INDIAN POSTAGE STAMPS
The first issue of postage stamps in India was made by Sir Bartle
Frere in the Province of Scinde (now spelt Sind) in 1852. At that time
the post offices of Scinde were administered by the Local Government,
and it was not until 1855 that they were placed under the control of
the Postmaster-General of Bombay. The Scinde District dawk stamps
are very rare. There were three kinds: (1) the design embossed on
white paper without colour; (2) blue embossed on white paper; (3)
the design embossed on vermilion wafers. The design is shown in the
accompanying illustration (Fig. 1), and the central portion consists of
a modification of the broad arrow used by the East India Company. The
issue was a comparatively small one, and the stamps were withdrawn from
use in September, 1854.
The early postal system of India was solely used for official purposes,
and it was not until 1837 that a public post was established. Postage
rates varied with distance, and the charge was levied in cash, the
lowest rate being two annas for every hundred miles. For this purpose
copper tokens of the value of two annas were struck which were
available for the prepayment of postage.
In 1850 a Commission was appointed to inquire into the working of the
Post Office, and among its recommendations were the formation of an
Imperial Post Office of India under a Director-General, the abolition
of franking and the employment of stamps in prepayment of postage.
[Illustration: EARLY STAMPS
FIG. 1, FIG. 2, FIG. 3, FIG. 4]
[Illustration: SHEET OF FOUR ANNA STAMPS, 1854. PRINTED IN CALCUTTA]
There was a great deal of discussion between the Indian Government
and the Court of Directors in London as to where the stamps should be
manufactured; the former desired to procure them from England, but the
latter, on the ground of economy, decided that sufficiently good stamps
could be made in India. The first effort was a design of the "Lion and
Palm tree" made by Colonel Forbes of the Calcutta Mint. This essay
(Fig. 2), however, was never used, as the Mint could not promise a
sufficient supply. Subsequently the manufacture of stamps was entrusted
to the Survey Office, and after many failures Captain Thuillier, Deputy
Surveyor-General, succeeded in producing nine hundred sheets of red
half-anna stamps by means of lithography. These stamps are known as the
red ½ anna stamps "with 9½ arches" and were printed in sheets of one
hundred and twenty, consisting of twelve rows of ten labels. They were
sent to Bombay on the 5th April, 1854, but after despatch it was found
that the stock of vermilion was exhausted, and as the same quality of
ink could not be procured in India a new ink was prepared and at the
same time a fresh design was made. Owing to the fresh design, it was
decided not to issue the "9½ arches" stamps. It is disappointing to
think that this first and historic set of Indian stamps was never used
postally; but the omission does not seem to have detracted from their
philatelic value. Good specimens are very rare, and command a high
price in the market.
The design for the ½ anna stamp that was finally accepted was one of
eight arches, and it was printed in blue. There are three distinct
shades of blue in the 1854 issues, varying from deep to pale. These
stamps were prepared by engraving on copper plate and transferring to
stones. The sheets consisted of twelve horizontal rows of eight stamps
on paper watermarked with the arms of the East India Company. The
sheets, dated May and July, 1854, were evidently made up of blocks of
twenty-four stamps, repeated four times on each sheet. This is apparent
from the fact that the fifth stamp in each of the third, sixth, ninth
and twelfth rows is slightly out of alignment, and the sixth stamp in
each of the first, fourth, seventh and ninth rows has had the chignon
redrawn (Plate facing p. 180). The sheets are not perforated, and are
without gum: 333,399 sheets were printed in 1854 and 48,831 in 1855.
The 1 anna stamp was printed in vermilion-red, and 26,897 sheets were
ready by August, 1854; there were further supplies of 54,961 sheets in
November, 1854, and 15,834 sheets by November, 1855.
The colour selected for the 2 annas stamp was green, and the printing
was completed in October, 1854. There is no record of the number
printed.
The need for a 4 annas stamp was badly felt for postage to the United
Kingdom, which cost 1 rupee 4 annas an ounce in 1854. A design was
prepared in two colours, blue and red, and the first sheets contained
only twelve stamps (Plate facing p. 178), and the first supply
consisted of 17,170 sheets delivered on 14th October, 1854; in all
61,580 sheets were printed. In April, 1855, a new setting was adopted
with twenty-four stamps on a sheet, and two arrangements of this
setting were made, one with the stamps much closer together than the
other.
[Illustration: BLOCK SHOWING ONE THIRD OF A SHEET OF BLUE HALF ANNA
STAMPS OF 1854. PRINTED IN CALCUTTA]
All the stamps referred to above were prepared by Captain Thuillier,
who subsequently became General Sir Henry Thuillier, C.S.I.,
Surveyor-General of India.
In November, 1855, stamps of the value of ½, 1, 2, 4 and 8 annas were
received from Messrs. De La Rue & Co. The designs were engraved on
steel and the stamps were printed on white wove unwatermarked paper
with white gum. The 4 and 8 annas are also found printed on a highly
glazed thick bluish paper without watermark. These stamps supplanted
the old issues manufactured in India, but the stocks of the latter were
not finally called in and destroyed until 1858.
In 1860 8 pies[7] stamps were on sale in India. These were required for
prepayment of soldiers' letters to the United Kingdom. Up to August,
1855, British soldiers' correspondence was carried free of charge, but
when this privilege was withdrawn they had the option of prepaying the
postage in cash at 9 pies a tola (2/5 of an ounce) or else affixing a
stamp for 8 pies. Up to 1864 certain changes were made in the colours
of some of these stamps; the 2 annas green was altered to brown-pink
early in 1856, subsequently to buff, and then to yellow. At the end of
1864 the colour of the 4 annas was changed from black to green, as the
stamp had been forged.
The 8 annas and 4 annas stamps on bluish glazed paper, and the 4 annas,
1 anna and 8 pies on white paper, have been found cut in halves upon
postal articles in order to pay half their face value postage. All
covers found with these bisected stamps were posted in Singapore, which
had an Indian post office at the time.
The first issue of Indian postage stamps with the elephant's head
watermarked was made in 1866. The values bearing this watermark are ½
anna, 8 pies, 1 anna, 2 annas 9 pies, 4 annas, 6 annas, 6 annas 8 pies,
12 annas, 1 rupee.
The 6 annas 8 pies stamps were printed as this was the rate per ounce
for letters to the United Kingdom via Marseilles between 1863 and 1874.
The stamps, however, were not actually issued until 1867, and their
sale was discontinued in 1874, when the Marseilles route was abandoned.
Up to 1882 all the Indian stamps printed in London were of smaller
size than English stamps, and they bore the inscription "EAST INDIA
POSTAGE." In 1882 new dies on a larger scale were prepared by Messrs.
De La Rue, and the inscription was changed to "INDIA POSTAGE." The
values issued were ½ anna 9 pies, 1 anna, 1 anna 6 pies, 2 annas, 3
annas, 4 annas, 4 annas 6 pies, 8 annas, 12 annas, 1 rupee. The stamps
were printed on medium white wove paper watermarked with a five-pointed
star.
On 1st January, 1891, the postage to the United Kingdom was reduced
to 2 annas and 6 pies, and a new stamp was prepared. Until the new
issue was ready the 4 annas 6 pies stamps were surcharged with "2½
As." Bi-coloured stamps of 1 rupee, 2 rupees, 3 rupees and 5 rupees
were also printed and a provisional 3 pies stamp was issued, made by
surcharging the ½ anna stamp with "¼" in black. The stamps of 2, 3 and
5 rupees were of specially large size and bore a later portrait of the
Queen (Fig. 3). This portrait was also adopted for the 3 pies carmine
stamp which was issued in 1899. Owing to the decision of the Postal
Union to have uniform colours for stamps representing the initial rates
of international postages the colours of the ½ anna, 1 anna and 2 annas
6 pies stamps were changed to yellow-green, carmine and ultramarine.
This necessitated a change in the 3 pies from carmine to grey and in
the 2 annas from ultramarine to mauve.
[Illustration: SPECIMEN VICTORIAN ISSUES]
The King Edward VII issues of 1902-3 were of the same corresponding
values as those of the Queen Victoria stamps 1882-1900. The colours are
3 pies, grey; ½ anna, yellow-green; 1 anna, carmine; 2 annas, mauve; 2
annas 6 pies, ultramarine; 3 annas, orange-brown; 4 annas, olive-green;
6 annas, bistre; 8 annas, purple; 12 annas, purple on red paper; 1
rupee, green and carmine; 2 rupees, carmine and yellow-brown; 3 rupees
brown and green; 5 rupees, ultramarine and violet.
In 1906 it was decided to abolish the special receipt stamp and to
use the ½ anna and 1 anna postage stamp for both postage and revenue
purposes. A new design was therefore prepared for these values with the
inscription "INDIA POSTAGE AND REVENUE."
In 1909 the double-headed telegraph stamps were abolished and it was
decided to employ postage stamps in payment of telegrams. The value
of telegraph stamps extended to fifty rupees, but it was considered
sufficient to add three new values to the postage stamps for use upon
the more expensive telegrams, namely 10, 15 and 25 rupees. These stamps
are of the same size and design as the 2, 3 and 5 rupees issues, and
the colours are 10 rupees, pink and green; 15 rupees, olive-brown and
blue; 25 rupees, orange and blue.
The stamps of George V issued in 1911 were completely re-designed. The
higher values with the elephants as supporters are very artistic. In
1913 the 2 annas 6 pies stamp was re-designed and the colour changed
from ultramarine to bright blue.
In 1918 the United Kingdom raised the postage rate to India from 1d.
to 1½d., and, to correspond with the increase, the Government of India
raised the postage to the United Kingdom to 1½ annas. The new stamp was
intended to be a dark chocolate-brown, but was printed by Messrs. De La
Rue & Co. in a light chocolate.
In 1866 service postage stamps first came into use for employment on
official correspondence. The ½ anna, 1 anna, 2 annas and 4 annas were
overprinted with the word "Service." The first supply was overprinted
in India pending the arrival of the stamps ordered from England. A
consignment of 8 annas overprinted was also received from England. In
1874 the overprint was altered to "On H. M. S.," as shown in Fig. 4,
and in 1883 the rupee stamp was also overprinted in this way.
Various other overprints were used by local bodies in India, but after
a time the practice was forbidden. In 1911 the overprint was again
altered to "Service."
The following overprints were also used for Indian postage in other
countries:
Straits Settlements 1867-1868, Queen's Head.
Zanzibar 1895-1896 "
British East Africa " "
C.E.F. (China Expeditionary
Force) 1900 to present date.
British Somaliland 1903-1904, Queen's and
King's Head.
I.E.F. (Indian Expeditionary
Force) 1914 to present date.
[Illustration: SPECIMEN EDWARDIAN AND GEORGIAN ISSUES]
OVERPRINTS (INDIAN CONVENTION STATES)
Patiala 1884 to present date.
Gwalior 1885 "
Jhind " "
Nabha " "
Faridkot 1886-1901.
Chamba 1896 to present date.
There are many varieties of the overprints in the Indian Convention
States stamps and many errors, which have led to numerous forgeries of
the different overprints.
A very exhaustive history of the postage stamps of India with detailed
accounts of errors and provisional issues will be found in _The
Postage and Telegraph Stamps of British India_, by L. L. R. Hausburg,
C. Stewart Wilson and C. S. F. Crofton, published by Messrs. Stanley
Gibbons. This is the standard work on the subject, and it contains many
fine plates and illustrations. Part I, on postage stamps, is written
by Mr. Hausburg, and no article on Indian stamps can pretend to be
anything more than a résumé of his detailed researches.
One merit the Postal Administration of India can justly claim and that
is the purity of its stamp issues. The simple design of the Sovereign's
head has always been maintained and the temptation to issue fancy
pictures for commemoration purposes has always been steadily avoided.
FOOTNOTE:
[7] 12 pies = 1 anna = 1 penny approximately.
APPENDICES
APPENDIX A
PERSONNEL OF THE POST OFFICE
The following table gives the staff of the Department on the 1st April,
1919:--
Controlling Staff 88
General Supervising Staff 747
Postmasters 7,041
Extra Departmental Agents 12,668
Clerical and Signalling Staff 24,620
Postmen and Peons 43,768
Road Establishment 18,467
Linemen 2,959
-------
Total 110,358
The Audit Staff of the Posts and Telegraphs has not been included as
this is under the control of the Finance Department.
Recruitment for the posts of Superintendent is effected in two ways,
namely--
(1) by the selection of qualified persons not already in the service
of the Department, and
(2) by the promotion of officials from the subordinate ranks of the
Department.
In the former case the person selected is generally required to join as
a probationary superintendent, and is not given a permanent appointment
until he has shown his fitness in every respect for the position and
has passed an examination in Post Office work.
