A Collection of Treaties, Engagements and Sanads

The collection contains treaties, engagements and sanads made between Madras, Ceylon and the government of British India from 1700s till 1906. The collection is categorised according to the provinces. The documents enclosed have treaties, sanads, agreements, engagements, letters, conventions and proclamations concerning trade regulations, administration of civil and criminal justice, administration of cities, regulation of payment, taxation and land revenue, conferring of districts and forts, restoration of land, adjusting of land boundaries, renewing of rights and privileges and friendly alliances.

THE policy of non-interference which was introduced by Lord Cornwallis at the beginning of the nineteenth century left the States of Central India and Rajputana a prey to the Pindari freebooters, who gained in strength as the Maratha power decayed. They soon ventured to extend their depredations into British territory. No line of defence and no disposition of troops could protect the country from their incursions, under the system of warfare which they pursued, and Government was therefore led to form a general system of political alliances for the entire suppression of the Pindaris. The Treaty of 1817 with Sindhia removed the restriction which had been placed upon the formation of alliances between the British Government and the Rajput States, and left Government free to enter on new relations with them. The object of the treaties to be formed with them was the establishment of a barrier against the predatory system, and against the extension of the power of Sindhia or Holkar beyond the limits. which Government designed to impose on it by other measures. It was not at that time proposed to acquire the power of exercising any interference in the internal administration of the Rajput States; but to subject only their political measures and external relations to the control of the British Government; to secure to Sindhia and Holkar the tribute payable to them in the event of their entering into the policy of the British Government; and to secure to the British Government such pecuniary aid as might be adapted to the means of the several States, in order to indemnify the British Government for the charges incidental to the obligation of protecting them.

Arrangements on this principle were made with the States of Udaipur, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Kotah, Bundi, Karauli, Banswara, Dungarpur, and Kishangarh; and the relations of Government with the more distant States of Jaisalmer and Bikaner were improved, but were on a less intimate footing.

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