Memoirs of William Tayler (An Old an Rare Book)

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Chaturbhuj (b. 1928) did his M.A. in Pali with Buddhist Philosophy and History. He studied Buddhist literature at the Nava Nalanda Mahavihara of International fame and then worked there in Pali- Tripitaka-editing for some years along with eminent Indian and foreign monk- scholars. He wrote a number of articles on Buddhist theme.

He belongs to that singular category of scholars, who laboured hard to popularise important characters & events of the Puranas, the epics and the Indian History from ancient to modern periods through the medium of stage. He wrote full-length dramas and one-act plays, short stories, articles and other books, including Great Historical Dramas (Mittal Publications: 1987). He wrote and produced a number of historical and mythological dramas for All India Radio.

In 1952, he started movement for the revival of stage-craft by founding a cultural theatrical organisation 'MAGADH ARTISTS and took his troupe to distant rural and urban areas to awaken the common mass of people about their glorious past. Government of U.P. awarded him for one of his books. He is himself a rare combination of a writer, director, organisor and actor. After serving Government of India on different res- ponsible posts for a long time, he retired as Station Director of All India Radio, Darbhanga, in 1986.

William Tayler came to India in 1829, having been assigned Indian Writership during the time of Lord William Bentinck. He held several important assignments, one after the other, at different places. He was Postmaster-General, and in that capacity he made tours from Calcutta to Benaras both by road and by river. He visited Nepal also.

He served at Arrah as a Judge for five years and made many friends. Then he was appointed Commissioner of Patna. During his tenure at Patna, the great uprising known as 'Mutiny of 1857 broke out. He managed the affairs with the best of his abilities. But he was charged for his so- called 'Violent and Unwise proceedings' by Lt. Governor Sir Halliday. This resulted in the sad removal of Tayler from the Com- missionership of Patna. His appeals yielded no fruitful results. Later on, Tayler resigned and started a legal agency at Patna. He soon became well-known as a Barrister.

Tayler saw the reigns of eight Governors- General from Lord William Bentinck to Lord Lawrence from 1829 to 1867. His Memoirs contain numerous incidents and adventures, official, personal, tragic and comic, from grave to gay, from lively to severe, stories about plants and birds, people and culture, the thugee, the dacoity, the Sutee, the education system etc. etc. His accounts are lively. Tayler has exposed the 'officialism' and 'favouritism' in official business of his time. The book is likely to prove exceedingly useful both for laymen and scholars who want to study the early period of the rule of East India Company.

In course of writing historical dramas, I had to go into deep study in regard to various characters and events. William Tayler, Commissioner of Patna in 1857, was one of such characters which attracted me most. Incidentally, I came across a book entitled, "Thirtyeight Years in India'-a book written by William Tayler himself in two volumes published in 1881-82 from England. It is a book in which Tayler has given all details about himself during his stay in India. It contains his follies and wisdom, administrative weaknesses and abilities, joys and pains, hollowness of British justice, reforms brought out during the early period of the English rule, geographical and botanical study of places and plants, etc. etc. His descriptions are attractive. The book is very useful for those who want to study the early days of the East India Company. The present volume is the abridged and edited form of Tayler's book.

William Tayler was the youngest among his seventeen brothers and sisters. It was merely a chance that he got the Indian writership for which he neither tried nor was interested as India was considered 'an abominable country and its people devoured by mosquitoes and killed by cholera'. This was the impression in England. A friend of Tayler has obtained the Indian writership, but did not like to come to India due to some changed circumstances. He approached Tayler whether he was interested. Tayler had to convey his decision immedia- tely so that the writership could be transferred to him who was least interested to leave England. But a certain fascination in this novelty prompted Tayler to accept the Indian writership which actually changed his entire career.

**Contents and Sample Pages**