John Malcolm
Encyclopedia
Major-general
Sir John Malcolm (2 May 1769 – 30 May 1833) was a Scottish
soldier, statesman
, and historian
, Dumfriesshire
, Malcolm was the son of George Malcolm, a gentleman farmer of Eskdale
and Burnfoot. Jock, as he was then known, was one of the four Malcolm brothers who attained knighthoods or baronetcies in the service of the British Empire
. In 1782, through the influence of the Johnstones of Alva, Jock Malcolm entered the service of the East India Company
as a cadet, leaving from London
to Madras.
In his early years at Madras, Jock Malcolm was 'not a prodigy of virtue'. He was known as 'Boy Malcolm' for many years, which his biographer explained was due to there being 'something so open and joyous in his manner; so active and so frolicsome'. He was a fine horseman and a crack shot, but like so many other young officers he soon found himself in debt. A relation in London forwarded him £200 but his brother intercepted it so that he may learn the hard way.
A part of his success is to be ascribed to the zeal with which he applied himself at first to study the manners and languages of the east. Having distinguished himself at the siege of Seringapatam
in 1792, he was appointed by Lord Cornwallis to the situation of Persian
interpreter to a British force serving with a native prince. In 1795, on his return from a short visit to his native country, on account of his health, he performed some useful services in General Clarke’s expedition at the Cape of Good Hope
, for which he received the thanks of the Madras government, and was appointed secretary to the commander-in-chief.
In 1797, he was made captain; and from that time to 1799, he was engaged in a variety of important services, terminating at the fall of Seringapatam, where he highly distinguished himself. He was then appointed joint secretary with captain (afterwards Sir Thomas) Munro, to the commissioners for settling the new government of Mysore. In the same year, he was selected by Lord Wellesley to proceed on a diplomatic mission to Persia, where he concluded two treaties of great importance, one political, and the other commercial; returning to Bombay in May, 1801. His services were acknowledged by his being appointed private secretary to the governor-general. In January, 1802, he was raised to the rank of major; and on the occasion of the Persian ambassador being accidentally shot at Bombay, he was again entrusted with a mission to that empire, in order to make the requisite arrangements for the renewal of the embassy. As plenipotentiary for the British East India Company, he came into conflict with Sir Harford Jones, the British Ambassador
to Persia, which resulted in a number of minor disputes about precedence in the Persian court and the giving and receiving of gifts. Upon his return to Bombay he was censured by the government for having spent too much on gifts for the members of the Persian court.
In January, 1803, he was nominated to the presidency of Mysore, and to act without special instructions; and in December, 1804, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant-colonel. In the June of the following year, he was appointed chief agent of the governor-general, and he continued to serve in that capacity until March, 1806, having successfully concluded several very important treaties during that period.
Malcolm is credited with having introduced the potato to Persia. On his first visit he noted the suitability of the climate to growing this vegetable, and on his second mission to Persia took along thirty bags of seeds, which he distributed as he went, along with notes on how to grow the potato.
He was employed in many important negotiations and held various distinguished posts, being Ambassador to Persia, Resident of Gwalior (1803–1804) and Governor of Bombay 1827–1830. He was the commander of the British Army which defeated the Holkars who ruled Indore
at the Battle of Mahidpur
in 1818. After defeating the Holkars he signed the Treaty of Mandsaur with them. It was under this treaty that the British were given the cantonment town of Mhow which is 23 km from Indore.
He was the author of several valuable works regarded as authorities, viz., Sketch of the Sikh (1812) A History of Persia (1815), Memoir of Central India (1823), Political History of India from 1784 to 1823 (1826), and Life of Lord Clive (1836). As a writer, Malcolm was a profound influence on the generation of military and diplomatic officials that governed British India in the period before 1857.
He married Margaret Pasley, the sister of the Surgeon-General of Madras, Gilbert Pasley, and Admiral Sir Thomas Pasley, 1st Baronet
. He himself was a brother of Sir Pulteney Malcolm
. An impressive obelisk
commemorating Malcolm's life and achievements stands atop the 300 m Whita Hill on the outskirts of Langholm
.
An over life-size statue of Sir John Malcolm is in Westminster Abbey
's North Transept.
, which is housed at the Bodleian Library
in Oxford
. Due to this, John Malcolm became very famous within the Hindu
Swaminarayan sect.
Major-General (United Kingdom)
Major general is a senior rank in the British Army. Since 1996 the highest position within the Royal Marines is the Commandant General Royal Marines who holds the rank of major general...
Sir John Malcolm (2 May 1769 – 30 May 1833) was a Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
soldier, statesman
Statesman
A statesman is usually a politician or other notable public figure who has had a long and respected career in politics or government at the national and international level. As a term of respect, it is usually left to supporters or commentators to use the term...
, and historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
Early life
Born at BurnfootBurnfoot
Burnfoot is a small village within the townland of Bonnanaboigh in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It lies 4 km north of Dungiven and 9 km south of Limavady...
, Dumfriesshire
Dumfriesshire
Dumfriesshire or the County of Dumfries is a registration county of Scotland. The lieutenancy area of Dumfries has similar boundaries.Until 1975 it was a county. Its county town was Dumfries...
, Malcolm was the son of George Malcolm, a gentleman farmer of Eskdale
Eskdale
-United Kingdom:*Eskdale, Cumbria, England*Eskdale, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland*Eskdale, North Yorkshire, England*Eskdale , Cumberland, England, former constituency-United States:...
and Burnfoot. Jock, as he was then known, was one of the four Malcolm brothers who attained knighthoods or baronetcies in the service of the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
. In 1782, through the influence of the Johnstones of Alva, Jock Malcolm entered the service of the 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...
as a cadet, leaving from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to Madras.