Ordinarily a probationary superintendent is not allowed to act as a
superintendent until he has had a practical training in postal work;
that is to say, he performs the duties of a postmaster, accompanies
a superintendent on tour and is given an insight into the general
working of the Department in the offices of the Postmaster-General
and Superintendent. There is no minimum period fixed in which a
probationer, when fully qualified, must receive a permanent post.
It depends on the vacancies that occur in the sanctioned cadre; but
experience has shown that the period seldom exceeds two and a half
years, and the average is two years and two months.
Postmasters are generally recruited from the lower ranks of the
Department, such as sub-postmasters and clerks, who usually start
their careers as probationers. The exceptions to this rule are the
probationary postmasters, who are specially selected in order to
improve the personnel in the higher appointments.
APPENDIX B
EXTRACTS FROM EARLY REGULATIONS REGARDING THE MAIL SERVICE
An extract from the Consultations, 17th January, 1774, gives in detail
the arrangement made by Warren Hastings for the improvement of postal
arrangements.
The President lays down before the Board the following plan for the
better regulations of the Dauks and for forming a General Post Office:--
The present management of the Dauks is attended with many
inconveniences. Private letters are exempt from postage and the whole
expense of the establishment falls upon the Company. The Dauks from
the same cause are loaded with packages of the most frivolous kind and
of unreasonable weights. The privilege of sending private letters by
the Dauks being confined to the European inhabitants, affords but a
partial aid to the necessary intercourse of trade. The establishment
is branched out into various departments, all independent and
unconnected, the expense partly defrayed by ready-money payments and
partly by taxes on the zemindars and farmers, who make an advantage
of them in the deductions of their rents. From all these causes
the establishment is involved in a labyrinth of obscurity, without
checks and without system. The delays on the road are often greater
than those of common cossids or couriers without a possibility
of correcting them, because it cannot be known by whom they are
occasioned. Of these delays the President himself has had repeated
proofs insomuch that whenever he has had occasion for extraordinary
despatch he has made use of express cossids, and these never failed
to exceed the regular Dauks by nearly half the space of time employed
by the latter for the same distance. The loose and irregular manner
in which the letters are received and distributed exposes the
correspondence of individuals and even the public despatches to great
delays and to the risk of being lost or intercepted.
To remedy these evils, the following plan is submitted to the Board,
for the future management of this office, in which it is attempted
to limit the expense to provide a fund for its support by laying a
moderate postage on private letters, to render it of more extensive use
and to form the different parts into one uniform and general system.
_Plan of a new Establishment of Dauks and of a General Post Office_
1. That the Dauks be formed into four divisions as follows:--
First Division from Calcutta to Ganjam;
Second Division from Calcutta to Patna;
Third Division from Patna to Benares and to such farther distance as
may be hereafter determined;
Fourth Division from Calcutta to Dacca.
2. That no Dauks be appointed to the cross-roads (excepting Dinagepur)
as hereafter mentioned, but cossids only occasionally employed by the
Provincial Councils and Collectors to convey the letters to the nearest
stages of the Dauks; the pay and other charges of these cossids to be
transmitted monthly to the Postmaster-General, whose office will be
hereafter described.
3. That as the military operations in Cooch Behar require a constant
and regular correspondence, a cross-post be established between
Dinagepur and Rajmehal, and that it remains for future consideration
whether it will be necessary to establish a cross-post from Burdwan on
the assembling of the Council at that place.
4. That three hercarrahs or dauks, one massalchy[8] and one drum be
appointed to each stage, viz.:
Miles. Furl. Stages. Harcrs. Massl. Drum.
From Calcutta to Ganjam 358 2 42 126 42 42
" Calcutta to Patna 398 6 48 144 48 48
" Patna to Benares 165 4 19 57 19 19
" Calcutta to Dacca 179 4 21 63 21 21
Cross-road from Dinagepur
to Rajmehal 77 2 9 27 9 9
---- -- --- --- --- ---
1179 2 139 417 139 139
5. That a Munshi be fixed at each capital stage who shall have charge
of a certain number of stages.
6. That two gurreewallas or time-keepers be appointed with each Munshi
for the purpose of determining the arrival of each packet, which shall
be written on the outside of the packet and an account thereof with the
time of the last despatch kept by the Munshi.
7. That a deputy postmaster be appointed with the following
establishment of servants at the following stations, who shall have
charge of all the stages from the Presidency to the place of his
residence, pay the Munshi's charges dependent on him, take an account
of all letters received and despatched, receive and issue letters,
transmit his accounts and reports to the Postmaster-General, and
receive his orders:--
Establishment at Deputy. Peons.
Moorshedabad 1 10
Patna 1 10
Benares 1 2
Ganjam 1 2
Dacca 1 2
Dinagepur 1 2
-- --
6 28
8. That a Postmaster-General be appointed at Calcutta with one Deputy,
one merda or native assistant, seven sorters, one jemadar and fifteen
peons for distributing letters. He will have the control of the whole
establishment, and all the accounts will be brought into his office.
BYE-RULES
1. That all letters shall pay postage, excepting such as are on the
public service.
2. That the postage on inland letters shall be paid when put into the
office at the following rates:--
Single letters for every 100 miles, 2 annas. Double letters in
proportion according to their weight.
3. That letters coming by sea, or from foreign settlements, shall pay
on delivery and be rated at half postage.
4. That a table of postage, formed according to the above rules, be
affixed at the different offices for the public inspection.
5. That the post office in Calcutta shall be open from 10 o'clock in
the morning till 1 for the delivery of letters, and from 6 till 9 in
the evening for the receipt of letters.
6. That a daily account of the number and weight of letters despatched,
with the amount of postage, be kept at each office, that a monthly
account be transmitted to the Postmaster-General by his Deputies and
that a general abstract of the whole receipts and disbursements be laid
before the Board every month.
7. That the letters when received into the offices shall be sorted and
put up in separate bags for the different stations, together with a
note of the number in each.
8. That all letters shall be stamped with the day of the month on which
they are delivered into any chief office.
9. That for the facility of paying the postage on letters small copper
tickets be immediately struck to be received at the rate of 2 annas
each, but to pass only at the post office.
FOOTNOTE:
[8] Torchbearer.
APPENDIX C
METHODS OF TRAVEL IN EARLY DAYS
The dak or travelling system prevailing in India in the year 1857 was
almost wholly arranged by the Post Office and was available for private
individuals as well as for officials. When a traveller contemplated
a journey he applied to the local postmaster for means of transport,
giving, as a rule, two or three days' previous notice. Horse daks,
i.e. wheeled conveyances drawn by horses, were available only on the
great trunk roads, which were metalled. On other roads, the journey,
when not performed on horseback, was accomplished in a palanquin or
palkee, a kind of wooden box, about six feet in length by four in
height, fitted at the sides with sliding shutters and suspended on two
poles borne on the shoulders of four men. The pleasures of travelling
in this fashion have been described by Bishop Heber and other writers.
The traveller provided his own palanquin, and the postmaster supplied
the palkee-burdars or palanquin-bearers, eight in number, as well as
two mussalchees or torchbearers and two bhangy-burdars or luggage
porters. The charges, about one shilling per mile for the entire set
of twelve men, had to be paid in advance, the traveller notifying the
time and place of starting and the duration and localities of halts.
There was also an extra charge for demurrage or delays on the road
attributable to the traveller himself. For these charges the postmaster
undertook that there should be relays of dak servants throughout the
whole distance, and, to ensure this, he had to write in advance to
the different villages and post stations ordering relays to be ready
at the appointed hours. The stages averaged ten miles each and were
accomplished in three hours, at the end of which time the twelve men
retraced their steps, having been succeeded by another twelve; for
each set of men belonged to a particular station. The horse daks were
established on the same system, several pairs of horses or ponies
being kept at the different stages as relays. The bullock train, which
was intended chiefly for baggage and parcels, was largely used for
conveyance of troops during the Mutiny. There were one or two private
companies in existence, but the public as a rule preferred to use the
Government vehicles, as they were considered more reliable.
There were no hotels or inns on the road, but dak bungalows or rest
houses, a convenient substitute, were established at places varying
from fifteen to fifty miles apart, according as the road was much or
little frequented. These bungalows were under Government control, a
khidmatgar or servant and a porter being in attendance at each, the
traveller paying a fixed sum for the use of his room and making a
separate bargain for any few articles of provisions that might be
obtainable. The building was little more than a thatched house of one
story, divided into two or three rooms, to each of which a bathroom was
attached. The khidmatgar cooked and served the meals ordered, while
the porter supplied wood and water. The dak system was perfected by
Lord Dalhousie, during whose administration many fine metalled roads,
including the grand trunk road from Calcutta to the Punjab, were
completed. The new system was a great improvement upon the primitive
arrangements in force during the Punjab campaign of 1846, when, owing
to the tedious nature of the journey and the slow method of progress,
out of one hundred officers sent off by palanquin from Calcutta to aid
Viscount Hardinge only thirty arrived at the Sutlej before the campaign
was over.
APPENDIX D
STATEMENT SHOWING THE WORK OF THE POST OFFICE SAVINGS BANK
FROM 1882 TO 1918
Balance.
Year. No. of Banks. No. of Accounts. Rs.
1882-83 4,238 39,121 27,96,796
1883-84 5,199 84,848 75,14,455
1884-85 5,499 122,599 1,34,41,911
1885-86 5,833 155,009 2,25,45,891
1886-87 6,048 219,010 4,25,19,345
1887-88 5,966 261,157 5,04,88,357
1888-89 6,056 311,001 5,88,64,681
1889-90 6,350 358,272 5,86,96,755
1890-91 6,455 408,544 6,34,67,408
1891-92 6,452 463,453 7,05,93,160
1892-93 6,408 520,967 7,81,87,727
1893-94 6,358 574,050 8,26,57,319
1894-95 6,384 611,947 8,40,17,923
1895-96 6,343 653,892 9,04,23,072
1896-97 6,420 713,320 9,63,92,411
1897-98 6,290 730,387 9,28,72,978
1898-99 6,310 755,871 9,42,80,041
1899-1900 6,479 785,729 9,64,64,466
1900-01 6,636 816,651 10,04,32,569
1901-02 7,053 866,693 10,68,21,233
1902-03 7,075 922,353 11,42,15,534
1903-04 7,372 987,635 12,33,36,717
1904-05 7,855 1,058,813 13,40,70,130
1905-06 8,071 1,115,758 13,99,26,260
1906-07 8,049 1,190,220 14,76,69,789
1907-08 8,328 1,262,763 15,18,14,343
1908-09 8,501 1,318,632 15,23,41,514
1909-10 8,767 1,378,916 15,86,71,786
1910-11 8,929 1,430,451 16,91,88,224
1911-12 9,502 1,500,834 18,89,85,438
1912-13 9,460 1,566,860 20,61,14,502
1913-14 9,824 1,638,725 23,16,75,467
1914-15 10,161 1,644,074 14,89,26,323
1915-16 10,386 1,660,424 15,32,12,517
1916-17 10,421 1,647,419 16,59,53,401
1917-18 10,975 1,637,600 16,58,46,470
APPENDIX E
STATEMENT OF INLAND MONEY ORDERS ISSUED IN INDIA SINCE 1880
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number and
amount of Ordinary Number and amount of Number and amount of
Money Orders Revenue Money Orders Rent Money Orders
issued in India. issued in India. issued in India.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Year. Number. Value. Number. Value. Number. Value.
