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My Travels in India - Madras

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Naraku

Draconarius
Observations and Experiences from My Travels in India

by G. B. Turner, Esq.

(Edited by Naraku)


[Editors note: In 1853, G. B. Turner, Esq. of Baltimore, Maryland, a distant relative of mine, traveled to India in order to settle the estate of one of his firm’s clients. He kept a journal of his experiences during this journey which he later compiled into a manuscript, possibly intending publication. So far as I have been able to determine, the book was never published. I have also been unable to locate his original notes. I found the manuscript among the possessions of my grandfather whom, I believe, was descended from one of Mr Turner’s paternal uncles.



The following is an edited section of that manuscript. I have omitted the more mundane and tedious portions. Mr Turner was a lawyer and could therefore be quit verbose and often overly florid in his language. He also was a keen observe and meticulous in recording details which, while they might be interesting to some, contribute nothing to the overall story.



I have not altered any of the language of the manuscript. Please, keep this in mind. Mr Turner was a man of his time and place. Although, by the standards of the era, he was quite enlightened and open minded, he still shared many of the prejudices and stereotypes of the times. Some of the terms and descriptions may be offensive to modern readers.
]



Chapter X – Madras


[Mr Turner arrived in Madras, a port in southeastern India controlled by the British East India Company, on the 11th of April, 1853. He met with the Company’s representative, Sir Percival Pettigrew, in order to obtain assistance in reaching his final destination, the Kingdom of Maheshibad. On the 17th, they and Major Andrew Erskine of the Company’s military met with Lieutenant James Shaw, who was to command the escort for Mr Turner’s trip, at the Madras Police headquarters. - N]

Unlike his superior, Lieutenant Shaw had the more informal and devil-may-care persona that one will find typical of junior officers in Colonial service. He also had the swagger and jovial rakishness that seems the norm for cavalry men in all armies. He was a lean, dark haired man in his mid twenties with a waxed mustache and bristling mutton chops. He had already been informed of my mission and seemed quite eager to take myself and the others who would be joining us on an excursion into the interior. Furthermore, he had had the occasion to meet with the Maharajah in the past and was looking forward to being again in his company. At the moment, however, he was overseeing a different matter and asked if we would like to observe. Knowing that I was a lawyer, he thought I might like to see the fashion of police procedure in this country. The manner in which he asked, with a devilish glint in his eyes, caused me to suspect that he had some ulterior motive. But, ever the one to seek out new experiences, I took him up on his offer. Sir Percival had to excuse himself as he had other business to attend to, but Major Erskine remained, though he seemed somewhat put out by the matter.

We adjourned to courtyard of the police headquarters. This was a large square about fifty feet on each side with the two storied headquarters forming three sides and a lower building making up the far side. The courtyard itself was made of packed earth. There were four wooden post, each about eight feet tall standing four feet apart and lined up parallel to the veranda that ran along the back of the main building. Each post had an iron band with a ring attached just below the top.

There were some of the Native Police standing near these posts. Whilst the Major and I seated ourselves in chair on the veranda, Shaw approached the policemen. He spoke to one of them in their native tongue, with which, I learned, he was quite fluent. The man, a stocky, barrel chested brown skinned fellow with a thick, drooping mustache; was, I would be informed, the Sargent in command, named Ashvan. Ashvan chuckled at whatever Shaw told him, then barked an order to the others, causing them to hasten off into the building on the right. Meanwhile, the Lieutenant joined us and appraised us of the circumstances surrounding what was about to transpire.

In seems that, in a nearby village, a farm named Kalyan had attacked a tax collector in the course of his duties. He had thrashed the man so savagely that he lay near death for several days and, though he had recovered, he had lost use of his right eye and even now, some thirty days later, was unable to resume his duties.

Knowing that he would surely face death for such an offense, Kalyan had fled with his family to another village where he had kinsmen. Lieutenant Shaw had been dispatched, along with a contingent of Sepoys, as the soldiers recruited from among the native population are called, to bring the miscreant to justice. By the time they had reached the village, Kalyan had fled again. This time, however, he had taken only his two sons and had left his wife and daughter behind. Perhaps he had believed that they would be safely hidden by his relations. However, in exchange for a few coins, one of the villagers had pointed them out and the two had been arrested and brought to Madras.

