This work is a study of the life and career of Jonathan Duncan, ending in 1795 with his departure from Benares to take up his new post as Governor of Bombay-a post he held till his death on 11 August 1811. Limitations of time and space have precluded an account of his Governorship of Bombay.
But the years until 1795 constitute a definite and self- contained chapter in the story of his life, and the work which he did then is important enough to merit a separate study. Had he done nothing else and vanished from the Indian scene in 1795, he would still have found a place among the founders of the British Empire in India.
An attempt has been made to give as full an account of Duncan's life and career up to 1795 as the materials available have permitted. While it has been found possible to ascertain the correct name of his parents and the place of his birth, the attempt to reconstruct his early life in England has suffered from the paucity of source materials. But the sources are fairly full and complete after 1772, when he joined the services of the East India. Company in Bengal. While his official career has naturally formed the main subject of this thesis, an attempt has also been made to study the man, and his relations with his parents and his uncle John Michie have accordingly been touched upon. After describing his early career in Bengal, an analysis has been made of the conditions prevailing in Benares at the time when he took over as the British Resident there. Duncan's appointment has also been discussed. At a time when most of the Company's servants were engaged in private trade and making money by illegal means, Duncan was considered by Cornwallis as a very upright and honest officer.
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