1880-81 1,604,174 4,57,08,580 -- -- -- --
1881-82 2,157,796 5,73,32,026 -- -- -- --
1882-83 2,565,904 6,46,84,182 -- -- -- --
1883-84 3,034,894 7,31,24,179 -- -- -- --
1884-85 3,550,257 8,20,88,559 13,914 3,35,904 -- --
1885-86 4,163,078 9,38,27,375 39,768 7,11,117 -- --
1886-87 4,821,117 10,68,49,151 66,204 11,29,415 1,213 12,358
1887-88 5,512,395 11,84,43,572 138,687 20,38,586 30,165 3,55,283
1888-89 6,136,790 12,99,06,864 196,037 26,83,469 39,823 5,25,217
1889-90 6,759,116 14,65,32,147 262,585 34,70,576 58,127 7,42,284
1890-91 7,326,065 15,77,70,303 278,075 41,95,716 78,421 9,74,272
1891-92 7,783,296 16,44,09,526 300,336 44,27,796 99,973 13,01,721
1892-93 8,237,855 17,19,16,585 320,651 49,21,950 110,198 14,37,050
1893-94 8,754,940 18,35,34,008 335,933 50,49,372 119,952 15,84,581
1894-95 9,422,105 19,43,09,308 348,178 56,27,613 113,266 15,61,021
1895-96 10,055,036 20,62,03,368 371,806 59,64,630 111,594 15,37,883
1896-97 10,947,571 21,97,28,206 346,510 58,23,851 102,875 14,68,352
1897-98 11,644,350 24,23,37,096 382,402 67,91,786 110,324 15,98,602
1898-99 11,740,565 24,54,50,445 441,034 81,37,197 121,987 17,31,680
1899-00 12,505,059 25,62,50,323 441,739 78,00,682 124,155 18,15,998
1900-01 12,922,465 26,27,19,976 453,862 82,83,758 134,977 19,72,389
1901-02 13,581,928 26,84,51,162 471,387 91,96,336 153,800 22,47,435
1902-03 15,311,955 27,82,17,678 530,778 95,72,448 167,711 23,67,739
1903-04 16,470,115 29,43,59,136 579,851 1,06,87,532 192,375 25,88,723
1904-05 17,657,917 31,04,28,794 692,705 1,04,12,346 192,926 25,83,483
1905-06 19,622,437 33,14,36,803 724,747 1,00,03,341 199,754 26,70,518
1906-07 20,923,383 35,25,97,091 690,688 97,26,046 203,157 27,93,647
1907-08 22,109,666 37,97,08,358 622,501 94,67,041 176,195 23,80,811
1908-09 23,132,115 39,19,26,114 685,021 1,11,10,709 198,683 26,89,768
1909-10 23,888,149 39,96,74,848 740,776 1,16,93,227 219,651 29,82,614
1910-11 24,781,847 41,85,13,444 750,777 1,24,17,561 222,747 29,87,628
1911-12 26,322,257 44,29,23,702 754,306 1,23,49,182 226,982 30,39,792
1912-13 28,624,470 47,39,38,492 754,766 1,21,77,802 252,618 34,27,203
1913-14 29,940,631 51,18,35,732 764,673 1,20,02,271 240,662 32,74,757
1914-15 29,317,377 51,54,81,941 863,235 1,24,31,425 247,468 33,21,068
1915-16 31,281,231 53,92,17,506 844,742 1,36,70,463 261,667 36,73,409
1916-17 32,331,652 57,54,48,259 839,506 1,38,59,594 274,990 37,94,479
1917-18 33,903,625 62,77,87,899 880,700 1,50,47,255 268,419 36,15,440
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
APPENDIX F
HISTORICAL ASSOCIATIONS OF THE CALCUTTA GENERAL POST OFFICE
This handsome building is situated on the west side of Dalhousie Square
at the corner of Koila Ghat Street, being a portion of the site of the
old Fort of Calcutta. The removal of the old foundations was a work of
great difficulty owing to the extreme hardness of the masonry, which
in many cases had to be blasted away. The building was erected from
designs by Mr. Walter B. Granville, Architect to the Government of
India. It was opened to the public in the year 1868 and cost 6,30,000
rupees. It consists of two lofty storys, the east and south fronts
being faced with tall Corinthian columns flanked by massive piers in
which are the staircases. The south-east angle of the building is
semicircular, also faced with Corinthian columns leading to a lofty
circular hall in which are the public counters. This is surmounted by a
lantern crowned by a dome, which forms a conspicuous object in the city.
The site of the General Post Office is of great historical interest
owing to its association with the great tragedy of the Black Hole of
Calcutta. On entering the Post Office courtyard from Koila Ghat Street
there are two tablets with the following inscriptions:--
[Illustration: GENERAL POST OFFICE. CALCUTTA]
[Illustration: BLACK HOLE, CALCUTTA. ADJOINING THE GENERAL POST
OFFICE]
I. The brass lines in the stone,
on the adjacent ground,
mark the position and extent
of the South Curtain
of old Fort William.
II. The two lines of twelve arches
to the west of this tablet
are all that now remains above ground
of old Fort William and
originally formed a portion of the arcade
within the South Curtain.
The Black Hole Prison was a small room
formed by bricking up two arches
of a similar but smaller arcade
within the East Curtain
south of the East Gate.
The sunken arches, where the Post Office vans were kept, once formed
part of the arcade within the south curtain, the wall line of which
is marked out by brass lines let into the pavement. The wall of the
curtain, a portion of which was still standing in 1895, backed the old
export and import warehouses, and through the arches one would have in
the old days looked into the parade ground within the Fort. The export
and import warehouses were built against the south curtain in 1741 and
would have followed the line of Koila Ghat Street.
The angle of the south-east bastion and the thickness of its walls
is indicated by brass lines let into the steps of the Post Office. A
tablet pointing out this fact is on the adjacent wall, and the entrance
to the east gate of the Fort is commemorated by a tablet fixed into the
red building opposite the Holwell obelisk:
Sixteen feet behind this wall
was the entrance of the East Gate
of old Fort William through which
the bodies of those who perished
in the Black Hole were brought and
thrown into the ditch of the Ravelin
on 21st June, 1756.
To the north of the General Post Office building, inside the large
gateway, is a tablet with the following inscription:--
THE BLACK HOLE.
The marble pavement below this spot
was placed here
by
Lord Curzon, Viceroy and Governor-General of India,
in 1901
To mark the site of the prison in Old Fort William
known as the Black Hole.
In which 146 British Inhabitants of Calcutta were
confined on the night of the 20th June, 1756,
and from which only 23 came out alive.
The pavement marks the exact breadth of the prison,
14 ft. 10 in., but not its full length, 18 feet.
About one-third of the area at the north end being
covered by the building on which this tablet is erected.
Near by Mr. Holwell, then Collector of Calcutta, who was one of the
survivors, erected an obelisk at his own expense to the memory of those
who perished in the Black Hole on the spot where the 123 killed were
buried. The tablet bore the following inscriptions:--
To the Memory of--
Edward Eyre, William Bailie, Esqrs.; the Revd.
Jervas Bellamy; Messrs. Jenks, Reeveley, Law, Coates,
Napcourt, Jebb, Torrians, E. Page, S. Page, Grub, Street,
Harod, P. Johnstone, Ballard, N. Drake, Carse, Knapton,
Goslin, Dod, Dalrymple; Captains Clayton, Buchanan, and
Witherington; Lieutenants Bishop, Hays, Blagge, Simpson,
and J. Bellamy; Ensigns Paccard, Scott, Hastings,
C. Wedderburn, and Dymbleton; Sea-Captains Hunt, Osburn,
and Purnell; Messrs. Carey, Leech, Stevenson, Guy Porter,
Parker, Caulkee, Bendal and Atkinson;
Who, with sundry other inhabitants, Military and
Militia, to the number of 123 persons, were, by
the tyrannic violence of Suraj-ud-Dowlah,
Suba of Bengal,
Suffocated in the Black-Hole Prison of Fort William,
on the night of the 20th day of June, 1756,
and promiscuously thrown the succeeding
morning into the ditch
of the ravelin of this place.
This monument is erected by their surviving fellow-sufferer,
J. Z. Holwell.
This horrid act of violence was as amply as deservedly
revenged on Suraj-ud-Dowlah, by His Majesty's arms,
under the conduct of Vice-Admiral Watson and Col. Clive,
Anno 1757.
The Marquis of Hastings in 1840 had the monument pulled down, but Lord
Curzon in 1903 had a replica made and placed in the same spot where it
now stands.
APPENDIX G
Extract from the narrative of the interruption in the mail
arrangements in the N.-W.P. and Punjab subsequent to the Mutiny at
Meerut and Delhi on the 10th and 11th May, 1857.
By MR. G. PATON, Postmaster-General, North-West Provinces.
On the mutiny of the native troops at Meerut and Delhi on the 10th
and 11th May, 1857, the mail communication between Meerut, Delhi and
Allyghur was interrupted. The eastern mails were then forwarded from
Allyghur via Anoopshahur and Moradabad to Meerut and thence direct to
Kurnaul or via Seharanpore to Umballa. In like manner the mails from
the north-west were forwarded from Kurnaul and Umballa to Allyghur.
There was delay by the arrangement, but it was the only one practicable
on the route via Delhi being closed by the mutiny and rebellion there.
2. After the lapse of a week the mail was reopened between Allyghur and
Meerut, but by the mutiny of the 9th Regiment N.I. on the 20th June at
Allyghur all postal communication from the north, the south, the east
and west of that station was stopped.
3. Exertions were made to establish communication between Cawnpore and
Meerut via Futtehgurh, Bareilly and Moradabad. Mails were forwarded
towards Bareilly, but none issued from or through that station. This
excited much uneasiness for some time, but was explained by the mutiny
of the troops there and at Shajehanpore on the 30th June. Bareilly was,
like Delhi, the scene of the political intrigue, and the suppression of
postal communication was there, as elsewhere, an object of the first
importance with the insurgents.
4. The post offices and mail lines in Oude, generally, became
disorganized about the same time as in Rohilcund, as the troops
mutinied almost simultaneously in both provinces.
5. While the Grand Trunk Road between Cawnpore and Agra was open,
arrangements were made to maintain communication between the Punjab and
Cis-Sutledge States with Agra via Kurnaul Hansie and Jeypore, but the
mutiny of the Hurrianah Battalion and a portion of the 4th Irregular
Cavalry at Hansie and Hissar in the end of May entirely stopped that
line.
6. An attempt was made to open communication with Agra and Meerut via
Muttra and by a line midway between Khoorjah and Secunderabad, but it
had to be abandoned owing to the rebel Wulleedad Khan and his followers
having obtained undisputed possessions of the district of Bulundshahur.
7. But, although Bulundshahur and a large portion of Allyghur were
occupied by the rebel Wulleedad Khan, a line of runners was established
between Meerut and Agra via Gurhmooktesur Ghat, the left bank of the
Ganges, Anoopshahur and Allyghur. Letters of light weight were managed
to be conveyed with tolerable safety by that route, notwithstanding
that large sums were offered for the murder of those caught in the act
of conveying English correspondence.
8. On or about the 5th June the troops at Allahabad, Cawnpore,
Futtehgurh, Hameerpore, Banda Jansie, Lullutpore and Saugor mutinied;
and, in consequence, all the post offices and mail lines in the
Doab and Bundlekund as low down as Mirzapore became disorganized.
Communication between Agra, the Cis-Sutledge States and Calcutta was
then fairly cut off and could not be re-established by the Grand Trunk
Road so long as Delhi remained in the possession of the mutineers. The
route via Multan to Bombay was, however, open and instructions were
given for the mails to and from the N.-W.P., Cis-Sutledge and Punjab
being forwarded via Lahore.
9. Between Agra and Bombay the mail was not interrupted till the mutiny
of the Gwalior Contingent on the 17th June, and since then up to 1st
February, 1858, or a period of seven months and thirteen days, the road
via Gwalior and Indore to Bombay was closed or not practicable and safe
for the mail.
10. So soon as it was apparent that the mail between Bombay and Agra
could not be re-established via Gwalior and Indore, the establishment
of runners between Agra, Jeypore, Naseerabad, Deesa and Ahmedabad was
strengthened, and the mails to and from Bombay, Calcutta, Madras, etc.,
were very regularly conveyed by that route.
11. In the course of the month of August, Dr. Clark managed at
Agra to organize an establishment of kossids, thence via Etawah to
Cawnpore, and for very light letters not exceeding a ¼ tola in weight
the arrangements, although occasionally interrupted, were generally
successful excepting for a period of nearly eighteen days in the end
of November and beginning of December, when the troops of the Gwalior
Contingent crossed the Jumna and invested Cawnpore. On the defeat of
the Gwalior Contingent at Cawnpore on the 7th December the kossid dak
was again useful in keeping up communication between Agra and Cawnspore
until the 5th January, 1858, when the mail carts were re-established
after having ceased to run from the 5th June, or a period of seven
months.
12. Communication with the province of Kemaon was uninterruptedly
maintained by an establishment of runners posted via Sreenugger,
Teeree, Mussoorie and Deyrah Dhoon.
13. Between Meerut and the Camp at Delhi runners were posted via
Bagput, but they were frequently cut off, and the communication had to
be kept up via Shamlie and Kurnaul or via Seharunpore and Umballa. When
the runners between Meerut and the Camp at Delhi were intercepted it
was frequently impossible to open direct communication even by kossids,
so closely was the country infested with insurgents.
14. The mail cart establishment between the Camp at Delhi and Lahore
was steadily kept up. Occasionally it was unsafe to take the carts over
the twelve miles leading to and from the Camp, and there the coachman
rode the horses across country or proceeded on foot and so managed to
elude the insurgents.
15. The mail cart establishment was the only available means by which
officers could travel to and from the Camp before Delhi, and it
afforded them an easy and speedy mode of travelling.
16. Extra horses were posted at each stage between the Jhellum and
Delhi to admit of express cart daks being laid when necessary for mails
or passengers.