Both claimed to have no knowledge of the whereabouts of Kalyan. But, the Lieutenant and Sargent Ashvan did not believe them and Major Erskine agreed that they should be interrogated more forcefully. The Major informed me that, unlike in England or America, in India, a man’s family shared responsibility for his crimes.

[TBC]
 
The Sargent and his men soon emerged from the building with two women firm in hand. The mother was of medium height and the daughter a bit taller. Both wore the style of dress called a saree, lengthy cloth wrapped about the waist and draped over the shoulder and a bodice called a ravik. These were of colorfully dyed cloth. I had noticed since my arrival that the people of this land, even those of poorest classes, as these two women were, prefer to adorn themselves in the most gaily colored fabrics. If they had been wearing any jewelry at the time of their arrest, these had been taken from them. They were both barefoot, but this did not necessarily mean their shoes had been taken as I had seen that many among the poor did go about barefoot. Their raven black hair hung loose and disheveled. The daughter had a most apprehensive expression, but the mother showed a sterner, more resolute countinance.

They were brought to the area between ourselves and the posts. Sargent Ashvan shouted at the mother in the native language. She shook her head and responded in an angry voice. Then, she glared at us and spat upon the ground. Though the words meant no more to me than the chattering oi monkeys, the meaning was still clear. Shaw confirmed that the woman was refusing to reveal the hiding place of her husband.

Ashvan barked an order to his men, who, with some enthusiasm, began stripping both women. Naturally, the women began screaming and tried to resist, but, with three fit constables attending to each, they had little chance of success. Indeed, their struggles only seems to inspire the men to redouble their efforts. In short order both women were naked as the day they were born.

Both attempted to cover their shame by holding one arm across their breasts and employing the other hand to shield their pubic region. I commented to my companions that, based on my observations, this pose seemed to an instinctive one of all of the fair sex regardless of race. Lieutenant Shaw was curious to know how I came by such knowledge. I responded that this was a subject that could be used to pass the time during our up coming journey.

Both women were quite comely. The mother, had a shapely figure not yet ravaged by age with pendulous breasts tipped with large, dark discs and a thick pelt of black fur only partly shielded by her left hand. The daughter was a lovely as any young woman of any nation, with a girlish form but, beasts that had a beauteous roundness and size somewhat too great for her slender frame. She too tried to hide the dark hairs of her nether region though of a lesser lush quantity than her mother. Both had skin of the brown shade typical of their race. Somewhere lighter than a negro yet slightly darker than the Indians of our own land. I would compare it to the shade of a tanned leather, although I can assure the reader that, from my own personal experience, the skin is far softer than any saddle or belt.

Sargent Ashvan again harangued the mother, clearly giving her a last chance to give up the whereabouts of her husband. And, again, the woman refused. Ashvan shouted commands and his men went about their work with a well practiced efficiency.

The daughter was taken to the nearest stake and placed with her back against it. A length of hemp rope was tied around her wrists which then raised above her head and secured to the iron ring at the top. I assumed at this point that she was going to be flogged as it seemed likely to be the purpose of the stakes, I later learned that this was the use to which they were often employed. I might add that this removed the last defense she had against masculine perusal. I was surprised, however, when one of the guards knelt and tied her left ankle to the post and I pondered if she might be flogged across the front. Having seen first hand the effects of several type of whips upon the flesh of the back and the posterior, I wondered how much greater the damage would be to the more sensitive and thinner skin of the front of the body and, particularly, to a woman’s bosom. But, something entirely different was in this young woman’s future. One of the guards lifted her right leg and his companion tied the end of a rope around the ankle. He then passed the rope through the iron ring and, with the one man pulling on the rope and the other pushing her leg, her ankle was drawn inexorably upward. The girl howled in pain at the unnatural position her limbs were being force to assume, When they could push no more, the rope was tied off at the ring. The girl was left standing in the most strange posture, with her left foot firmly on the ground and the other in the air near her hands. I wondered if the sinews of her groin might be torn asunder. Of course, added to her physical pain must have been the mental anguish of knowing that the secret place of her womanhood was now fully exposed to all.

