C P Brown : A Character Study

26. CPB – A CHARACTER STUDY

Service Record

CPB’s service was erratic with frequent stopgap postings. Due to poor college performance he was sent out compulsorily. His movements between 1829 and 1834, to so many places smacks of misdemeanours in his work, and cases do point to that.

Three of his decisions were countermanded, which show the possibility of bribery, which was very common. Ultimately CPB was dismissed, and the company refused to reinstate him.

Bangorey the biographer should bring out the charges, defence, prosecution, and verdict. Merely putting a couple of letters and saying it is for lawyers to go into is not sufficient. It is only hoodwinking the reader. I want to stress that the corruption of CPB who was in heavy debts, in such a short time is not to be lightly brushed under the carpet. ON top of it I am asked to believe that he spent all his life’s earnings for the service of my language. Why is the fact that he paid ONLY FROM RENTS to the pundits being totally ignored?

The biographers have no qualms in foisting the theory that he worked day and night for the literature. I notice that J H says “ CPB spent 60000Rs an equivalent of 3crores of rupees for Andhra Literature while we are not even giving a grant of a couple of lakhs!” The debt of 60000Rs, the dismissal, the reinstatement of Salt Daroga, the frequent postings, the innuendos of KR, the prohibition of postings on judicial or revenue jobs, the debarring of postings in Andhra areas, the reasons for his not coming to Cuddapah after leaving in 1829, though he was in this country for a full 25 years thereafter etc have all to be unambiguously looked into.

That he was dismissed is evident from the fact that he returned at the end of three years as a senior merchant and not as a civil servant. He was denied any pay or allowances, which is obviously a punishment, but, on a second appeal an allowance of 500 Pounds an year was granted which is about a quarter of what could have been his due .It is also worthwhile looking into if the pension fixed for him was the normal pension or for only the later half of service.

Heavy Debts

Due to debts of up to 60,000Rs, he was mentally worried all the time. He even feared imprisonment at this stage. He also showed an unstable superstitious behaviour of giving alms to fakirs etc! Why do the biographers not get at the truth of the matter? What are the skeletons in his cupboard? The biographers constantly din into the reader’s mind that CPB was a great donor, and that he has spent a fortune, for the sake of Telugu literature. They base this for which except CPB’ s own statements there is no evidence what so ever. It is therefore essential to get down to the bottom of this sordid story, which CPB naturally avoids, but why should the biographers avoid it? And why should they put me, the poor, gullible Andhra in the dark? And ask me to garland this fraud?

Repayment?

CPB says he was paying at the rate of 2000Rs a month. That takes 30 months. If so from when did he start paying back? What was his pay then? How long did he take to repay? What are the stations he was in? Let us link this up to the fact that he asks Krishna Reddy to send 40 Rupees back in a Hundi!

Stealing books, material

He never acknowledged any author whose works he followed / adopted. He has no good
comment or appreciation for any individual he came in contact with. None of his books was an original book; there was always somebody’s dictionary, somebody’s grammar available. Even Vemana’s poems were from a French original.

A character study

The biographers gloss over all his blemishes to project CPB as a cult figure born to an ideal father. If they present him simply as a gatherer of Mss there would have been no argument. But the problem is they want to present him as a lover of the language, of the land, of democratic temper, religious tolerance, and philanthropy, large heartedness, indefatigable energy, etc. All those are absolute unmitigated lies without an iota of Truth. The biographers conceal a lot of facts should be written in any serious biography. Some of these facts are given below:
1. After reaching England at the age of 14 he had no schooling. Why?
2. Morris was mastering languages and earning rewards. What was CPB doing – writing insipid poems only one of which survived?
3. In Cuddapah, in the first posting itself he seems to have had affairs and run in to debts. His love life in Cuddapah may be the reason for debts?
4. Case of Gavar Raju (GR) who was reinstated needs to be dug out. We should note that CPB was in heavy debts. Did GR refuse to give enough slush? Are his poets quiet contacts? With corrupt tradesman?
5. Case of the Amin, who was reinstated, needs a study.
6. An extraordinarily heavy loan of 60,000Rs. Equivalent to Rupees 3crores in today’s value for a second grade officer with hardly 10 years of service looks abnormal? Considering that he left Cuddapah, where he had debts, and spent one year in Tiruchinopoly it is essential to know when and how he contracted these heavy loans, from whom, for what purpose, against what security were the loans given? In what manner? Cash? Gold? Merely ignoring the case does not help, as the biographers want us to worship him for spending all this money for literature!
7. His dismissal is not as simple as is presented. Why did Bangorey drop the study of the event like a hot cake?
8. Why was he debarred from being posted to judicial and Administrative posts, which involve access to slush money? KR was advising him for such posts.
9. Even as a P.M.G. there were allegations.
10. There is not one single word from anyone having appreciated his work in any place, in his Life Time or in the century after his demise. How is it Rao and co find him so great?
11. Caldwell had highly derogatory remarks about him, which the biographers ignore. Why don’t they analyse or contradict Caldwell?
12. Taylor says outright that CPB tried to swindle the EIC, regarding Mss.
13. A number of CPB’s statements are lies: for example: a. That he spent 30,000 on books. b. That all 2440 Mss. he gave were his own.
c. That he had a collection of 5000 books.
d. His proselytising activities are totally concealed.

Bangorey states that the files relating to suspension run into several hundreds of pages. Does it mean a criminal can be let off when they want to project a total liar that he spent all his Life for literary service? See the timings. CPB goes to GUNTUR as Acting Collector on 22 Dec1832, his letter of 18 Dec32 reached the court at Fort St. George. Apparently the case, leading to suspension started on 26 Nov 32 when CPB wrote a letter which was sent to Fort St George by I G Parker, with his comment refuting CPB.

Sir,
I have the honour to request that the Court will have the goodness to give me directions in what manner to bring three men to trial for forgery and perjury under the following circumstances. I have the honour to be, Sir, C.P. Brown, Joint Criminal Judge.

26th Nov 1832 letter of CPB was forwarded by PASKE disagreeing with CPB.

On this subject he was dismissed – What is the detailed case?

Purchases of Manuscripts

Most Essential point in the timings is: If his collection spree started in Aug 1828 and ends in Nov 32 a matter of 4 years when did he spend 30000/= on Mss? What are they? How many? From where?

Parties

He talks of his parties as lavish as those of a governor! Who are the participants? Venues? Expenditures? Where from did the money come? Why is it NOT even one name of friends etc. mentioned anywhere? He seems to have covered his tracks extremely cleverly. Fear of getting truth clearer? In their eagerness to surpass each other in showering encomiums, the authors are forgetting or deliberately ignoring the way the British lived in India, sample these facts:
“ One hundred and ten servants to wait upon a family of 4 people.
“I am assured on evidence that the condition of slaves within our jurisdiction is beyond imagination, deplorable and … the cruelties. On the weaker sex.”

In this connection of accepting CPB ‘s own statement, that he spent all his earnings for the Language, has the author paused at just one fact that has come to light by Browns own statement.

He owed 60,000 Rs and was paying at the rate of 2000 per month. Correlate this with the fact that a chaplain’s pay PER YEAR was 10000Rs; CPB’s debt was an equivalent of six YEARS pay of his late father?

All in all CPB was a shady operator.