17. In the month of August it became necessary to provide means for
the removal of the sick and wounded officers from the Camp in Delhi to
Kurnaul or Umballa, and some of the Inland Transit Company's carriages,
in addition to the palanquin carriages and vans attached to the Post
Office, were hired for the purpose. All sick and wounded officers
were allowed, at the recommendation of the Brigadier-General, now Sir
Archdale Wilson, to travel free of expense. Many valuable lives were
thus saved.
18. I consider the conduct of the native coachmen beyond all praise
during the disturbances. Great temptations to desert us were held out
to them by the mutineers, but not one of them proved unfaithful to
Government. From the date of arrival of our troops before Delhi on the
8th June till the 20th of September, the date of the fall of Delhi, the
coachmen conveyed the mails to and from the Camp with the same safety
and the same regularity as before the outbreak.
19. The public mind of the Punjab and Cis-Sutledge States was at the
highest pitch of excitement watching the result of the operations of
our troops against the mutineers at Delhi, and any interruption of the
mail would have had a fatal effect on the peace of those States. The
telegraph wire connecting the Camp with the Punjab was frequently cut,
and thus it may be easily understood that the regularity of the mail
throughout the crisis was of the most vital importance.
20. The Commissioner of Scinde, anticipating the possibility of
the communication between the Punjab and Scinde or Bombay being
cut off, organized on his own responsibility a mail establishment
between Bhawulpore and Jaudhpore, and again with Deesa and Hyderabad.
This arrangement was useful in conveying intelligence between Agra,
the Punjab and Central India, and also as an auxiliary line of
communication between the Punjab and Bombay.
21. In the middle and end of July the mail cart establishment between
Googairah and Mooltan became very clamorous and appeared to be inclined
to strike. The vital importance of that establishment made me determine
on travelling to Mooltan so as to ascertain whether the contractors
had any reasonable grievance. There had been many expresses besides
passenger daks, and their horses had been perhaps somewhat overworked
in consequence, and accordingly I authorized an additional horse at
each stage, which for the time quieted the contractors and they gave
no more trouble. I was not without some suspicion that there were
political influences exciting dissatisfaction amongst them. This
impression was in some degree corroborated by an effort on the part
of the prisoners of the jail at Googairah attempting to effect their
escape. Happily, through the prompt and rigorous measures adopted
by the Deputy Commissioner, Mr. Elphinstone, the _émeute_ amongst
the prisoners was most successfully crushed and the peace of the
district was not disturbed. Otherwise the mails would have there been
interrupted.
22. On the 14th September insurrection broke out between Googairah
and Hurruppa. Many horses of the mail cart establishment were carried
off by the rebels. Several carts were burnt, and communication by the
direct route between Lahore and Mooltan was for several days wholly
cut off. The local authorities of the district had no warning of the
outbreak till the morning of the night on which it took place. The
District Officers gave me reason to hope that the insurrection would
be instantly put down, but unfortunately, owing to their paucity of
troops, the rebels were not overawed sufficiently to admit of the mails
being conveyed by the direct road within fifteen days. In the interim,
however, they were, after several days' stoppage, conveyed via Shahpore
and Seeah to and from Mooltan and Lahore.
23. It is here worthy of remark that the successful assault of Delhi on
the 14th September by our troops was telegraphed to Lahore, and full
particulars thereof were transmitted by the mail of that date from
Lahore to Mooltan, Scinde, Bombay, etc., before the outbreak between
Googairah and Humppa. The receipt of the news of the successful assault
of Delhi was signally opportune in Scinde, as the native troops then at
Karachi, Hyderabad and Shikarpore were in a state approaching to open
mutiny.
24. The route for the mail between Lahore and Mooltan via Shahpore
being very circuitous and also unsafe as the country between the
Sutledge and Ravee and even for some distance west of the Ravee was in
open revolt, it became necessary to determine on having a more direct
line of communication between Lahore, Scinde and Bombay. Accordingly
a camel dak was established by the Chief Commissioner of the Punjab
between Bhawulpore and Ferozepore. The head overseer of the Jullunder
Division, Hurdeo Bux, was transferred for the superintendence of this
dak and managed it most successfully.
25. The establishment of runners between Ferozepore, Lahore and
Loodianah was at the same time strengthened in view to provide for
the extra weight of the mails in transit via Bhawulpore, and thus the
stations east and west of the Sutledge were rendered independent of
the direct mail line between Lahore and Mooltan in respect to Scinde,
Bombay, Calcutta, etc., etc.
26. The post offices and mail lines at and above Meerut and throughout
the Cis-Sutledge States and Punjab have continued in uninterrupted
operation excepting those situated on the line of road between
Googairah and Humppa, which were for a short time the scene of
insurrections in September.
APPENDIX H
THE WORK OF THE FIELD POST OFFICE BETWEEN 1867 AND 1912
_The Abyssinian Expedition._
At the end of September, 1867, the Postmaster-General, Bombay, reported
that a reconnoitring party under Colonel Merewether, Political Agent,
had left for Abyssinia and a Field Force was shortly to follow. A
post office under Mr. J. Gardiner as Inspecting Postmaster sailed for
Abyssinia on the 25th November along with the second detachment of the
Expeditionary Force. A portion of the staff was left at Massowah, where
the troops disembarked, and the rest was ordered to advance with the
Army. Having fallen ill through overwork, Mr. Gardiner was replaced by
Mr. E. de C. Williams on the 1st March, 1868.
Ordinary postage stamps were used, the denominations of the stamps
supplied for the Field Force being ½ anna, 1 anna, 2 annas, 4 annas, 6
annas 8 pies, and 8 annas 8 pies. The postage payable on articles for
members of the Expeditionary Force was as follows:
LETTERS--4 annas for every ½ oz., 8 annas for 1 oz. and 8 annas for
every additional oz. in excess of the first oz.
NEWSPAPERS--8 pies for 4 ozs., 1 anna 4 pies for 8 ozs.
BOOKS--2 annas for 4 ozs., 4 annas for 8 ozs. and 4 annas for every
additional 8 ozs.
Prepayment in the latter two cases being compulsory. It does not
appear that parcels or money orders were exchanged or Savings Bank
transactions allowed.
The postal officials began to return from Abyssinia by the end of June,
1868, the last batch arriving at Bombay on the 4th July.
_The Afghanistan Expedition._
The war broke out in November, 1878, and Mr. J. H. Cornwall was
appointed to take charge of postal arrangements with the column under
the command of General Stewart, Mr. W. T. van Someren with the column
under the command of Major-General F. S. Roberts, and Mr. J. L. Fendal
with the Peshawar column. The approximate strength of the whole force
was about 45,000 fighting men and 60,000 camp followers. The mails
between Quetta and Kandahar were conveyed under the control of the
Political Agent and the military authorities.
When General Roberts moved out, a hill cart service was opened from
Kohat to Thull, a distance of sixty-four miles, in the Kurram Valley.
The principal difficulty was the work of organizing and maintaining the
mail lines, which were also used for conveying military stores. Apart
from the work done at the Post Office workshops at Aligarh, workshops
had to be opened at Rawalpindi, Jund, Thull and other places for the
construction and repair of carts. In this expedition non-commissioned
officers were taught to do postal work, and whenever they were required
to do so they were allowed a postal salary of Rs.30 a month.
The control of the whole postal arrangements devolved upon Colonel W.
M. Lane, Postmaster-General, Punjab, and it was due to his exertions
that the arrangements met with success.
_Malta Expeditionary Force._
In April, 1878, it was decided to send an Expeditionary Force to
Malta under Major-General J. Ross, C.B., and at the instance of the
military authorities a small postal staff, consisting of a postmaster
(Mr. Dinshaw Jijibhoy) with a clerk and three peons, was selected to
accompany the troops. The postal arrangements were made under the
direction of the Postmaster-General, Bombay, and the Expeditionary
Force started from Bombay on the 1st May, 1878.
When the island of Cyprus was ceded to Great Britain by Turkey
the Indian Contingent went to occupy it, and the postal staff was
accordingly ordered to embark for Cyprus. A British post office was
opened at Larnaka and Mr. Dinshaw was placed in charge of it, and there
he worked conjointly with the British postal staff till his return to
India on the 22nd August, 1878. Shortly after Sir Garnet Wolseley came
out from England as Governor, and the island was then divided into six
parts, each with a Civil Commissioner and garrisoned by a regiment.
The Commissioners were ex-officio postmasters of their respective
divisions, and there was no regular arrangement between these divisions
for the exchange of mails, which were occasionally conveyed by means
of Japties or policemen. When Cyprus was first occupied there was only
a fortnightly communication with India by means of the Austrian Lloyd
Steam Navigation Company's steamers; subsequently a weekly service was
also established by the Bells Asia Minor Line of steamers. A small
Austrian post office at Larnaka was permitted, and this served the
entire island. The field post office was opened at Malta on the 27th
May and closed at Cyprus on the 22nd August, 1878.
_Egypt Expeditionary Force._
In the beginning of July, 1882, the Government of India directed an
Expeditionary Force of about 7000 men of all arms for service in Egypt
under the command of Major-General Sir H. Macpherson, V.C., K.C.B.
The postal arrangements were made by Mr. Fanshawe, Postmaster-General,
Bombay, and Mr. J. H. Cornwall, who had special experience of the
management of field post offices in Afghanistan, was selected as the
Chief Superintendent of Field Post Offices.
The Indian field post office establishment started from Bombay on the
22nd August, 1882, and returned there on the 31st October of the same
year.
_Kalahandi Expedition._
The rising of Khonds in Kalahandi, an important feudatory State in the
Chattisgarh Division in Central Provinces, necessitated the despatch
of troops. In June, 1882, the Deputy Postmaster-General, Central
Provinces, reported that the rising was of a serious character and
that the country was not likely to be quiet for some time. The troops
marched from Sambalpur and Raipur, and three field post offices were
opened to serve them.
Mr. P. Gorman, Superintendent of the Division, was in entire charge of
the postal arrangements. The expedition lasted for only a short time,
but the communications had to be maintained till about the end of the
year.
_Suakim Field Post Office, 1885._
In February, 1885, it was decided to send an Expeditionary Force
composed of Indian troops to Egypt, and the Director-General was asked
to make arrangements for a field post office to accompany it. Mr.
O'Shea, as Chief Superintendent, was in charge of the postal staff,
under the direction of the Postmaster-General, Bombay.
The strength of the Expeditionary Force was 10,517, including
followers, and General Hudson, C.B., was in command of the force. The
postal staff started from Bombay on the afternoon of the 24th February,
1885, and on the 7th March, 1885, arrived at Suakim, where the Base
post office was opened on the 8th current. Mails were exchanged between
Egypt and India by Government transports and P. & O. packets. Only two
officers, Messrs. O'Shea and Lalkaka, received medals, and none were
granted to the subordinate postal staff. The field post office was
closed in November, 1885.
_The Upper Burma Expedition._
On the 23rd October, 1885, the Government of India asked the
Director-General to make the postal arrangements for the Expeditionary
Force in Upper Burma. The strength of the Force consisted of 10,000
fighting men and 2000 followers, besides 1000 dhooly bearers and 3000
coolies. On the 10th November, 1885, the Expedition, under the command
of Major-General H. N. D. Prendergast, C.B., V.C., left Rangoon
for Upper Burma by steamers up the Irrawaddy river to Thayetmyo and
thence by the land route to Mandalay. Mr. G. Barton Groves, Deputy
Postmaster-General, Burma, was called on to organize the service
and accompany the Force as Deputy Postmaster-General in charge. The
Rangoon, Prome and Thayetmyo post offices were strengthened, and the
last-named was converted into a Base office. Five field post offices
were also opened on board the head-quarters steamers of each of the
five brigades which composed the force.
_The Pishin Field Force._
In March, 1885, the Governor-General in Council decided to increase the
garrison in Baluchistan to a strength of three divisions comprising
about 25,000 men and 20,000 followers, and the necessary postal
arrangements had to be made. Mr. J. Short, Deputy Postmaster-General,
Sind and Baluchistan, was in charge, assisted by Mr. E. Walker,
Inspector of post offices.
In April, 1885, a head office was opened at Rindli, in Baluchistan,
which was designated the "Pishin Force Frontier Office," and the Quetta
post office was strengthened. Nine camp post offices were also opened,
and mails were carried to these offices by camels and sowars.
_Sikkim Expedition._
The orders for the despatch of a force for operations in Sikkim were
notified in the _Gazette of India_ of the 3rd March, 1888. Shortly
after the commencement of hostilities the Government of Bengal
requested Mr. H. M. Kisch, Postmaster-General, Bengal, to open a
runners' line from Siliguri to Kalimpong, a distance of thirty-seven
miles. This line was used only for transmission of letter mails, parcel
mails being conveyed by the old route from Darjeeling via Ghum and
Pasok. On the 24th March the Padong post office was converted into a
sub-office, and from that date it was constituted a Base office for the
expedition.
