Description

Letters by Mansfield from Bihar and Orissa, home to England. The letters were typed 1969-71 by Mansfield from the originals and the purely personal parts were removed. I have seen the originals which are in the possession of Mansfield; all through his interest in cooperatives is apparent.

 

1. Volume 1: Letters home, November 1915 – March 1917.
2. Volume 2, 1919-20: contains a foreword explaining I.C.S. in general and giving an outline of the government of Feudatory States. Appointed October 1919 as Additional Political Agent, Orissa Feudatory States; the Political Agent was Cobden Ramsay.  1919-20 Sambalpur and Bonai State. Touring, mentions Jallianwalla Bagh; dacoity, description of cases and methods of dealing with it; Bhuya tribe; Lord Ronaldshay; mining prospects; Montagu’s Reform Bill ? attitude of The Statesman; consequences of the Chief of Bamra’s death; visit to Bamra; inspection of the palace and contents including treasury, as Political Agent takes responsibility in the new Chief’s minority; free labour; installation of Chief of Gangpur; Bhuyias; finance of the state – Khandpara; Nayagaon State – forests; I.C.S. pay, daily domestic life and difficulties; bill against Kamias; report on Jallianwalla Bagh; leave in Ranchi.
3. Volume 3; 1920-21: Comment on Calcutta in 1920 and first day of non-cooperation. Baripada, Mayurbhanj. Visit Maharaja; description; verify the treasury and hand over to Maharaja; inspection; Durbar; Indian Christian village at Chahala; prices; touring small chieftainships by river – Sohagpur, Athmallik, Kentila, Tigiria; receptions; schools; visiting the Rani; presents; detailed description of tour of inspection; new Ford car; hunting man-eating tigers; discover servants have been stealing during tour; leave cancelled; the reform scheme is practically in force and elections over; details of Christmas camp; trying to get leave; hearing several cases of dacoity; passes examination in Uria; Lord Sinha’s circular on non-cooperation causes discussion; census of whole of India; transferred from Barb. to Sitamarhi.
4. Volume 4, 1921-22: Subdivision Mag. Bihar Sitamarhi and Muzaffarpur District. Gandhi and non-cooperation movement; effect, manifestations, and consequences; indigo plantation; wages and strikes; Pusa, experimental station; cooperative conference at Sitamarhi; cooperative societies at Muzaffapur compared with Barh; detailed accounts of various types of cases tries and pending, Indian mentality, attitudes, etc.; touring as magistrate; comment on education, and non-cooperation; formation of ‘publicity committee’ to correct false information; Majorgah – remains of old indigo factory; indigo picking up; anti-liquor campaigns; planters, and Bihar Light Horse; interview between Gandhi and Lord Reading – consequences; Gandhi’s attitude towards Government; daily occurrences; visit of Prince of Wales – arrangements etc; Sonepur fair – elephants, horses, cattle; effect of sentence on Ali brothers; manifestations of non-cooperation, and attitudes towards it; managers and tenants in indigo factories; commutation of rent; anti-non-cooperation meetings in villages; Criminal Law Amendment Act in Bihar and Orissa on 10 December 1921 and results; Prince of Wales visit to Patna, December 1921; cooperatives in Bihar and Orissa; R.C. mission station at Marpa; incidents regarding Swaraj; Gorakhpur incident; personal comments on Government and personalities; Gandhi’s arrest March 1922.

A detailed handlist of the letters is with the collection.