Sir Charles Napier
His commission was bought for him
Sir Charles
Napier (1782-1853) was a British soldier who was bought an army commission by
his father at the age of twelve, entering active service at the age of sixteen,
and going on to have a distinguished imperial career including conquering Sind
in 1843. Napier was born at Westminster and following entrance to the army
served in Ireland during the 1803 rebellion, Portugal in 1810 and then fought
in the war against the USA before returning to Europe and being present at the
Siege of Cambrai.
He subjugated Sind
Napier
commanded troops in the north of England during the Chartist disturbances of
1839-40 and was then sent to India where he served for much of the remainder of
his career. He was promoted to Major-General and given command of the army of
the Bombay Presidency. The Governor of India, Ellenborough, gave Napier the
task of dealing with those rebels in Sind that had not accepted British control
of the area. Napier subjugated Sind and at the Battle of Meeanee he broke the
power of the local chieftains. Napier then went on to exceed his powers and
annexed Sind. Napier was made governor of the Bombay presidency but clashed
with the directors of the East India Company and returned home to England in
1847.
At the Battle of Meanee, Napier defeated forces ten times larger than his own and completed the subjugation of Sind
In 1849 Napier returned to India to subjugate the Sikhs but by the time he arrived this had been achieved by General Gough. Napier remained in India becoming Commander-in-Chief of the army of the HEIC but quarrelled with Governor General Dalhousie over his harsh treatment of those peasants of the north west region who were not paying their taxes.
Peccavi
Back in
England by 1851 Napier turned to writing books criticising India’s government
and the administration of the colonies. He
is now remembered for the Latin pun which according to Punch in 1843 he
reported his conquest of Sind, ‘Peccavi’
(I have sinned).