INDIA – THE FOUNDATION OF NEW DELHI Manuscript speech, titled 'Draft of the King Emperor's...

INDIA – THE FOUNDATION OF NEW DELHI Manuscript speech, titled 'Draft of the King Emperor's Announcement:- Delhi and Bengal.', announcing the transfer of the seat of the government of India '...from Calcutta to the ancient Capital Delhi...' and the creation of '...a Governorship for the Presidency of Bengal, of a new Lieutenant Governorship in Council administering the areas of Behar Chota Nagpur and Orissa, and of a chief Commissionership of Assam...', ending '...It is Our earnest desire that these changes may conduce to the better administration of India and the greater prosperity and happiness of Our beloved People...', docketed at head 'Most Secret' in red ink and 'Copy No. 2/ Lord Stamfordham', embossed monogram of the Earl of Crewe, one page on a bifolium, light dust-staining, creased at horizontal fold, 4to (253 x 202mm.), India Office, Whitehall S.W., [n.d. but 1911], in a later custom-made folder; with a printed volume of confidential correspondence, 'Transfer of the Seat of the Government of India from Calcutta to Delhi and the Creation of a new Lieut.-Governorship at Patna', brown calf, title in gilt on upper cover and spine, gilt monogram of Lord Hardinge of Penshurst in top left corner of upper cover and at foot of spine, 4to, held together in a later custom-made slip case (2) Footnotes: 'THE BETTER ADMINISTRATION OF INDIA AND THE GREATER PROSPERITY AND HAPPINESS OF OUR BELOVED PEOPLE': DRAFT OF GEORGE V'S SPEECH ANNOUNCING THE FOUNDATION OF NEW DELHI AT THE HISTORIC DURBAR OF 1911. Our document represents a pivotal moment in the history of colonial India, with the historic proclamation of the transfer of the capital from Calcutta to New Delhi and the reunion of the 'two Bengals' under a Governor-in-Council, which was announced by the King at the spectacular Delhi Durbar on 12th December 1911. Whilst there had been Durbars in 1877 and 1903, to proclaim Queen Victoria as Empress of India and for the accession of Edward VII respectively, the 1911 Durbar was the first to be attended by the Emperor and Empress in person, the newly-crowned George V and his consort Queen Mary. It was an impressive spectacle. Some 600 Indian maharajahs and princes, including the only woman ruler, the Begum of Bhopal, were called upon to pay homage to the new Emperor in a carefully choreographed and sumptuous display of pageantry, involving thousands of officials, soldiers and spectators. The King-Emperor, wearing coronation robes and with the specially-commissioned Imperial Crown of India glittering in the sunshine, listened to the Coronation Proclamation and then ascended with the Queen to a domed royal pavilion to make this historic announcement. An eye-witness recalled the moment as follows: '...There the trumpeters sounded another fanfare, and then to the general surprise, for the official programme gave no hint of such a thing, His Majesty rose, holding a paper in his hand. With clear voice and just emphasis he announced that the capital of India would be transferred from Calcutta to Delhi, and that a Governorship would be created for the Presidency of Bengal... Admirably delivered though this announcement was, no human voice could have reached more than a small portion of the spectators in the stand; and the news flew from the centre to both flanks with a buzz as of passing bees. But the trumpeters now blew their last fanfare, and galloped out of the arena. The Master of the Ceremonies received permission to close the Durbar, the massed bands again played the National Anthem...' (Hon. John Fortescue, Narrative of the Visit to India of their Majesties King George V and Queen Mary and of the Coronation Durbar held at Delhi 12th December 1911, 1912, pp.164-165). The foundation stone for the Viceroy's new Delhi residence designed by Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker, was laid in a relatively modest ceremony three days later, thus marking the foundation of New Delhi. Due to its highly sensitive nature, the transfer of the capital from Calcutta to Delhi was discussed only at the highest echelons of government and the Royal household. Our document, on the notepaper of the Marquess of Crewe at the India Office, is thus marked 'Most Secret' and is addressed to Lord Stamfordham, private secretary to George V, indicating that it was intended only for the eyes of the King and his closest advisor. Our manuscript is accompanied by a privately printed volume of revealing correspondence between the key protagonists: '...Nobody knows of these proposals beyond the Members of my Council, and it would be absolutely fatal if they were to leak out... This letter is rather a bombshell, is it not?...' writes Hardinge to Crewe, Secretary of State for India, in July 1911 (p.59). The King-Emperor himself wrote to the Viceroy in September, reiterating the need for secrecy ('...No one here knows anything of it except Bigge [Stamfordham] and myself...', p.109). The correspondence also reveals that several amendments to the speech were made after the first draft of 24 October 1911, and comparison of the text shows that our draft differs from the final iteration of the speech only with the addition of the word 'of' (as in 'ancient capital of Delhi'). The proposal to move the seat of British power in India was twofold. It was felt that a capital in the geographical centre of the country would both ease administration and cement British rule across the huge nation, and in turn reduce volatility in Bengal, an area of increasing political and religious unrest. It had been contemplated by two previous Governor-Generals, Lord Lawrence and Lord Curzon, but it was only under Viceroy Charles Hardinge, 1st Baron Hardinge of Penshurst (1858-1944) that the idea came to fruition. The announcement was acclaimed by those in Delhi, but met with hostility from many other quarters, especially in Calcutta, and particularly from those Europeans with business interests in the city. The plan was also greeted at home with mixed feelings. The Marquess of Lansdowne for example, whilst admitting it '...cannot fail to mark an epoch in the annals of the Indian Empire...', expressed that he had '...grave issues...' with the decision, particularly that an announcement made by the King under those circumstances was thus presented to government as somewhat of a fait accompli (hansard.parliament.uk). The notepaper bears the monogram of the Secretary of State for India at the India Office in London, Robert Offley Ashburton Crewe-Milnes, 1st Marquess of Crewe (1858-1945). A so-called 'genius for organisation', he held the post from 1910-1915, during which time he was responsible for the Durbar and for implementing the terms of our announcement. As it is accompanied by a volume bearing the monogram of the Viceroy Lord Hardinge of Penshurst, it can be assumed that the document passed through the Viceroy's hands before being presented to Sir James Houssemayne Du Boulay, his private secretary, in whose family it has been retained until recently. Sir James' wife was Lady-in Waiting to Queen Mary and in attendance at the Durbar. Provenance: Sir James Houssemayne Du Boulay (1868-1943, Private Secretary to the Viceroy of India, Lord Hardinge from 1910 to 1916); thence by descent; UK collection. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing