assistant Mr. Roberts, before whom he repeated this denial, and frankly produced his boxes for inspection. No presents were forthcoming, except a pair of Gold Bangles, presented to Buns Raj at Oudeypoor; but, most carefully concealed in his bedding and pillow, were discovered sundry letters in silk and muslin bags, some with large Red Wax Seals, addressed to the Nepal Durbar and to the Raj Gooru Rungnath." As Haddock, Offiiciating Secretary to the Government of India, wrote to Lt. Col. J. Sutherland, Offiiciating Agent to the Go vernor- General : "You will not find in these letters any expression which may lead to the suspicion of a political connection or of designs hostile to the British Government. The present Maha Rana found upon his accession to the Musnad the Nepalese Agents established at his Capital, the Government of Oodeypore had been required and was pledged to dismiss them and it may not have been unnatural that upon their dismissal notes of friendship should have passed between the parties principally concerned. So Rana Sardar Singh was exonerated of any disloyal intention or deed."
Sanskrit documents and letters
