Claude Martin
Encyclopedia
Major General Claude Martin (4 January 1735 – 13 September 1800) was an officer in the French, and later the British, army in India
. He rose to the position of Major General in the British East India Company
. Martin was born in Lyon
, France
, into a humble background, and was a self-made man who has left a substantial lasting legacy in the form of his writings, buildings and the educational institutions he founded posthumously. There are seven schools named after him, two in Lucknow
, two in Calcutta
and three in Lyon
. The small village of Martin Purwa
in India was also named after him.
s, France
. He was the son of Fleury Martin (1708–1755), a vinegar maker, and Anne Vaginay (1702–1735), a butcher's daughter. At his local parish school he excelled in mathematics and physics. After leaving school he was apprenticed to a local silk weaver. Martin's family were middle class and by this time they had businesses in mustard, vinegar and brandy. His decision to go into the silk yarn business did therefore not go down well with his family. In 1751 at the age of 16 Martin decided to seek his fortune abroad, and he signed up with the French Compagnie des Indes. His mother is reported to have said that he should not return from enlisting as a soldier until he was "in a carriage". He was posted to India
where he served under Commander and Governor Joseph François Dupleix
and General
Thomas Arthur Lally
in the Carnatic Wars
against the British East India Company
. When the French lost their colony of Pondicherry in 1761, he accepted service in the Bengal
army of the British East India Company
in 1763, ultimately rising to the rank of Major General.
He was initially employed at the then-new Fort William
in Calcutta, Bengal
(now, West Bengal
), and afterwards on the survey of Bengal under the English Surveyor General James Rennell
. In 1776, Martin was allowed to accept the appointment of Superintendent of the Arsenal for the Nawab of Awadh
, Asaf-ud-Daula, at Lucknow
, retaining his rank but being ultimately placed on half pay. He resided in Lucknow from 1776 until his death. It may be that the French Revolution prevented him from returning "in a carriage". His friend Antoine Polier
gave up his Muslim wives and children to live in a French chateau and was stabbed in the terror. However, Martin never gave up his nationality and died a French national.
and remained essentially a soldier throughout his life , a fighter and a strategist which explains his extraordinary success in life in spite of tremendous odds.
Beginning with the French East India Company he was quick to realise the changing power dynamics and chose to build his army career with the British East India Company. He was recognized for his military talents and got important experience in various military encounters. His administrative acumen was also well known and it was his reputation that made Shuja-ud-daulah
the Nawab of Awadh to request for his services at Lucknow.
His service with the Nawab as well his return to military action during the attack on Tipu
at Seringpatnam shows that his military prowess remained intact even in his later years. He was promoted to the ranks of Colonel (in 1793) and Major General (in 1795) as a special case, since the foreign soldiers in the East India Company were allowed to rise to the rank of Major only.
Coming from Lyon, Martin must have acquired an eye for imposing architecture from his childhood days in his beautiful home town.
His architectural skills were much in demand at Lucknow and his nearness to Nawab Asaf-ud-daula gave him a unique opportunity to participate in the making of modern Lucknow. Martin moved to Lucknow almost at the same time when Asaf-ud-daula shifted the Capital to Lucknow
. Asaf-ud-daulah and Claude Martin became chief architects of the city of Lucknow.
Raj Bhavan
(Hindi
for 'Government House') is the official residence
of the Governor of Uttar Pradesh
. Raj Bhavan used to be called Kothi Hayat Baksh. Major General Claude Martin drew the layout of the building in 1798 after Nawab Asaf-ud-daula, the East India Company made Sadaat Ali Khan its new ruler. The new ruler liked the buildings designed by Claude Martin. The contract for the construction of Kothi was undertaken by Martin as requested by Saadar Ali Khan.
Some of the buildings of Lucknow which have Martin's distinctive touch are: Farhad Baksh, Asafi Kothi, Bibiapur, Barowen and of course the Constantia
.
Most of Martin's buildings were unique and were copied extensively by other designers keeping in mind their defence against military attack.
of Awadh
, Martin acquired a massive fortune of about Rs
40,000,00. He built the palace of Constantia and his fine house of Farud Baksh, both of which he equipped with luxuries that included a library of some 4,000 volumes written in many languages and a picture gallery containing a fine collection of works of art. At his death, Claude's collection included over 650 paintings of birds which were painted by Mughal-trained painters.
Image:PolierMartinWombwellZoffany.jpg|thumb|200px|Colonel Antoine Polier, a Swiss engineer and architect, Claude Martin, John Wombwell, assay master, and Johann Zoffany, the painter, surrounded by servants and Polier's art collection.
rect 269 140 344 305 Claude Martin
rect 124 147 181 298 Antoine-Louis Polier
rect 208 146 253 217 Johann Zoffany
desc none
Martin's love of art can be seen not only in his acquisition of art, but also in the design of his houses, his friendship with noted artists like Renaldi, Hodges
and Zoffany
(who included him in at least two paintings). In a number of cases he used local artists to create work in the style of European artists. His walls were decorated with neo-Greek Wedgewood style decorations, his paintings were by Mughal-trained artists and the statues above his palace were mostly clever reproductions in the style of two European statues.
Later Martin's life was mired in controversy as he had kept two wives of Colonel Polier's, after Polier had departed from India. It is obvious however that he cared for his favourite mistress Boulone, and she is the subject of a painting by Renaldi in 1795 which is still at La Martiniere Boys' School in Lucknow today.
Renaldi is possibly the sculptor for a copper and silver medal (30 mm. in diameter) issued by Nawab Asaf-uddula which bears Martin's image and his motto. On the reverse side it says in Persian:
All the furnishings and treasures of Constantia, as well as those from Martin’s first Lucknow house, the Farhat Buksh, were auctioned on his death, as he had requested. The great chandeliers were bought for the Government House (now Raj Bhawan) in Calcutta, where they still hang, but the majority of his collection was dispersed to private buyers.
This favourable set of circumstances catapulted Martin into the upper crust of Lucknow and he had to conform to the social mores of a contemporary society. Given his unconventional views (as revealed in his Will) this transition must have been not too difficult. He most probably enjoyed his role as a nabob.
He gave regular parties for the British as well as the nawabi aristocracy and participated with gusto in the social and cultural activities of Lucknow.
He had a city residence the Farhat baksh and a country palace, the Constantia. He had other properties in Lucknow, Canpore, Bhazipur and Benaras as well, from which he got a substantial income.
Keeping his last will and testament in view he was a kind master, concerned about the welfare of his staff and servants.
Martin was quick to realize the importance of indigo farming and invested in this profitable enterprise in several parts of North India. He exported indigo and cloth to Europe in exchange for Spanish dollars. Martin also started a cannon foundry, introduced a Dutch method of cutting diamonds, made gunpowder and coined rupees.
(breaking the stones via a waxed-wire insertion up the urethra). Martin sent details of the operation to the Company of Surgeons in London and, notwithstanding initial scepticism among bladder surgeons, it appears to have been accepted as the first recorded operation of its kind.
.jpg)
Claude Martin's wide interests included hot air balloons and he was instrumental in introducing a montgolfier to the Nawab and aristocracy of Lucknow in 1785 less than two years after its flight in France.
Allan Sealy
in his historic novel Trotter-nama features this aspect of Claude Martin.
"I give and bequeath the sum of one hundred and fifty thousand rupees for to be placed at Interest in the most secure manner possible in the East India Company or Government papers bearing interest and that interest to be employed for the poor first having divided this Interest in three portions or parts one - for the relief of the poor of Lucknow of any religion - for the poor of Calcutta - for the relief of the Poor of Chandernaggur".
, Lucknow
and in his birth town of Lyon
in France
which are all named La Martiniere College
.
All the schools are flourishing today and have produced numerous worthy global citizens who epitomise the enduring legacy of this remarkable man. The schools all celebrate Founder's Day on 13 September, the anniversary of Martin's death.
Claude Martin's ideas on education are reflected in the following extract from his writings:
Ironically, Claud Martin had willed part of his fortune for the education of children in India without specific mention to race and creed. However, at the turn of the Nineteenth Century the attitude of British rulers in India changed to a Victorian and imperialist outlook, resulting in the formation of the school in Calcutta, after 30 years of litigation as meant for European Christians only, though permitting Catholics, Armenian Christians and those of other denominations. It was only in 1935 that native Indians were permitted to join the school.
Chandan Mitra in his book Constant Glory has this self-introspective analysis from Martin:
Major-General Claude Martin.
Arrived in India as a common soldier
and died at Lucknow on the 13th of September,
1800, as a Major-General.
He is buried in this tomb.
Pray for his soul."
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. He rose to the position of Major General in the British East India Company
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
. Martin was born in Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, into a humble background, and was a self-made man who has left a substantial lasting legacy in the form of his writings, buildings and the educational institutions he founded posthumously. There are seven schools named after him, two in Lucknow
Lucknow
Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh in India. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division....
, two in Calcutta
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
and three in Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
. The small village of Martin Purwa
Martin Purwa
Martin Purwa is a village in the city of Lucknow in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. The village has a population of around 4,000. Martin Purwa is part of the La Martiniere College estate...
in India was also named after him.
Career
Claude Martin was born on 4 January 1735 in the rue de la Palme, LyonLyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
s, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. He was the son of Fleury Martin (1708–1755), a vinegar maker, and Anne Vaginay (1702–1735), a butcher's daughter. At his local parish school he excelled in mathematics and physics. After leaving school he was apprenticed to a local silk weaver. Martin's family were middle class and by this time they had businesses in mustard, vinegar and brandy. His decision to go into the silk yarn business did therefore not go down well with his family. In 1751 at the age of 16 Martin decided to seek his fortune abroad, and he signed up with the French Compagnie des Indes. His mother is reported to have said that he should not return from enlisting as a soldier until he was "in a carriage". He was posted to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
where he served under Commander and Governor Joseph François Dupleix
Joseph François Dupleix
Joseph-François, Marquis Dupleix was governor general of the French establishment in India, and the rival of Robert Clive.-Biography:Dupleix was born in Landrecies, France...
and General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Thomas Arthur Lally
Thomas Arthur, comte de Lally
Thomas Arthur, comte de Lally, baron de Tollendal was a French General of Irish Jacobite ancestry. He commanded French forces in India during the Seven Years War. After a failed attempt to capture Madras he lost the Battle of Wandiwash to British forces under Eyre Coote and then was forced to...
in the Carnatic Wars
Carnatic Wars
The Carnatic Wars were a series of military conflicts in the middle of the 18th century on the Indian subcontinent...
against the British East India Company
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
. When the French lost their colony of Pondicherry in 1761, he accepted service in the Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
army of the British East India Company
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
in 1763, ultimately rising to the rank of Major General.
Fort William, India
Fort William is a fort built in Calcutta on the Eastern banks of the River Hooghly, the major distributary of the River Ganges, during the early years of the Bengal Presidency of British India. It was named after King William III of England...
in Calcutta, Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
(now, West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
), and afterwards on the survey of Bengal under the English Surveyor General James Rennell
James Rennell
Major James Rennell, FRS was an English geographer, historian and a pioneer of oceanography.-Early life:Rennell was born near Chudleigh in Devon...
. In 1776, Martin was allowed to accept the appointment of Superintendent of the Arsenal for the Nawab of Awadh
Nawab of Awadh
The Nawab of Awadh is the title of rulers who governed the state of Awadh in India in the 18th and 19th century. The Nawabs of Awadh originated form Persia-Establishment:...
, Asaf-ud-Daula, at Lucknow
Lucknow
Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh in India. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division....
, retaining his rank but being ultimately placed on half pay. He resided in Lucknow from 1776 until his death. It may be that the French Revolution prevented him from returning "in a carriage". His friend Antoine Polier
Antoine Polier
Colonel Antoine-Louis Henri de Polier was a Swiss adventurer, art collector, military engineer and soldier who made his fortune in India in the eighteenth century.-Early life:...
gave up his Muslim wives and children to live in a French chateau and was stabbed in the terror. However, Martin never gave up his nationality and died a French national.
As soldier
Martin began his career as a dragoonDragoon
The word dragoon originally meant mounted infantry, who were trained in horse riding as well as infantry fighting skills. However, usage altered over time and during the 18th century, dragoons evolved into conventional light cavalry units and personnel...
and remained essentially a soldier throughout his life , a fighter and a strategist which explains his extraordinary success in life in spite of tremendous odds.
Beginning with the French East India Company he was quick to realise the changing power dynamics and chose to build his army career with the British East India Company. He was recognized for his military talents and got important experience in various military encounters. His administrative acumen was also well known and it was his reputation that made Shuja-ud-daulah
Shuja-ud-Daula
Shuja-ud-Daula was the Subedar Nawab of Oudh from 5 October 1754 to 26 January 1775, and the son of Muhammad Nasir.Though a minor royal, he is best known for his key roles in two definitive battles in Indian history - the Third Battle of Panipat which ended Maratha domination of India, and the...
the Nawab of Awadh to request for his services at Lucknow.
His service with the Nawab as well his return to military action during the attack on Tipu
Tipu
Tipu may refer to:*Tipu Sultan, person in Indian history*Tipu, Belize, Mayan archaeological site near the Belize–Guatemala border*Tipu, Estonia, village in Kõpu Parish, Viljandi County, Estonia...
at Seringpatnam shows that his military prowess remained intact even in his later years. He was promoted to the ranks of Colonel (in 1793) and Major General (in 1795) as a special case, since the foreign soldiers in the East India Company were allowed to rise to the rank of Major only.
As architect and builder
His architectural skills were much in demand at Lucknow and his nearness to Nawab Asaf-ud-daula gave him a unique opportunity to participate in the making of modern Lucknow. Martin moved to Lucknow almost at the same time when Asaf-ud-daula shifted the Capital to Lucknow
Lucknow
Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh in India. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division....
. Asaf-ud-daulah and Claude Martin became chief architects of the city of Lucknow.
Raj Bhavan
Raj Bhavan (Uttar Pradesh)
Raj Bhavan is the official residence of the Governor of Uttar Pradesh. It is located in the capital city of Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh...
(Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
for 'Government House') is the official residence
Official residence
An official residence is the residence at which heads of state, heads of government, gubernatorial or other senior figures officially reside...
of the Governor of Uttar Pradesh
Governors of Uttar Pradesh
This is a list of Governors of Uttar Pradesh from the independence of India in 1947. Before independence, the analogous office was the Governor of the United Provinces.-Governors of the United Provinces of Independent India :...
. Raj Bhavan used to be called Kothi Hayat Baksh. Major General Claude Martin drew the layout of the building in 1798 after Nawab Asaf-ud-daula, the East India Company made Sadaat Ali Khan its new ruler. The new ruler liked the buildings designed by Claude Martin. The contract for the construction of Kothi was undertaken by Martin as requested by Saadar Ali Khan.
Some of the buildings of Lucknow which have Martin's distinctive touch are: Farhad Baksh, Asafi Kothi, Bibiapur, Barowen and of course the Constantia
La Martiniere Lucknow
La Martinière College is an educational institution located in Lucknow, the capital of the Indian State of Uttar Pradesh. The college consists of two schools on different campuses for boys and girls. La Martinière Boys' College was founded in 1845 and La Martinière Girls' College was established...
.
Most of Martin's buildings were unique and were copied extensively by other designers keeping in mind their defence against military attack.
As collector and connoiseur
While serving under the Nawab Asaf-Ud-DowlahAsaf-Ud-Dowlah
Asaf-Ud-Daula was the nawab wazir of Oudh from 26 January 1775 to 21 September 1797, and the son of Shuja-ud-Dowlah, his mother and grandmother being the begums of Oudh, whose spoliation formed one of the chief counts in the charges against Warren Hastings.-Life:A contemporary chronicler describes...
of Awadh
Awadh
Awadh , also known in various British historical texts as Oudh or Oude derived from Ayodhya, is a region in the centre of the modern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, which was before independence known as the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh...
, Martin acquired a massive fortune of about Rs
Rupee
The rupee is the common name for the monetary unit of account in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan, Mauritius, Seychelles, Maldives, and formerly in Burma, and Afghanistan. Historically, the first currency called "rupee" was introduced in the 16th century...
40,000,00. He built the palace of Constantia and his fine house of Farud Baksh, both of which he equipped with luxuries that included a library of some 4,000 volumes written in many languages and a picture gallery containing a fine collection of works of art. At his death, Claude's collection included over 650 paintings of birds which were painted by Mughal-trained painters.
Image:PolierMartinWombwellZoffany.jpg|thumb|200px|Colonel Antoine Polier, a Swiss engineer and architect, Claude Martin, John Wombwell, assay master, and Johann Zoffany, the painter, surrounded by servants and Polier's art collection.
rect 269 140 344 305 Claude Martin
Claude Martin
Major General Claude Martin was an officer in the French, and later the British, army in India. He rose to the position of Major General in the British East India Company...
rect 124 147 181 298 Antoine-Louis Polier
Antoine Polier
Colonel Antoine-Louis Henri de Polier was a Swiss adventurer, art collector, military engineer and soldier who made his fortune in India in the eighteenth century.-Early life:...
rect 208 146 253 217 Johann Zoffany
Johann Zoffany
Johan Zoffany, Zoffani or Zauffelij was a German neoclassical painter, active mainly in England...
desc none
Martin's love of art can be seen not only in his acquisition of art, but also in the design of his houses, his friendship with noted artists like Renaldi, Hodges
William Hodges
William Hodges RA was an English painter. He was a member of James Cook's second voyage to the Pacific Ocean, and is best known for the sketches and paintings of locations he visited on that voyage, including Table Bay, Tahiti, Easter Island, and the Antarctic.Hodges was born in London. He was a...
and Zoffany
Johann Zoffany
Johan Zoffany, Zoffani or Zauffelij was a German neoclassical painter, active mainly in England...
(who included him in at least two paintings). In a number of cases he used local artists to create work in the style of European artists. His walls were decorated with neo-Greek Wedgewood style decorations, his paintings were by Mughal-trained artists and the statues above his palace were mostly clever reproductions in the style of two European statues.
Later Martin's life was mired in controversy as he had kept two wives of Colonel Polier's, after Polier had departed from India. It is obvious however that he cared for his favourite mistress Boulone, and she is the subject of a painting by Renaldi in 1795 which is still at La Martiniere Boys' School in Lucknow today.
Renaldi is possibly the sculptor for a copper and silver medal (30 mm. in diameter) issued by Nawab Asaf-uddula which bears Martin's image and his motto. On the reverse side it says in Persian:
"Most excellent in government,
Sword of the Realm, Supreme
amongst Knights, General Claude Martin
the Brave, Courageous in War. 1796-
1797."
All the furnishings and treasures of Constantia, as well as those from Martin’s first Lucknow house, the Farhat Buksh, were auctioned on his death, as he had requested. The great chandeliers were bought for the Government House (now Raj Bhawan) in Calcutta, where they still hang, but the majority of his collection was dispersed to private buyers.
As nabob
Martin's stay in Lucknow was the best period in his life. He was part of the ruling coterie, he was in charge of the state arsenal, he was designing and constructing buildings and he was acquiring wealth from his multiple talents. He invested his money wisely and was soon the owner of vast tracts of land.This favourable set of circumstances catapulted Martin into the upper crust of Lucknow and he had to conform to the social mores of a contemporary society. Given his unconventional views (as revealed in his Will) this transition must have been not too difficult. He most probably enjoyed his role as a nabob.
He gave regular parties for the British as well as the nawabi aristocracy and participated with gusto in the social and cultural activities of Lucknow.
He had a city residence the Farhat baksh and a country palace, the Constantia. He had other properties in Lucknow, Canpore, Bhazipur and Benaras as well, from which he got a substantial income.
Keeping his last will and testament in view he was a kind master, concerned about the welfare of his staff and servants.