On the 16th March the force, which concentrated at Padong, moved
out in two columns, one under Brigadier-General T. Graham, R.A.,
commanding the expedition, and the other under Colonel Michel, of the
13th Bengal Infantry, the former advancing towards Fort Lingtu and the
other towards the Rhenok Bazar. With the advance of troops the post
office opened at Dulapchin was shortly removed to Ranglichu. Other
post offices were opened at Gnatong, Sedonchin, Gangtok, Rhenok Bazar
and Pakyong. The mail lines connecting these offices were under the
management of the Post Office as far as Ronglichu and Pakyong, but the
lines beyond were under the Political authorities.
_The Black Mountain or Hazara Field Force._
Towards the beginning of September, 1888, the Home Government having
decided to send a punitive expedition against the tribesmen of the
Black Mountain, a Field Force was organized on the Hazara frontier. The
object of the expedition was to punish the Khan Khel Hassanzai and the
Akazai tribes. Brigadier-General J. W. McQueen, C.B., Commanding the
Punjab Frontier Force, directed the expedition. On the 8th September,
1888, Mr. W. T. van Someren, Superintendent of post offices, Rawalpindi
Division, was deputed to make the postal arrangements with the force.
Haripur was constituted a Base office for the Derband column, and
Abbottabad for the Oghi column. The tonga service from Hassan Abdal
to Abbottabad was strengthened and extended to Mansera, and a mixed
tonga and horse service was established between Abbottabad and Oghi.
A runners' line was opened from Haripur to Derband. A railway sorting
office, under the supervision of Mr. N. G. Wait, was also opened at
Hassan Abdal for the sorting and onward transmission of articles for
the Field Force.
_The Chin Expedition, Burma._
In December, 1888, a small force of about 1200 men, besides civil
officers and followers, headed by Brigadier-General Faunce, started for
the Chindwin Division to quell a rising of Burmans and to reduce to
order the country which was then infested with dacoits. The expedition
was undertaken very suddenly, and the Quartermaster-General in India
asked the Deputy Postmaster-General, Burma, to arrange for the opening
of a field post office at Kalemyo at a distance of twenty-seven miles
from the base of operations at Kalewa. About July, 1889, the country
was brought to a normal state and the troops were withdrawn.
_The Lushai Expedition._
In 1888 the Government of India having decided to send a punitive
expedition against the Shendus and other tribes in the Chitagong
Hill Tracts, a small force under Colonel V. W. Tregear was organized
and concentrated at Demagiri. The force was styled the "Lushai
Expeditionary Force," and consisted of about 1200 men besides followers
and coolies. An inspector was deputed to make the postal arrangements.
The boat line from Rangamati to Demagiri, which was maintained by
the Frontier Police, was strengthened, also the post offices at
Rangamati and Demagiri, the latter being constituted a base office,
and a post office was opened at Barkul--half-way between Rangamati and
Demagiri--where there was a stockade of military police. The troops
kept the field for about four months and came back at the end of April,
1889.
_The Chin Lushai Expedition._
In 1889 two armies operated in this expedition, one from Burma and
the other from Chittagong. The troops in Burma were divided into
two columns, one operating from Fort White as a base against the
Syins and other tribes, and the other starting from Gangaw as a
base and advancing via Yokwa on Haka. The Chittagong force advanced
from Fort Lungleh on Haka. Brigadier-General W. P. Symons commanded
the operations on the Burma side, and Colonel Tregear commanded the
Chittagong column. The strength of the force concentrated at Gangaw
consisted of about 40 officers, 1200 European and Indian troops and
2500 followers. The strength of the Chittagong column consisted of
about 3500 men besides followers and coolies.
On the Burma side much difficulty was experienced by the supervising
officers in organizing and maintaining the lines, which lay over sandy
beds of rivers, hillocks and jungles and on the Chittagong side, on
account of constant illness and the consequent change of officials
deputed. Mr. J. W. McCrea, Superintendent of post offices, Burma
Circle, was deputed to make postal arrangements for the force under
the direction of Mr. G. J. Hynes, Deputy Postmaster-General, Burma. On
the other side postal arrangements were made by Mr. G. S. Clifford,
Superintendent of post offices, under the direction of Mr. G. Barton
Groves, Deputy Postmaster-General, Eastern Bengal.
_The Zhob Expedition._
The object of the expedition was to explore the borders of the Zhob
Valley and to take steps either to capture the outlaw Dost Muhammad
or to expel him from the Kakar country and to coerce the Khiddarzai
Shirani tribe into submission.
Towards the middle of September, 1890, intimation was received from the
Quartermaster-General in India that a force of about 2000 men, besides
camp followers, was about to start for the Zhob Valley, and on the 27th
of that month a small field post office, consisting of a sub-postmaster
and two peons, started from Quetta with a portion of the troops for
Hindubagh, which was to be the general rendezvous. The expedition was
commanded by Sir George White.
_The Black Mountain Expedition._
In 1891 a force was sent for operations against the Hassanzai and
Akazai tribes of the Black Mountains. The strength of the force, which
was under the command of Major-General Elles, C.B., was about 6800 men,
and it advanced from Darband in two columns--one marching via Baradar
and Pailam to Tilli, and the other along the river route via Kotkai
and Kunhar. The postal arrangements were made by Mr. W. T. van Someren
under the direction of Mr. G. J. Hynes, Postmaster-General, Punjab.
_The Chin Hills Expedition._
The Government of India sanctioned military operations in the north
and east frontier of the Bhamo district and Chin Hills during the cold
season of 1891-92. In the Bhamo direction the object of the expedition
was to explore the amber and jade mines, the Hukong Valley and the
country on the east and north-east frontier above the Taeping river on
the Chinese border. The expedition had a quasi-military character, and
about 5000 troops, including police battalions, operated in various
columns, under the direction of Major-General R. C. Stewart, commanding
the Burma districts.
Mr. F. McCrea, Inspector of post offices, Eastern Division, was deputed
to organize and supervise the arrangements.
_The Manipur Expedition._
The outbreak in Manipur in 1891, and the consequent massacre of Mr.
Quinton, the Chief Commissioner of Assam, and his party, necessitated
the despatch of troops to quell the rebellion. The force was designated
the "Manipur Field Force," and about 2500 men, including followers,
operated from the Tammu side and about the same number from Kohima and
Silchar. Mr. W. Roussac was in charge of the postal arrangements with
the Tammu column, and Mr. F. P. Williams, assisted by an inspector,
with the Kohima column. All correspondence for the Tammu column was
sent from India to Rangoon and thence by boats to Kindat. From Kindat
to Tammu the mails were conveyed by runners, and a runners' line
was opened from Tammu to Manipur. These arrangements worked for a
very short time on account of the rapid advance of troops and their
immediate return.
_The Miranzai Expedition._
The object of the expedition, which was under the command of
Brigadier-General Sir William Lockhart, K.C.B., was to overawe the
recalcitrant Samil clans of the Urakzai tribe in the Miranzai Valley.
The force was ordered to the front in January, 1891, and advanced in
three columns, the first column having its base at Shahu Khel, the
second at Tog and the third at Hangu. Mr. A. Bean, Superintendent of
post offices, Peshawar Division, was placed in charge of field postal
arrangements connected with the force in addition to his own duties.
_The Wuntho Expedition._
On the 15th February, 1891, the station of Kawlin was suddenly attacked
by a party of rebels from the Wuntho State, in Upper Burma, and a few
police who formed the garrison of the place had to evacuate it. The
post office had to be abandoned and the sub-postmaster had to come
away along with the other officials. A combined force of police and
military, consisting of about 2500 men, was at once organized and
advanced on Wuntho from Shwebo, Katha and Tigyaing to put down the
rebellion and bring the country under permanent occupation. The troops
employed were not designated a Field Force, and the postal arrangements
were therefore carried out on ordinary scale and not according to the
rules of the Field Service Manual.
_The Isazai Field Force._
In September, 1892, the Government of India decided to send out an
expedition under Major-General Sir William Lockhart to punish certain
villages of the trans-Indus Isazai clans who had harboured Hashim Ali
Khan of Seri in contravention of their agreement entered into at Seri
in May, 1891. A force of about 4000 men of all arms concentrated at
Derband and was styled the "Isazai Field Force." On the 17th September,
1892, Mr. C. J. Dease, Superintendent of post offices, was deputed to
make the special arrangements for the force with the assistance of an
inspector.
_Kurram Field Force._
In the beginning of October, 1892, the Government of India decided
to depute a Political officer at the head of a force in the Lower
Kurram Valley. The object was to expel the Chikkai tribes from the
valley and to effect a thorough settlement of the country. The force
which accompanied the Political officer, Mr. W. R. H. Merk, C.S.I.,
consisted of about 2500 men, including followers. Mr. P. Sheridan,
Postmaster-General, Punjab, arranged for field post offices, and the
Superintendent of post offices, Peshawar Division, was placed in
charge. By the end of October the presence of troops in Kurram was no
longer necessary, and the field offices were closed with the exception
of the head-quarters office, which was retained for the use of the
garrison.
_The Wano Expedition._
In August, 1892, owing to disturbances in Afghanistan, a detachment
of troops had to be sent beyond the frontier to take up position at
Kajuri Kuch in the Wano country, thirty miles beyond the Gomal Pass.
As there was no post office at the place, arrangements were made by
the Superintendent of post offices, Derajat Division, to send and
receive mails via Gomal post office. In September, however, owing to
the despatch of further troops, the Post Office was called upon to make
arrangements. By the end of April, 1893, the strength of the Kajuri and
Jandola forces was considerably reduced, and the postal establishments
were gradually abolished.
_The Abor Expedition, 1894._
The only postal arrangements made in connection with this expedition,
which lasted for a very short time, were the opening of a runners' line
from Sadiya to Bomjur and the strengthening of the delivery staff of
Sadiya post office by an additional postman.
_The Waziristan Field Force._
In August, 1894, the Government of India sanctioned the despatch of
troops to accompany the British Commissioner in connection with the
Afghan boundary demarkation. Pundit Shiv Pal, the Superintendent of
post offices, Derajat Division, was placed in charge assisted by two
inspectors, till he was relieved by Mr. W. T. van Someren, who was
placed on special duty in this connection. The post office at Tank was
temporarily converted into a Base head office, and three field post
offices were opened to move with the force.
On the 3rd November the Mushud Waziri made a determined night attack
on the British camp at Wano, and, although the attack was repulsed, it
resulted in 120 casualties. In the beginning of December, 1894, the
Government of India having sanctioned active operations in Waziristan,
Lieutenant-General Sir William Lockhart, who was now placed in command,
asked for an additional Superintendent, and Mr. A. Franks Ryan was
placed on special duty with the force.
_The Chitral Relief Force._
In the middle of March, 1895, a scheme was prepared for field
operations in Chitral, the object of which was to compel Umra Khan of
Jandol to withdraw from the Chitral country, and the Director-General
was requested to make postal arrangements for the force, which
consisted of about 20,000 troops of all arms and about 30,000 camp
followers. This was the largest force mobilized in India since the
Afghan War of 1879, and the postal arrangements had therefore to be
made on a proportionately large scale. The expedition was titled "The
Chitral Relief Force" and was commanded by Major-General Sir Robert
Low, K.C.B.
On the 18th March, 1895, Mr. P. Sheridan, Postmaster-General, Punjab,
was requested by the Director-General to arrange field post offices,
and by the end of the month the postal staff, who were collected at
Nowshera, were in readiness to start. Mr. A. Franks Ryan was the
senior Superintendent in charge. In the early stages of the campaign
considerable difficulty was experienced by the supervising officers
in organizing lines for the conveyance of mails. Mule transport being
very limited, pack bullocks had to be used for the first few days, and
when those were withdrawn a temporary runners' line had to be opened.
Information, however, was shortly received that the country was open
as far as Durgai, a distance of forty-one miles from Nowshera, and
arrangements were made with Messrs. Dhanjibhoy to open a tonga line.
On the 30th March the force moved out to Mardan and the head-quarters
field post office went with it. On the 22nd April, 1895, information
was received that Colonel Kelly had succeeded in reducing the Chitral
fort from the Gilgit side, and a further hasty advance of troops was
therefore no longer necessary. With the occupation of the Chitral
territory by the 3rd Brigade the expedition practically came to an end.
The Abbottabad Force was broken up on the 31st May, 1895.
_Suakim Expedition, 1896._
In May, 1896, under orders from the Home Government, an Expeditionary
Force, 3000 strong, was sent to Suakim under the command of
Brigadier-General C. C. Egerton, C.B., D.S.O., and a field post office
was ordered to accompany it. The chief of the postal staff was Mr.
Bennett, who, however, did not hold the rank of Chief Superintendent
as the Force was too small. It started on the 22nd May, 1896, and
arrived on the 1st June at Suakim, where the Base office was opened.
Subsequently a sub-office was opened at Tokar, and the exchange of
mails between this office and the Base office was carried on by camel
dak twice a week. There was fortnightly communication between India and
Suakim by Egyptian steamers, and parcel and letter mails were conveyed
by these and by P. & O. steamers. The field post office was closed on
the 8th December, 1896.
_The Malakand Field Force._
On the 31st July, 1897, the Adjutant-General in India forwarded to the
Director-General a scheme for operations in the Malakand country, and
Mr. P. Sheridan, Postmaster-General, Punjab and N.-W.F., was requested
to make special postal arrangements for the force. Mr. H. C. Sheridan,
Assistant Director-General of the Post Office, was placed in charge.
By the middle of August all the troops forming the 1st and 2nd Brigades
went across the Malakand to the Swat Valley. In the meantime, fresh
trouble having arisen round and about Peshawar, the Government of
India issued orders for punitive operations against the Mohmands, who
had invaded British territory and attacked the village and fort of
Shabkadar, nineteen miles from Peshawar. Accordingly a strong force
was concentrated about the place, and Mr. C. A. Stowell was deputed
to Peshawar to make special postal arrangements for this force. "The
Mohmand Field Force," under Major-General Ellis, left Shabkadar on
the 15th September and returned to Peshawar on the 8th October, 1897.
During the expedition a small force was sent to Abazai to guard the
works of the Swat Canal, and a field post office accompanied it.
On New Year's day of 1898 orders were issued for an advance to Buner,
and the 2nd Brigade marched to Katlang, which was at once connected
with Mardan by an ekka service, later extended to Sanghao. There
were now two ekka services--one from Mardan to Rustam, a distance of
nineteen miles, and the other from Mardan to Sanghao, a distance of
twenty-one miles. On the 9th January the name of the force was changed
to the "Buner Field Force." The postal arrangements for this force,
which was not in existence for more than a fortnight, were in the hands
of Mr. N. M. Cama, Superintendent of post offices.
The Malakand Field Force began to be demobilized on the 22nd January,
1898, but only a small portion of the troops returned to India. The
rest went forward and became part of the Swat garrison. In this
expedition arrangements were made for the first time for the sale
of newspapers by field post offices, a service which was greatly
appreciated. So efficient were the postal arrangements and the
regularity of the tonga service that the mails to and from the front
travelled with a punctuality which would compare favourably with any
long-established line in India.
_The Tirah Expedition._
On the 17th September, 1897, the Director-General was asked to make
arrangements for a postal service for the Expeditionary Force to be
sent against the Afridi and Orakzai tribes on the Kohat and Peshawar
frontier. The Postmaster-General, Punjab and N.-W.F., Mr. P. Sheridan,
was immediately communicated with, and Mr. van Someren was appointed
Chief Postal Superintendent with the expedition.
The Base post office for the main force was at first situated at Kohat,
and the Base office for the Peshawar column at Peshawar. When the
troops marched through Tirah and took up their position for the winter
in the Bara Valley, the Khyber Pass and the neighbourhood of Peshawar,
Messrs. Dhanjibhoy established two tonga services connecting Peshawar
with Bara and Jamrud, while beyond these places they arranged for the
carriage of mails by a horse post. The mail service for the Peshawar
column previous to this had been carried on by the Afridi horse
contractors, and as the roads were improved the tonga services were
extended up to Landi Kotal in the Khyber Pass and Gandao in the Bara
Valley.
The postal arrangements lasted for a period of six months. On this
occasion, too, the field post offices were specially authorized to sell
newspapers to the troops and were allowed a commission on the sales.
_The Tochi Field Force._
The postal arrangements in connection with the Tochi Field Force lasted
for a period of about eight months, from July, 1897, to February, 1898.
The base of the operations was Bannu, which is 111 miles away from the
railway at Khushalgarh, and, as soon as it was known that a force was
to be mobilized at Bannu, arrangements were made for the introduction
of an efficient tonga service from Khushalgarh to that place and for
a proper railway connection between Golra and Khushalgarh. Between
Khushalgarh and Kohat a feeble tonga service was already in existence
under the management of the District Board of Kohat, while for the
local demands an ekka service had been established between Kohat and
Bannu. Neither of these lines could be relied upon to meet the special
requirements for mails and passengers caused by the expedition, and
Mr. Dhanjibhoy, the mail contractor of the Rawalpindi-Srinagar line,
established a complete and efficient tonga service over the entire
distance.
The postal arrangements were carried out very satisfactorily. Mr. W.
T. van Someren was in charge of the actual arrangements in the field
from the beginning till September, 1897, when he was relieved by Mr. F.
O'Byrne, who remained in charge during the remainder of the operations.
_The Tochi Valley Field Force._
After the breaking up of the Tochi Field Force in December, 1897,
it was decided to retain in the valley a brigade of troops on field
service scale under the command of the General Officer Commanding,
Tochi. The troops were quartered in six military posts, and camp post
offices were opened to serve them. During the Tochi Expedition there
was a tonga service between Edwardesabad and Bannu, but this having
been discontinued a new arrangement had to be made for a tonga service
with Messrs. Dhanjibhoy and Sons for the conveyance of mails between
Khushalgarh and Kohat and an ekka service between Edwardesabad and
Miranshah and Datta Khel.
_The Swat Valley Column._
When the second division of the Tirah Force was demobilized it
was decided to retain a strong column in the Swat Valley to take
up positions in Dir territory for the protection of the line of
communications and the route of the relieving and relieved Chitral
Force. The arrangement necessitated the opening of three field post
offices from the 1st May, 1898, and from the same date the Swat
Sorting Office at Nowshera was strengthened. It was also decided to
retain the services of a Superintendent to accompany the column up to
Dir territory and return with the relieved troops from Chitral.
The postal arrangements had to be maintained till the end of June, when
the column having been considerably reduced, two field offices were
abolished and only one was retained till the 15th July, 1898.
_The Mishmi Expedition._
In November, 1899, the Director-General was requested to open a
field branch post office at Bonjur and connect it by a runners' line
(twenty-four miles long) with Sadiya, where there was a civil post
office. This place was made the base of operations of the Mishmi Field
Force. About 200 military police and 1000 regular troops operated in
this expedition, which began in December, 1899, and ended in January,
1900. The Bonjur office was opened on the 1st December, 1899, and
closed on the 9th February, 1900.
_The China Expeditionary Force._
At the request of the Home Government, a force entitled "The China
Expeditionary Force" was mobilized in India for service in China
under the command of General Sir A. Gaselee. The first intimation of
the despatch of the army was received on the 29th June, 1900. This,
however, referred only to one brigade of troops of all arms; but on
the 25th June intimation was received that a force of two brigades
with divisional troops were under orders for China. The control of
the field postal arrangements was in the hands of Mr. Stewart-Wilson,
Postmaster-General, Punjab, under whose orders the postal staff was
mobilized and equipped. At first it was decided to fit out twelve
field post offices to accompany the force. Mr. W. T. van Someren was
appointed Chief Superintendent, and Mr. A. Bean and Mr. A. B. Thompson
were selected to work under him.
By the end of August, 1900, the force in China was strengthened by a
cavalry brigade, one infantry brigade and three large coolie corps,
and the postal staff had to be supplemented. Thus by the end of the
year there were in China:
1 Chief Superintendent.
4 Superintendents.
4 Inspectors.
1 Postmaster.
2 Deputy Postmasters.
20 Sub-Postmasters.
53 Clerks.
76 Followers.
On the 29th June, 1900, a notification was issued regarding the
conditions under which postal articles could be exchanged with the
China Expeditionary Force. The Indian Base office was at first opened
at Linkung-tao (Wei Hai Wei), but was shortly transferred to Hongkong.
Articles for the force were despatched by the steamers of the B.I.S.N.
Company, the Messageries Maritimes and also by the Opium steamers to
Hongkong. The Colonial post office at Hongkong had an arrangement with
all merchant vessels binding them to carry mails as far as Shanghai,
and owing to the courtesy of the Postmaster-General, Hongkong, this
concession was made use of to carry the mails of the Field Force.
North of Shanghai the mails were carried by transports and men-o'-war.
Later on the Chinese Imperial Postal Authorities carried our mails
from Shanghai to Taku and back free of charge until the latter port
was closed by the winter ice. Another route had then to be chosen for
the North China mails, and once more we had to resort to the kindness
of the Imperial Chinese Post Office, who agreed to supply transport
from Chifu to Chaingwantao twice a week on condition that half the
cost of the coal used should be paid. Thus the mails were conveyed
from Hongkong to Shanghai, from Shanghai to Chifu and from Chifu to
Chaingwantao and thence to Tientsin. The chief postal land routes were
(1) Taku to Pekin and (2) Tientsin to Shanhaikwan.
Dollar currency was used in the field offices, the rate of a dollar
being fixed at 1s. 11d., equivalent to Rs.1.7.0. The first postal
detachment took with them a full supply of postage stamps, postcards,
etc., but it was found inadvisable to use them owing to the fact that
it would be impossible to sell them at a price exactly equivalent to
face value. At Hongkong the postal equivalent for 10 centimes, i.e.
1 anna, is 4 cents. It followed, therefore, that twenty-five 1-anna
stamps could be bought for a dollar and that the purchaser would be
able to make 2 annas for every dollar spent on stamps, and it was
feared that advantage would be taken of this to buy up Indian stamps
wholesale for remittance to India. The postage stamps were therefore
overprinted with the letters "C.E.F.," i.e. "China Expeditionary
Force," so that their use would be localized, and the surcharged
stamps came into circulation about the middle of August, 1900. In
order to confine the use of field offices to the members of the force,
orders were issued that our postage stamps should not be sold except
to soldiers and officers in uniform. The rates of postage fixed for
all purposes were those in force in India, the postage to India being
reckoned at Indian inland rates.
Difficulty had all along been felt in supplying postal facilities to
the small bodies of troops stationed at or near railway stations where
there were no post offices. Mr. van Someren removed this difficulty
by introducing a combined Post and Railway Mail Service between Pekin
and Taku and Tientsin and Shanhaikwan, a scheme which was a new one in
the history of the field postal service. Postal clerks had not only to
sort letters in the trains, but also to receive and deliver letters
and sell postage stamps at each railway station. By August, 1901,
there was a reduction of the number of troops in China and fourteen
field post offices were closed, the supervising staff being reduced
to a Chief Superintendent and an inspecting postmaster in North China
and a Superintendent and an inspecting postmaster at Hongkong. Mr. van
Someren left China on the 5th August, 1901, leaving Mr. Thompson in
charge.
This was the first occasion that a large postal establishment had to
be sent out with a military expedition overseas to a foreign country.
The force consisted of over 37,000 men stationed at various places
from Shanghai to Taku and Taku to Pekin. The harmonious relations with
the Chinese Imperial Postal Administration and the material assistance
which it rendered on every possible occasion greatly helped to the
success of the Indian Field Post Office administration in China.
_The Somaliland Field Force._
The postal arrangements made to serve the Somaliland Field Force
extended over a period of nearly two years from January, 1903, to
November, 1904. Mr. Wynch, who was appointed Chief Superintendent,
remained till June, 1904, when he was invalided and relieved by Mr.
A. J. Hughes, who held charge until the end of the operations. The
strength of the force was 3000, and at first one base office and one
field post office, with one postmaster, five clerks and four packers,
were provided. Mails were exchanged between India and Somaliland by
Government transports. The field post offices were closed on the 25th
November, 1904.
_The Tibet Mission._
In 1903 the Government of India decided to send a small force to escort
the Tibet Frontier Commission. At first a number of temporary post
offices and lines were opened under the control of the Superintendent
of post offices, Jalpaiguri Division, to serve the Mission, but it
was not until it was decided that the Mission should advance into the
Chumbi Valley that field post offices and lines were required. The
Mission was headed by Colonel Younghusband and the escort was commanded
by General MacDonald, with Mr. H. Tulloch as Chief Superintendent.
The rapid development of field post offices necessitated the
appointment of a second Superintendent, and Mr. A. Bean was deputed
to field service. On the 6th January, 1904, Mr. Bean took over charge
of the Base Division, but shortly after died of heart disease on the
3rd March, 1904. The entire arrangements then devolved again on Mr.
Tulloch until the 1st April, 1904, when Mr. C. J. Dease took over
charge of the Base Division.
The Mission advanced on Gyantse on the 4th April. From Tuna to Gyantse
the mail arrangements were in the hands of the military authorities,
and only one postal clerk, whose duty it was to distribute letters,
was sent up with the escort. The Mission reached Gyantse on the 14th
May, and a field post office had to be opened there and at several
other places on the lines of communications. The force remained at
Lhassa from the 3rd August to the 23rd September and returned to
Gyantse on the 6th October, 1904. There was by this time at Gyantse
an accumulation of over 1100 parcels addressed to the members of the
Lhassa column, but Mr. Angelo, who was then placed in charge of the
advance division, disposed of them in three days before the troops left
on their return march. The demobilization of the force began by the end
of October, and the postal officials were ordered to leave Chumbi on
the 26th and to close the field post offices between Chumbi and Gangtok
on their way down. Mr. Tulloch relinquished charge of the F.P.O.'s on
the 28th November, 1904.
_The Bazar Valley Field Force._
The postal arrangements made to serve the Bazar Valley Field Force
extended over a period of twenty-five days, from the 13th February
to the 8th March, 1908. On the night of the 12th February the Chief
of the Staff informed the Postmaster, Peshawar, that the force would
leave the station the next morning. A base office, four first-class
field post offices and three second-class field post offices were
sent to the front, and on receipt of the scheme for the organization
and mobilization of the force on the 14th February this establishment
was reduced considerably. The work of the field post offices on this
occasion was limited almost entirely to the disposal of articles of the
letter and packet mails.
_The Mohmand Field Force._
The postal arrangements made to serve the Mohmand Field Force extended
over a period of thirty-eight days, from the 28th April to the 4th
June, 1908. The first intimation that an expedition would take place
was received on the 23rd April, and the Postmaster-General, Punjab and
N.-W.F., was at once directed to make all arrangements to serve the
troops that were concentrating on the frontier. Mr. McMinn, who was
Chief Superintendent of post offices with the Bazar Valley Field Force,
was placed in charge.
_The Abor Expeditionary Force, 1911-12._
The postal arrangements made to serve the Abor Expeditionary Force
extended over a period of about one year, from May, 1911, to May,
1912. A temporary post office was first opened on the 15th May, 1911,
at Saikwaghat, a terminus of the Dibru-Sadiyah Railway, to serve the
troops making preparations there for the expedition. The office was
under the control of the Superintendent of post offices, Upper Assam
Division. It was not until September, 1911, when the force advanced
towards Kobo, that the Department was called upon to organize a field
postal service. The arrangements were placed under the control of the
Postmaster-General, Eastern Bengal and Assam, and for the supervision
of the work in the field Mr. A. J. Faichnie, Superintendent of post
offices, Upper Assam Division, was, in addition to his own duties,
appointed Superintendent of Field Post Offices, assisted by an
inspector.
APPENDIX J
THE POST OFFICE INSURANCE FUND
The suggestion to establish a State Life Assurance was first made in
1872 by Sir Richard Temple, the Finance Member of Council. After a
great deal of discussion it was dropped in 1873, but was revived again
in 1881 by Mr. Hogg, the Director-General of the Post Office, when it
was accepted by the Viceroy's Council and finally by the Secretary of
State.
The principal features of the scheme which was actually introduced on
the 1st February, 1884, were:
(1) For the time the Fund was confined to the employés of the Post
Office.
(2) Provision was made for effecting life insurance in three ways,
viz.--
(i) By a single payment.
(ii) By monthly payments until the person insured attained the
age of 50 or 55.
(iii) By monthly payments during life.
(3) Provision was also made for two classes of monthly allowances, viz.
"Immediate" or "Deferred."
(4) One life could be insured for any sum which was a multiple of Rs.50
up to the total of Rs.4,000, and the monthly allowance granted on any
one life might consist of any sum which was a multiple of Rs.8 up to
the limit of Rs.50.
(5) Medical examination of proposers for insurance was made free.
(6) Arrangements were made for the deduction of the monthly premia from
the insured person's salary except the first premium or premium paid
during leave without pay.
(7) Policies and contracts issued under the scheme were exempt from
stamp duty.
The scheme worked smoothly, and, taking into consideration that many
employés of the Post Office are poorly paid officials, a fair measure
of success was attained during the first few years except in the
Monthly Allowance branch and in the system of Life Insurance by single
payment. The following figures show the proportion of officials who
availed themselves of insurance during the first three years:--
1884-85 1·05% of the whole Post Office establishment.
1885-86 1·46% " " "
1886-87 1·79% " " "
In 1887 the rule under which one-half surrender value could be allowed
on all policies and contracts when payment had been discontinued was
modified so as to exclude from this privilege policies and contracts
on which three years' premia or subscriptions had not been paid. In
September, 1887, the Fund was opened to the Telegraph Department,
and in 1895 to employés of the Indo-European Telegraphs and to women
employed in all the departments.
With effect from the 1st February, 1898, the benefits of the scheme
were extended generally to all permanent Government servants whose pay
was audited in Civil or Public Works Account offices and all members of
establishments of the Military Department, under audit of the Military
Account offices, who were subject to Civil rules. From the same date a
system of Endowment Assurances providing for payment at any age between
45 and 55 was introduced. With this general extension of the scheme it
was decided that the medical examination of proposers for insurance
should be more stringent and that medical officers, who had until then
been examining proposers for insurance free of any charge, should be
allowed a fee of Rs.4 for each examination, as their insurance work
would be substantially increased. In the same year (1898) the system of
Life Insurance by a single payment which had proved to be a failure,
was abolished.
In 1899, Temporary Engineers and Temporary Upper Subordinates of the
Public Works Department were allowed by Government to be admissible to
the benefits of the Fund, provided that the Chief Engineer declared
that they were eligible for admission. In 1903 it was extended to
permanent Government servants in foreign service in India, and in the
same year Life Insurance policies were allowed to be converted into
Endowment Assurance policies.
In 1904, the following relaxations of the rules were sanctioned with a
view to meet the convenience of Government servants.
(1) Insured persons who had retired from the service and whose
pensions were paid in India were allowed the option of deducting their
premia or subscriptions from their pension bills instead of being
compelled to pay them in cash at a post office.
(2) When there was any difficulty in the way of a proposal being
signed by the proposer in the presence of his immediate superior,
this duty might, with the permission of the Postmaster-General,
be performed in the presence of the local postmaster or any other
responsible officer who had to sign the certificate.
(3) The table of subscriptions for "Immediate Monthly Allowance,"
which contained rates up to the age of sixty, was extended so as to
provide for contracts with persons above that age.
In the same year the benefits of the Fund were extended to Temporary
Lower Subordinates, clerks of the Public Works Department and to clerks
of the Punjab University on the same conditions as to Temporary
Engineers and Temporary Upper Subordinates.
The year 1907 witnessed several important changes in the Post Office
Insurance Fund made on the recommendation of the Government Actuary.
These were:
(1) That the sums eventually payable in respect of policies in
existence on 31st March, 1907, in the Life Branch of the Fund were
increased by 10 per cent and that the premia payable in respect of
sums assured in that branch after that date would be correspondingly
reduced. The rates of premia for Life Insurance were revised
accordingly.
(2) That a life policy, with monthly payments payable till death,
was allowed to be converted into a life policy with monthly payments
payable to a specified age or into a fully paid up policy payable at
death.
(3) That an endowment policy might be converted into a paid-up policy
payable at some anterior date or at death, if earlier.
(4) That insurants could reduce their monthly premia to any desired
extent from any specified date.
(5) That when a policy of either class was surrendered the policy
holder should be given the full surrender value which on an actuarial
calculation could be paid without loss to the Fund, instead of half
that amount as hitherto given.
(6) That the surrender value of a lapsed policy was payable at any
time after default, on application being made for the same.
(7) That the period up to which payment of arrears of premium or
subscription was allowed for the revival of a policy of less than
three years' duration was extended from three to six months.
The tables of premia, introduced at the time the Fund was started,
as already stated, were calculated on the mortality rates which had
been deduced from the experience of the Uncovenanted Service Family
Pension Fund, Bengal--a Fund which was confined to Europeans resident
in India--there being no more reliable mortality statistics available
for the purpose at the time. In 1909 the India Office Actuary, in his
review on the operations of the Fund for the year 1907-08, noticed
that, in view of the rapid growth of the scheme, it was necessary to
revise the tables according to more accurate mortality statistics. In
his review on the work of the Fund for 1908-09 the Actuary asked for
detailed particulars of all the policies issued by the Fund since its
institution in the form of statements, in order to enable him to deduce
therefrom the necessary mortality rates, and thus prepare fresh tables
of premia. These statistics were submitted with the Director-General's
Annual Report on the operations of the Fund for the year 1910-11.
In the meantime it was brought to notice in 1909 that, under the
existing method of calculating surrender values of Life policies, the
values in certain cases were found on calculation to be considerably
in excess of the total amount of premia paid on the policies. Taking
advantage of this, insurants began to surrender their policies in
large numbers. The matter was referred to the Secretary of State. As
a result, the Actuary at the India Office forwarded revised tables
for the calculation of surrender values of Life policies, to be used
until the general revision of the Mortality tables and of the tables of
premia, which had been under contemplation, was effected. In 1909 an
important concession was sanctioned regarding the payment of premia by
insured persons while on leave or suspension or when retiring. It was
laid down that an insured person should not be considered as in arrears
of premium or subscription for any month so long as he has not drawn
any pay, pension or suspension allowance.
In 1910, with a view to afford greater facilities to the lower grades
of postal servants to insure their lives and to popularize the Fund,
sanction was obtained to grant to these officials from the Post Office
Guarantee Fund travelling expenses actually incurred by them in their
journey for examination by the medical officer for insurance, provided
the proposer actually took out a policy and paid the premium for not
less than twelve months. In 1912 Mr. Ackland, the Actuary at the India
Office, made a thorough investigation into the past experience of the
Fund from the statistics furnished to him. He drew up a report showing
the results of the investigation and prepared fresh tables of mortality
statistics, as well as new tables of premia for both Life Insurance and
Endowment Assurance. He also prepared new formulæ for the calculation
of paid-up policies, surrender values, etc., and recommended the
following further concessions and changes:--
(1) The grant to all policy holders on the 31st March, 1912 (the
valuation date), of a bonus at the rate of 2 per cent per annum in
the case of Whole Life Assurances, and at 1 per cent in the case of
Endowment Assurances in respect of each month's premium paid since
31st March, 1907, up to 31st March, 1912.
(2) The grant of an interim bonus at half of the above rates in
respect of the premiums paid since 31st March, 1912, in the case of
policies which became claims by death or survivance between 1st April,
1912, and 31st March, 1917, provided that premiums have been paid for
at least five years and up to date of death or survivance.
(3) "Age next birthday" should be taken as the age at entry for all
classes of Assurances.
(4) An integral number of years' premia should be charged on Endowment
Assurance policies and Life policies with limited payments.
(5) Transfers from the Whole Life to the Endowment Assurance class or
vice versa should be allowed only after any number of complete years'
premia have been paid.
(6) When surrender values were granted in the Monthly Allowance class,
medical examination at the policy holder's expense should be insisted
on and payment should in no case exceed 95 per cent of the present
value of the monthly allowance.
(7) Policy holders should be allowed to commute future premia by
payment either of a lump sum or of an increased monthly premium
ceasing at age 50 or 55.
(8) Transfers from the Endowment Assurance to the Whole Life
class should be allowed only on the production of a fresh medical
certificate obtained at the policy holder's expense.
(9) The valuations of the Fund should be made at quinquennial
intervals.
It was also decided that, as an Actuary had been appointed by the
Government of India, all questions relating to the administration of
the Fund, as well as future valuations of the Fund, might be dealt with
by that officer instead of being submitted to the Secretary of State.
