He appoints Rajah Gourdas, whom some time after he himself qualified
with a description of a young man of mean abilities, to be her duan, or
steward of the household. The rest of the arrangement was correspondent
to this disposition of the principal offices.
It seems not to have been lawful or warrantable in Mr. Hastings to set
aside the arrangement positively prescribed by the Court of Directors,
which evidently pointed to a man, not to any woman whatever. As a woman
confined in the female apartment, the lady he appointed could not be
competent to hold or qualified to exercise any active employment: she
stood in need of guardians for herself, and had not the ability for the
guardianship of a person circumstanced as the Subah was. General
Clavering, Colonel Monson, and Mr. Francis declare in their minute,
"that they believe there never was an instance in India of such a trust
so disposed of." Mr. Hastings has produced no precedent in answer to
this objection.
It will be proper to state to the House the situation and circumstances
of the women principally concerned, who were in the seraglio of Jaffier
Ali Khan at his death.
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