As banker and businessman
Claude Martin was an astute businessman with a diversity of interests. He was well known for his financial skills, and it was said that he never ran after money, but made it come to him. Part of his immense fortune came from the bank he started at Lucknow. He lent money to the nawab of Awadh, the largest loan being for the sum of £250,000 in 1794, which he apparently retrieved with difficulty.Martin was quick to realize the importance of indigo farming and invested in this profitable enterprise in several parts of North India. He exported indigo and cloth to Europe in exchange for Spanish dollars. Martin also started a cannon foundry, introduced a Dutch method of cutting diamonds, made gunpowder and coined rupees.
As self-surgeon
Apart from being a self-made man, Martin was an amateur scientist and a doctor of sorts. He seems to have suffered from bladder stones in his urinary tract and in 1782, despite excruciating suffering, he successfully attempted a primitive and unorthodox form of lithotripsyLithotripsy
Lithotripsy refers to the physical destruction of gallstones or kidney stones. The term is derived from the Greek words meaning "breaking stones" .Forms include:* Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy...
(breaking the stones via a waxed-wire insertion up the urethra). Martin sent details of the operation to the Company of Surgeons in London and, notwithstanding initial scepticism among bladder surgeons, it appears to have been accepted as the first recorded operation of its kind.
As hot air balloonist
Allan Sealy
Allan Sealy
Irwin Allan Sealy is a writer born in 1951 in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India. His novel The Everest Hotel: A Calendar was shortlisted for the 1998 Booker prize.-Biography:...
in his historic novel Trotter-nama features this aspect of Claude Martin.
As philanthropist
Martin was a charitable person and philanthropist by heart as is reflected in the following excerpt from his last will and testament:"I give and bequeath the sum of one hundred and fifty thousand rupees for to be placed at Interest in the most secure manner possible in the East India Company or Government papers bearing interest and that interest to be employed for the poor first having divided this Interest in three portions or parts one - for the relief of the poor of Lucknow of any religion - for the poor of Calcutta - for the relief of the Poor of Chandernaggur".
As educationist
Of all the European adventurers, Claude Martin is singular in that he left the greater part of his wealth to a variety of charities. Being almost entirely self-educated, he realised the value of formalised education and willed a major part of his fortune to the creation of three institutions of learning in CalcuttaKolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
, Lucknow
Lucknow
Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh in India. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division....
and in his birth town of Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
which are all named La Martiniere College
La Martiniere College
La Martiniere is a non-denominational public school in India and in France .La Martiniere Schools were founded posthumously by Major General Claude Martin in the early 19th century. Martin had acquired a large fortune while serving the Nawab of Awadh Asaf-ud-Daula and bequeathed a major part of...
.
All the schools are flourishing today and have produced numerous worthy global citizens who epitomise the enduring legacy of this remarkable man. The schools all celebrate Founder's Day on 13 September, the anniversary of Martin's death.
Claude Martin's ideas on education are reflected in the following extract from his writings:
"I have read a lot, pen in hand, often under difficult conditions, and I know the value of the first rudiments inculcated by the parson of St. Saturnin. That is why I divide my fortune in two. I want to thank all those who have been around me by making their life easier after my death. I also want to give the children of both Lyon and India, the instruction which I received with so much difficulty. I want to make it easy for young people to get access to knowledge, specially the sciences."
Ironically, Claud Martin had willed part of his fortune for the education of children in India without specific mention to race and creed. However, at the turn of the Nineteenth Century the attitude of British rulers in India changed to a Victorian and imperialist outlook, resulting in the formation of the school in Calcutta, after 30 years of litigation as meant for European Christians only, though permitting Catholics, Armenian Christians and those of other denominations. It was only in 1935 that native Indians were permitted to join the school.