In his early years at Madras, Jock Malcolm was 'not a prodigy of virtue'. He was known as 'Boy Malcolm' for many years, which his biographer explained was due to there being 'something so open and joyous in his manner; so active and so frolicsome'. He was a fine horseman and a crack shot, but like so many other young officers he soon found himself in debt. A relation in London forwarded him £200 but his brother intercepted it so that he may learn the hard way.
A part of his success is to be ascribed to the zeal with which he applied himself at first to study the manners and languages of the east. Having distinguished himself at the siege of Seringapatam
Siege of Seringapatam
Siege of Seringapatam can refer to:* Siege of Seringapatam during the Third Anglo-Mysore War* Siege of Seringapatam during the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War...
in 1792, he was appointed by Lord Cornwallis to the situation of Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
interpreter to a British force serving with a native prince. In 1795, on his return from a short visit to his native country, on account of his health, he performed some useful services in General Clarke’s expedition at the Cape of Good Hope
Cape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa.There is a misconception that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa, because it was once believed to be the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In fact, the...
, for which he received the thanks of the Madras government, and was appointed secretary to the commander-in-chief.
In 1797, he was made captain; and from that time to 1799, he was engaged in a variety of important services, terminating at the fall of Seringapatam, where he highly distinguished himself. He was then appointed joint secretary with captain (afterwards Sir Thomas) Munro, to the commissioners for settling the new government of Mysore. In the same year, he was selected by Lord Wellesley to proceed on a diplomatic mission to Persia, where he concluded two treaties of great importance, one political, and the other commercial; returning to Bombay in May, 1801. His services were acknowledged by his being appointed private secretary to the governor-general. In January, 1802, he was raised to the rank of major; and on the occasion of the Persian ambassador being accidentally shot at Bombay, he was again entrusted with a mission to that empire, in order to make the requisite arrangements for the renewal of the embassy. As plenipotentiary for the British East India Company, he came into conflict with Sir Harford Jones, the British Ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
to Persia, which resulted in a number of minor disputes about precedence in the Persian court and the giving and receiving of gifts. Upon his return to Bombay he was censured by the government for having spent too much on gifts for the members of the Persian court.
In January, 1803, he was nominated to the presidency of Mysore, and to act without special instructions; and in December, 1804, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant-colonel. In the June of the following year, he was appointed chief agent of the governor-general, and he continued to serve in that capacity until March, 1806, having successfully concluded several very important treaties during that period.
Malcolm is credited with having introduced the potato to Persia. On his first visit he noted the suitability of the climate to growing this vegetable, and on his second mission to Persia took along thirty bags of seeds, which he distributed as he went, along with notes on how to grow the potato.
He was employed in many important negotiations and held various distinguished posts, being Ambassador to Persia, Resident of Gwalior (1803–1804) and Governor of Bombay 1827–1830. He was the commander of the British Army which defeated the Holkars who ruled Indore
Indore
Indore is one of the major city in India, the largest city and commercial center of the state of Madhya Pradesh in central India. Indore is located 190 km west of the state capital Bhopal. According to the 2011 Indian census, Indore city has a population of 1,960,631...
at the Battle of Mahidpur
Battle of Mahidpur
The Battle of Mahidpur was fought during the Third Anglo-Maratha War between the Marathas and the British led by Sir Thomas Hislop at Mahidpur, a town in the Malwa region, on 20 December 1817....
in 1818. After defeating the Holkars he signed the Treaty of Mandsaur with them. It was under this treaty that the British were given the cantonment town of Mhow which is 23 km from Indore.
He was the author of several valuable works regarded as authorities, viz., Sketch of the Sikh (1812) A History of Persia (1815), Memoir of Central India (1823), Political History of India from 1784 to 1823 (1826), and Life of Lord Clive (1836). As a writer, Malcolm was a profound influence on the generation of military and diplomatic officials that governed British India in the period before 1857.
Family
Sir Thomas Pasley, 1st Baronet
Admiral Sir Thomas Pasley, 1st Baronet was a senior and highly-experienced British Royal Navy officer of the eighteenth century, who served with distinction at numerous actions of the Seven Years War, American Revolutionary War and French Revolutionary Wars...
. He himself was a brother of Sir Pulteney Malcolm
Pulteney Malcolm
Admiral Sir Pulteney Malcolm GCB GCMG was a British naval officer. He was born at Douglan, near Langholm, Scotland, on 20 February 1768, the third son of George Malcolm of Burnfoot, Langholm, in Dumfriesshire, and his wife Margaret, the sister of Admiral Sir Thomas Pasley...
. An impressive obelisk
Obelisk
An obelisk is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape at the top, and is said to resemble a petrified ray of the sun-disk. A pair of obelisks usually stood in front of a pylon...
commemorating Malcolm's life and achievements stands atop the 300 m Whita Hill on the outskirts of Langholm
Langholm
Langholm , also known colloquially as the "Muckle Toon", is a burgh in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, on the River Esk and the A7 road.- History:...
.
An over life-size statue of Sir John Malcolm is in Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
's North Transept.
Swaminarayan sect
In a meeting in 1830, Swaminarayan presented Malcolm with a holy book, called the ShikshapatriShikshapatri
The Shikshapatri is a religious text consisting of two hundred and twelve verses, written in Sanskrit by Bhagwan Swaminarayan. The Shikshapatri is a key scripture to all followers of the Swaminarayan faith and is considered the basis of the faith.The Shikshapatri was written in Vadtal on February...
, which is housed at the Bodleian Library
Bodleian Library
The Bodleian Library , the main research library of the University of Oxford, is one of the oldest libraries in Europe, and in Britain is second in size only to the British Library...
in Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
. Due to this, John Malcolm became very famous within the Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
Swaminarayan sect.