INDEX
Abolition of District Post, 20
Abolition of Sea Post Office, 135
Abolition of unpaid postcards, 7
Abor Expedition, 1894, 220
Abor Expeditionary Force, 1911-12, 231
Abyssinian Expedition, 210
Accounts, Postal, 36
Act, Post Office. _See_ Post Office Act
Address, Forms of, 89, 98
Aden, Military operations in neighbourhood of, 175
Aden, Transhipment of mails at, 130, 133
Admiralty Agents, 127, 129, 130
Afghanistan Expedition, 168, 211
Anche, The, 112, 116
Anchel, The, 112
Aviation, 125
Bagdad Railway, 148, 149
Baku, Field service in, 174
Bank, Savings, 81
Base office, 166, 169, 175
Base Postal Depot, 175
Bazar Valley Field Force, 230
Beadon, Mr., 21
"Bearing" correspondence, 7, 25, 34, 158, 160
Bhangy post, 26, 29, 33, 48
Black Hole of Calcutta, 108, 200
Black Mountain Expedition, 217
Black Mountain or Hazara Field Force, 215
Bombay G.P.O. building, 108
Bombay Regulation XI of 1830, 26
Branch office, 4
Brindisi as European port for Indian mails, 124, 182
British India Steam Navigation Company, 138, 142
British Mission Escort in South Persia, 175
British postal orders, 42
Buildings, Post Office, 106
Bullock train, 154, 168, 196
Buner Field Force, 223
Bungalows, Dak or Travellers', 17, 196
Burlton, Mr. S. P., 14
Burma, Chin Expedition, 215
Bushire Force, 174
Calcutta, Black Hole of, 108, 200
Calcutta G.P.O. building, 108, 200
Camel dak, 209
Cape route to India, The, 118, 123
Cash certificates, Five-year, 87
Cash on Delivery system, 40, 46, 50, 51
Caste, 101
Centres, Delivery, 102
Chin Expedition, Burma, 215
Chin Hills Expedition, 218
Chin Lushai Expedition, 216
China Expeditionary Force, 226
Chitral Relief Force, 221
"Clubbing," 24
Combined post and telegraph offices, Introduction of, 41
Commission of 1850, 1, 21, 178
Compiler of Post Office Accounts, 36, 72
Compulsory prepayment of postage in all cases, Rejection of, 25
Constantinople, Field service in, 174
Construction and maintenance of postal vans, 63
Consultations of 24th March, 1766, Minutes of, 12
Consultations of 17th January, 1774, Extract from, 191
Continuous delivery system, 103
Control of the Department, 2, 30, 31
Conventions with Indian States, 114
Copper tickets, or tokens for postal purposes, 14, 178, 194
Cost of carrying mails on railways, 62
Counterfeit stamps, 39, 42
Courtney, Mr., 21
Crises in the Savings Bank, 84
Custom-House, Turkish, at Bagdad and Basra, 140, 146
Customs regulations, 36
Cyprus, 211
Dak bungalows, 17, 196
Dak system, 195
Dead Letter Office, 26
Delivery centres, 102
Delivery of mails, 102
Delivery system, Continuous, 103
Department, Control of the, 2, 30, 31
Department, never regarded as revenue-producing, 9, 22
Department, Organization of the, 3, 30, 31
Depot, Base Postal, 175
Deputy Postmaster, 155, 193
Desert post, The, 122, 137, 139
Direction, Organization of the, 2
Director-General of the Post Office, First, 36
Distance, Uniformity of postage irrespective of, 24, 32, 39, 49
District dawk stamps, Scinde, 31, 178
District Post, 16, 17
District Post, Abolition of, 20
District Savings Banks, 81
Dromedary post, 137, 139
Early Postal Regulations, 26
East Africa, Field service in, 174
East Persian Cordon, 174
Egypt during the Great War, Field service in, 171, 173
Egypt Expeditionary Force, 212
Encouragement of prepayment of postage, 34
England, Parcel post with, 39, 50
English mail, 30, 121, 127, 142
Euphrates and Tigris Steam Navigation Company, 138, 142, 144
European port for reception and despatch of Indian mails, 124, 182
Experimental post offices, 20, 96
Ferry charges upon Railway steamers, 63, 65
Field Post Office, The, 165
Field post offices, 166
Field Service Manual, 166
Field service, Military rank on, 166
Field service uniform, 166
Fines incurred under Post Office Acts, 29
Fining, 37
First appointment of a Postmaster-General, 14
First Director-General of the Post Office, 36
Five-year cash certificates, 87
Forbes, Mr., 21
Force in East Persia, 174
Foreign money orders, 73
Foreign parcel post, 51
France, Field service in, 171
Franking, 35
Free postage, Abolition of privilege of, 35
Free postage, Grant of privilege of, to certain persons, 27
Gallipoli, Field service in, 173
Great War, 170, 171
Great War, Effect of, upon savings bank balances, 87
Guarantee Fund, Post Office, 236
Haulage charges, 60, 67
Hazara Field Force, Black Mountain or, 215
Head Office, 3
Horse transit and bullock train, 153, 168, 196, 206
Identification of payees of money orders, 79, 99
Imperial Penny Postage Scheme, 40
Imported and locally produced printed matter, Differentiation between, 32, 38
Indian Convention States, 114, 185
Indian Mutiny, The Post Office during the, 151, 167, 196, 204
Indian States, The Post Office in, 112
Insurance fee, 41
Insurance system in the Persian Gulf and Turkish Arabia, 141
Introduction of first regular postal system by Lord Clive, 12
Introduction of postage stamps, 31, 32, 178, 179
Introduction of postcards, 7
Introduction of railways, 30
Iraq, 148, 173
Isazai Field Force, 219
Kalahandi Expedition, 212
Kurram Field Force, 219
Kut, 173
Land revenue money orders, 75
Later Postal Regulations, 38
Letter-writers, Professional, 94
Life Insurance policies, Surrender values of, 236
Life Insurance, Postal, 42, 232
Loan, War, 87
Lord Clive, Regular postal system introduced by, 12
Lushai Expedition, 216
Mail runner, 4
Malakand Field Force, 222
Malta Expeditionary Force, 211
Malwa Field Force, 156
Manipur Expedition, 218
Manual, Post Office, 2, 36
Manual (War), Postal, 166
Marine Postal Service, Suez and Bombay, 130
Marseilles as European port for Indian mails, 124, 182
Mesopotamia and the Persian Gulf, The Post Office in, 137
Mesopotamia, Field service in, 171
Methods of travel in early days, 195
Military pensioners, Payment of, 42
Military rank on field service, 166
Minors' accounts, 86
Minutes of Consultations of 24th March, 1766, 12
Miranzai Expedition, 218
Mishmi Expedition, 226
Mohmand Field Force, 1897, 223
Mohmand Field Force, 1908, 231
Money order work transferred to Post Office, 41, 71
Money orders, 71
Money orders, Foreign, 73
Money orders, Inland, Statement of issues since 1880, 198
Money orders, Land revenue, 75
Money orders, Rent, 76
Money orders, Telegraphic, 74, 77
Monopoly, Postal, 26, 31
Mosul, Turkish post to Constantinople via, 139
Mounted post, First employment of, 11
Mutiny, The Post Office during the Indian, 151, 167, 196, 204
Naval Agents, 127, 129, 130
Newspapers, Registered, 43
Newspapers, Sale of, by field post offices, 223, 224
Non-postal work, 9
Octroi Tax, 53
Official articles, Special postage rates for, 40
Official marks of the Post Office, Acceptance of, as evidence, 43
Organization of the Department, 3, 30, 31
Organization of the Direction, 2
Origin of the Post Office, 10
Overland Route, The, 119, 137
Overprinted postage stamps, 115, 148, 182, 184, 228
Overprinted Turkish postage stamps, 148
Overprints, Indian Convention States, 115, 185
Overseer, 99, 166
Palestine, Field service in, 173
Parcel post, 48
Parcel post, Foreign, 51
Parcel post rates, Statement of, 55
Parcel post with England, 39, 50
Parcels and packets liable to be detained, 43
Paton, Mr. G., 157, 204
Payment of money orders at houses of payees, 77, 99
Peninsular and Oriental Steamship Company,
Charter of incorporation of, 123, 127
Penjdeh Affair, 84
Penny Postage Scheme, Imperial, 40
Persian Expedition, 167
Persian Gulf and Turkish Arabia, Insurance system in the, 141
Persian Gulf, The Post Office in Mesopotamia and the, 137
Personnel of the Post Office, 189
Phulkian States, Conventions with, 114
Pishin Field Force, 214
Polymetrical tables, 33
Post, Bhangy, 26, 29, 33, 48
Post, District, 16, 17
Post, District, Abolition of, 20
Post Office Act--
of 1837, 17, 26
of 1838, 29
of 1839, 29
of 1854, 2, 31
of 1866, 38
of 1882, 42
of 1895, 42
of 1896, 42
of 1898, 42
of 1912, 46
Post Office, Branch, 4, 94
Post Office buildings, 106
Post Office, Experimental, 20, 96
Post Office, Field, 166
Post Office, Head, 3
Post Office Manual, 2, 36
Post Office, Origin of, 10
Post Office, Sub, 3
Post Office, Travelling, 58
Post free, Grant to certain persons of privilege of sending and
receiving correspondence, 27
Postage rates, 28, 38, 55
Postage stamps, Introduction of, 31, 32, 178, 179
Postal Life Insurance, 42
Postal Manual (War), 166
Postcards, Abolition of unpaid, 7
Postcards, Introduction of, 7
Postcards, Unpaid, 7
Postman, 97
Postman, Village or rural, 4, 94, 100
Postmaster, Deputy, 155, 193
Postmaster, Probationary, 190
Postmaster-General, First appointment of, 14, 193
Prepayment of postage, Encouragement of, 34
Prepayment of postage in all cases, Compulsory, Rejection of, 25
Presidency Postmaster, 16, 30, 31
Private posts, 17
Probationary Postmaster, 190
Probationary Superintendent, 189
Professional letter-writers, 94
Public Proceedings of 7th July, 1766, Extract from, 13
Quinine, Sale of, 4, 96
Railway Conference Association, 49, 67
Railway Mail Service, 58
Railways, Introduction of, 30
Rates of postage, 28, 38, 55
Receipt stamp, Abolition of special, 183
Redirected letters, Abolition of charge on, 39
Registered newspapers, 43
Registration, 35
Registration fee to be prepaid in postage stamps, 39
Regular postal system introduced by Lord Clive, 12
Regulations, Early Postal, 26
Regulations, Later Postal, 38
Rent money orders, 76
Rented buildings for post offices, 106, 110
Returned Letter Office at Basra, 172
Revenue-producing, Department never regarded as, 9, 22
Riddell, Mr. H. B., 36, 154, 163
Runner, Mail, 4
Rural postman, 4, 94, 100
Russian Scare, 84
Salonika, Field service in, 173
Savings bank, 81
Savings bank balances, Effect of Great War upon, 87
Savings bank, statement showing work from 1882 to 1918, 197
Savings bank work transferred to Post Office, 41, 82
Scinde District Dawk stamps, 31, 178
Sea Customs Act, 43
Sea Post Office, 127
Sea Post Office, Abolition of, 135
Seamen's letters, Soldiers' and, 40, 181
Service stamps, 35, 40, 184
Ship postage, 26, 34, 37
Sikkim Expedition, 214
"Snowball" system, Sale of goods on the, 53
Soldiers' and seamens' letters, 40, 181
Somaliland Field Force, 229
Sorting, Concentration of, 69
Sorting offices, Introduction of, 37, 58
South Persia, British Mission Escort in, 175
Southampton route, 123, 124
Special postage rates for official articles, 40
Stamps, Employment of postage stamps in place of telegraph, 183
Stamps, Overprinted or surcharged postage, 115, 148, 182, 184, 228
Stamps, Service, 35, 40, 184
Standard vans, 61
Suakim Expedition, 1896, 222
Suakim Field Post Office, 1885, 213
Sub-office, 3
Suez Canal, Opening of, 124
Suez Canal route, Future of, 125
Superintendent, 189
Superintendent, Probationary, 189
Suppression of foreign post offices in Ottoman dominions,
Turkish demand for, 139, 147
Surcharged postage stamps, 182, 184
Surrender values of Life Insurance policies, 236
Swat Valley Column, 225
Taylor, Captain, 17
Telegraph stamps, Employment of postage stamps in place of, 183
Telegraphic money orders, 74, 77
Thuillier, General Sir Henry, 179, 181
Tibet Mission, 229
Tirah Expedition, 224
Tochi Field Force, 224
Tochi Valley Field Force, 225
Transhipment of mails at Aden, 130, 133
Travel in early days, Methods of, 195
Travellers' bungalows, 17, 196
Travelling post office, 58
Turkish Arabia, Insurance system in the Persian Gulf and, 141
Turkish Customs House at Bagdad and Basra, 140, 146
Turkish post to Constantinople via Mosul, 139
Turkish postage stamps overprinted, 148
Unification of Indian State Posts with the Imperial Post Office, 115
Uniform, Field service, 166
Uniform, Postmen's, 104
Uniformity of postage irrespective of distance, 24, 32, 39, 49
Unpaid correspondence, 7, 25, 34, 158, 160
Upper Burma Expedition, 213
Value-payable system, 40, 46, 50, 51
Vans, Construction and maintenance of postal, 63, 66
Vans, Standard, 61
Village postman, 4, 94, 100
Waghorn, Lieutenant Thomas, 122
Wano Expedition, 220
War Loan, 87
Watermarks, 180, 182
Waziristan Field Force, 220
Wuntho Expedition, 219
Zhob Expedition, 217
Transcriber's Notes
Obvious punctuation errors repaired.
Hyphen removed: missending (p. 69), upcountry (p. 30).
p. 25: "addresses" changed to "addressees" (read by the addressees).
p. 55: Last column of third row of table changed from "41" to "14".
p. 91: "seldoms" changed to "seldom" (He seldom knows English).
p. 205: "Bolundshahur" changed to "Bulundshahur" (although Bulundshahur
and a large portion of Allyghur).