Personal life
Martin never married but, as a nabob, he had close and long relationships with several mistresses, which was the normal practice in that era. His favourite mistress was a girl called Boulone (c.1766-1844), who was some thirty years younger than Martin. He had bought her as a young girl aged nine. Martin always claimed that they lived happily together, but Boulone must inevitably have harboured feelings of jealousy when Martin introduced younger mistresses into the household. Boulone is commemorated in a small gilt-framed painting in the Blue Room of La Martinière. She is pictured next to a young boy named James Zulphikar, who was said to have been adopted by Martin. Both figures are dressed in 18th-century Indian costume, and Boulone is holding a fishing rod. Boulone is buried in a purpose-built Muslim tomb in the grounds of the College. It is here that a few rupees are given out once a month to the poor people of Lucknow, in accordance with the instructions in Martin's will.Martin on himself
Claude Martin has had his admirers and detractors. He was indeed a complex person. Part adventurer, part polymath, part colonial agent, part lover of Oriental life, but how did Claude Martin view himself?Chandan Mitra in his book Constant Glory has this self-introspective analysis from Martin:
"I have always refused to give up the French nationality, but of which France do I belong? That of Louis XV, where I have only known misery before embarking on the L'Orient ? That of philosophers, of terror bathing in blood, or that of Bonaparte whose eastern dream has just been dissipated, after leaving Tipu SahibTipu SultanTipu Sultan , also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore. He was the son of Hyder Ali, at that time an officer in the Mysorean army, and his second wife, Fatima or Fakhr-un-Nissa...
alone against the English? I have collaborated for his defeat and then after he lost I have been rewarded by some gold sprinkling on my uniform-a vain plaything for my vanity. By my persevarance and hard work I have accumulated a fortune from this country which is my second motherland. I have not cheated the people who have passively succumbed to the yoke of corrupt men."
Epitaph
Claude Martin died on 13 September 1800 at the Town House, Lucknow. According to his last wishes, he was buried in the vault specially prepared for his remains in the basement of Constantia in Lucknow. The inscription on his tombstone reads:Arrived in India as a common soldier
and died at Lucknow on the 13th of September,
1800, as a Major-General.
He is buried in this tomb.
Pray for his soul."
Further reading
- Rosie Llewellyn-Jones. A very ingenious man: Claude Martin in early colonial India, 1993, Delhi: Oxford University Press, 241pp. ISBN 0195650999
- Rosie Llewellyn-Jones. A fatal friendship: the nawabs, the British and the city of Lucknow. Delhi; Oxford: Oxford University Press, c.1985, 284pp. ISBN 0195617061
- Rosie Llewellyn-Jones. A man of the Enlightenment in eighteenth-century India: the letters of Claude Martin, 1766–1800. New Delhi: Permanent Black in Association with The Embassy of France in India: Distributed by Orient Longman, 2003, 412pp. ISBN 8178240424
- William Chubb. The Lucknow menagerie: natural history drawings from the collection of Claude Martin (1735–1800). London: Hobhouse, 2001. ISBN 0946630062.
See also
- The will of Claude Martin
- La Martiniere CollegeLa Martiniere CollegeLa Martiniere is a non-denominational public school in India and in France .La Martiniere Schools were founded posthumously by Major General Claude Martin in the early 19th century. Martin had acquired a large fortune while serving the Nawab of Awadh Asaf-ud-Daula and bequeathed a major part of...
- La Martiniere CalcuttaLa Martiniere CalcuttaLa Martiniere Calcutta comprises two separate private schools in Kolkata, India. The schools were established in accordance with the will of Major General Claude Martin in 1836. They are day schools although they both have a small number of boarders...
- La Martiniere LucknowLa Martiniere LucknowLa Martinière College is an educational institution located in Lucknow, the capital of the Indian State of Uttar Pradesh. The college consists of two schools on different campuses for boys and girls. La Martinière Boys' College was founded in 1845 and La Martinière Girls' College was established...
- La Martiniere LyonLa Martiniere LyonLa Martiniere Lyon is the La Martiniere College branch in Lyon, France.Lyon hosts three La Martiniere colleges, which were all created by Claude Martin: La Martinière Monplaisir, La Martinière Duchère, and La Martinière Terreaux....
- Martinians
- Martin PurwaMartin PurwaMartin Purwa is a village in the city of Lucknow in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. The village has a population of around 4,000. Martin Purwa is part of the La Martiniere College estate...
- Claude Martin WadeClaude Martin WadeColonel Sir Claude Martin Wade C.B. Agent to the Governor- General for theAffairs of the Punjab and North-West Frontier, 1823-1840 accessed July...
- A Colonel named after Claude Martin
External links
- Seeds of Empire A biographical novel based on the life of Claude Martin.