Stuart Fraser
Encyclopedia
Sir Stuart Fraser KCSI
CIE
was a distinguished officer of the Foreign and Political Department of the Government of India
. Five years after joining the Indian Civil Service, he was appointed tutor to the Maharajas of Kolhapur and Bhavnagar
, and later (1896–1902) was tutor and guardian to the Maharaja of Mysore
. The Fraser Town locality in Bangalore was named after Sir Stuart Fraser.
and Balliol College
. He passed the examination for the Indian Civil Service in 1882 and was allocated to the Bombay Presidency
.
He later had responsibility for the leadership preparations of the Maharajah of Bhavanagar, Shri Bhavsinhji II (1875–1919) (father of the last Maharaja of Bhavsinhji, Krishna Kumarasingh Bhavasingh
)
In 1896 Fraser was appointed as governor and tutor to the young Maharajah of Mysore
, who was later to become known as a beneficent ruler who enhanced the reputation of Mysore as a model state.
in Mysore and Chief Commissioner of Coorg. In 1911 Fraser was appointed Resident in Kashmir and for several months in 1914 was acting Resident in Hyderabad
.
At the commencement of the First World War, with Turkey
taking the side of Germany
, it was Fraser’s resolute and confident approach that persuaded Osman Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VII, the Nizam of Hyderabad, to resist defeatist view and ensure continued support for the British Raj
.
Order of the Star of India
The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1861. The Order includes members of three classes:# Knight Grand Commander # Knight Commander # Companion...
CIE
Order of the Indian Empire
The Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1878. The Order includes members of three classes:#Knight Grand Commander #Knight Commander #Companion...
was a distinguished officer of the Foreign and Political Department of the Government of India
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
. Five years after joining the Indian Civil Service, he was appointed tutor to the Maharajas of Kolhapur and Bhavnagar
Bhavnagar
-Topography:Bhavnagar is a coastal city in the eastern coast of Saurashtra, also known as Kathiawar, located at . It has an average elevation of 24 metres . It occupies area of 53.30 km². General slope dips in the northeasterly direction at the apex of Gulf of Khambhat...
, and later (1896–1902) was tutor and guardian to the Maharaja of Mysore
Maharaja of Mysore
Maharaja of Mysore was the principal title of the ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore in India.The Wodeyar dynasty founded a feudatory principality in 1399, which grew into the Kingdom of Mysore...
. The Fraser Town locality in Bangalore was named after Sir Stuart Fraser.
Early life
Stuart Mitford Fraser (2 June 1864 – 1 December 1963) was educated at Blundell's SchoolBlundell's School
Blundell's School is a co-educational day and boarding independent school located in the town of Tiverton in the county of Devon, England. The school was founded in 1604 by the will of Peter Blundell, one of the richest men in England at the time, and relocated to its present location on the...
and Balliol College
Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College , founded in 1263, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England but founded by a family with strong Scottish connections....
. He passed the examination for the Indian Civil Service in 1882 and was allocated to the Bombay Presidency
Bombay Presidency
The Bombay Presidency was a province of British India. It was established in the 17th century as a trading post for the English East India Company, but later grew to encompass much of western and central India, as well as parts of post-partition Pakistan and the Arabian Peninsula.At its greatest...
.
Tutoring of princes
Within 5 years Fraser was selected as guardian and tutor to the Raja of Kolhapur, later to become Maharajah Shri Shau ChatrapatiHe later had responsibility for the leadership preparations of the Maharajah of Bhavanagar, Shri Bhavsinhji II (1875–1919) (father of the last Maharaja of Bhavsinhji, Krishna Kumarasingh Bhavasingh
Krishna Kumarasingh Bhavasingh
Krishna Kumarsinhji Bhavsinhji was an Indian monarch and politician who ruled as the last Maharaja of Bhavnagar State from 1919 to 1948 and also served as the first Indian Governor of Madras from 1948 to 1952.-Early life:...
)
In 1896 Fraser was appointed as governor and tutor to the young Maharajah of Mysore
Krishna Raja Wadiyar IV
Krishna Raja Wadiyar IV , also known popularly as Nalvadi Krishna Raja Wadiyar , was the ruling Maharaja of the princely state of Mysore from 1902 until his death in 1940. He is regarded as one of the most celebrated rulers among the Indian States when India was still under British rule...
, who was later to become known as a beneficent ruler who enhanced the reputation of Mysore as a model state.
Anglo-Tibetan Convention 1904
In 1903 Fraser went to the Foreign Department at Calcutta and Simla as deputy secretary and in 1904 was sent by Lord Curzon as H.M Commissioner to negotiate with the Chinese about the Anglo-Tibetan Convention (requiring Tibet to open its border with British India).Later career
Fraser returned to India in 1905 as ResidentResident (title)
A Resident, or in full Resident Minister, is a government official required to take up permanent residence in another country. A representative of his government, he officially has diplomatic functions which are often seen as a form of indirect rule....
in Mysore and Chief Commissioner of Coorg. In 1911 Fraser was appointed Resident in Kashmir and for several months in 1914 was acting Resident in Hyderabad
Hyderabad State
-After Indian independence :When India gained independence in 1947 and Pakistan came into existence in 1947, the British left the local rulers of the princely states the choice of whether to join one of the new dominions or to remain independent...
.
At the commencement of the First World War, with Turkey
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
taking the side of Germany
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
, it was Fraser’s resolute and confident approach that persuaded Osman Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VII, the Nizam of Hyderabad, to resist defeatist view and ensure continued support for the British Raj
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
.
Sources
- Obituary - Sir Stuart Fraser, The Times, 4 December 1963 (pg. 18; Issue 55875; col A)
- Obituary - Sir Stuart Fraser, Journal of the Royal Central Asian Society, LI (1964), p. 197
- Royal India: a descriptive and historical study of India's fifteen principal states and their rulers, Maud Diver, Ayer Publishing, 1971, ISBN 0836921526, 9780836921526