Epigraphia Indica Vol 24

SR No.: 032578
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Hirananda Shastri
Publisher: Archaeological Survey of India
Publication Year: 1937
Total Pages: 472
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 22 MB

Page 150

No. 15.)
A DUTCH MEMORIAL SLAB IN INDIA.
125
The way, in which the memorial slab, placed in the fortress, found its way to Chingleput, is described in pages 35f. in the book, written by Jacob Haafner: Reize van Madras naar Ceilon (Voyage from Madras to Ceylon) published in Haarlem in 1806. Haafner had been employed in the Company's office at Sadras since 1779. We get the following information from this work. Jacob Pieter De Neys was the chief there at the time. In the fortress there was then still a small garrison, not even 20 strong, in charge of a sergeant. Yet this garrison was sufficiently strong to hold it against the Callouris, a predatory tribe living in the Carnatic jungle. On the 17th of June 1781 De Neys had a party of all the qualified (higher) officials and their wives at his house, to celebrate a birthday. At the height of the revels the arrival of a British officer was announced. De Neys asked him to enter and join them. The young officer, however, was the bearer of a very distressing message. The British had received an intimation of a war that had broken out between England and the Dutch Republic. He had been sent by his chief, Captain George Mackay, the Commander of the strong garrison of Chingleput, situated 3 miles north-west of Sodras, who with the whole of his troops had marched to within a mile's distance. Mackay demanded the Dutch fortress and lodge to surrender at discretion. The alarm of the guests may be easily imagined. De Neys immediately held a meeting and all the persons present realised that it would be useless to offer resistance to the British, who outnumbered them ; yet, & surrender at discretion was out of the question. Only if fair conditions of capitulation should be granted, would they open the gates. The assembled company stated their terms: A. the property of the officials and inhabitants should be held in respect; B. fair treatment of the prisoners-of-war should be guaranteed up to the con. clusion of peace or the time of their exchange. Haafner being the only one who could speak English well, was sent to Mackay, who, at first, refused stubbornly and scornfully to sign the condi. tions of capitulation, but in the end proceeded to do so, when the Dutch stuck to their point.
The same evening the British troops marched into the fortress and now that it was in their possession, Mackay did not hold to the conditions he had signed. He had the prisoners takon to Madras without allowing them to take their possessions which they never 88W again. Before their departure they witnessed how Mackay blew up the whole of the fortress. Though Haatner does not say anything about the memorial slab, it is obvious that the British troops took it as a trophy with them to Chingleput, where it was noticed in 1911 by Dr. Vogel.
It is common knowledge that in 1784, at the conclusion of peace in Paris, Sadras and the other conquered places, with the exception of the important settlement of Negapatnam, were restored to the Dutch Company.
In conclusion we are able to give the following information about the persons, whose names are stated on the tablet.
Coenraad Pieter Keller. born in Steynfeld in Germany, sailed for the Indies as a lanspasseat (non-commissioned officer) on board the Watervliet in 1735. In the same year he entered the Civil Service in Batavia as an assistant and in 1737 was appointed assistant-surveyor in the same town. The High Government decided in 1740 upon sending him to Ceylon as an engineer, with the rank of Under-Merchant. He worked for several years in Colombo and in 1746 was appointed lieutenant-dessave (desgave being the title of the Governor of a province in Ceylon). On the 13th of September 1754 he was promoted to the rank of Merchant. Soon afterwards he went to Coromandel, where he took part in building a fortress at Bimlipatnam. In 1765 he got into trouble; the Governor suspended him and afterwards imprisoned him in consequence of an effort made by him to run away. On his trial the public prosecutor demanded that he should be executed, but the Governor not being convinced of his guilt, sent him to Batavia with all the documents bearing on the case. He came up for trial before the Superior Court of Law and finding the charges