As this was transpiring, the mother was being subjected to a different but equally extraordinary treatment. Her guards had forced her to sit upon the ground. With one on each side holding her limbs, the third pressed his knee into her back and forced her torso forward, ignoring her cries of pain and protest, until her head was nearly pressed to the ground betwixt her feet and her shoulders were between her knees. They pulled her arms under her legs and tied her ankles crosswise. Finally, they forced her wrist behind her back as far they could and secured them together with a length of rope. When they were finished, her body had been tied into a knot from which she could not extricate herself. Then, they rolled her onto her back as if she were a turtle. This brought her agonized face into view. It also displayed all of her most intimate places. Her pudenda clearly stood out amid the density of her pubic fur and her fundament was clearly visible as the position had spread her buttocks.

As one might expect, both women were howling in pain and outrage over the indignity of their situation. Sargent Ashvan spoke to both women then came over to the veranda and addressed Lieutenant Shaw. He used the term “sahib”, a servile word equivalent to “master” in the Hindoo tongue, used by all when addressing a white man, regardless of his status. I was referred to as such throughout my sojourn except by the Maharajah, who, of course, was of a superior rank to all within his realm. But more on this later.

The Sargent informed us, in sing-song accented English that, as we had already surmised, the women had refused to divulge the requested information and procedures had been undertaken to break their resistance. He intended to leave them as they were for a bit of time and suggested, as it was approaching mid-day, that we might wish to go inside and have our luncheon.

[TBC]
 
[There follows a description of the meal – a lamb vindaloo – and a discussion between the men of the fondness for spicy food in hot climates with Mr. Turner comparing Indian cuisine to the creole food he had sampled during a trip to New Orleans. There was also some talks about his upcoming expedition to Maheshibad. - N]

As we enjoyed cigars and brandy after our repast, Lieutenant Shaw inquired as to my impressions of the proceeding we had just witnessed. I could tell by the manner in which he inquired, that he was expecting me to express some shock or outrage. He seemed surprised that such was not the case. I said that, as both a lawyer and an American, I could not approve of the use of torture within my own country, just as such things would not be allowed in his own, however, I recognized that such was not the custom elsewhere and I was accepting of the practices of other lands and had am intellectual curiosity about the diverse manners of other nations.

The Lieutenant laughed and said that such was indeed the attitude here. It was the fashion of The East India Company to allow the natives to enforce their own laws and employ their own methods so long as they did not interfere with the operations of The Company and the safety of it’s people.

He went on to say that the implementation of judicial torture, both as punishment and as a means of obtaining information and confessions, was as old as Indian civilization itself, said civilization being as ancient as that of Egypt or China. Therefore, it was accepted by all as a natural thing, including by the agents of The Company. Major Erskine quickly added that, while The Company allowed the natives to do such things to one another, such treatment of one of the White race would never be tolerated and could bring about sharp reprisal. I would later learn that the Major had a particular case in mind.

The Lieutenant explained that the means being employed on the two women in the courtyard was one of antique pedigree called the “anundal”. This had many variations, all of which entailed the binding of the subject into an awkward pose that would become increasingly painful as time went by, here being exasperated by exposure to the noonday sun. Furthermore, as I had suspected, in this case, the women were being further tortured in spirit by being denuded in front of men who were not their husbands. The degradation of not only being stripped but bound in a manner that exposed their most intimate anatomy to male observation would have as great an affect as the pain of their binding. For this reason, when the “anundal” was employed on a woman, she was always first stripped. In this particular instance, their humiliation was exasperated by our presence; as not only were they being shamed before those of their own race, but also before the eyes of men of the White race as well.

We returned to the courtyard, where the Sargent and his men were drinking tea on the veranda. The two women were still bound as we had left them and had received no water or any other sustenance during this time.

The daughter’s tawny skin glistened with sweat in the noon sun. Her head hung down so that I wondered if she had swooned. Sargent Ashvan told me that he and his men had made certain that neither of them had received the relief of unconsciousness by occasionally pinching them in sensitive areas. Then, with a broad smile that showed his yellow teeth, he proceeded to demonstrate. He walked over to the girl and squeezed her left nipple between his thumb and fore finger. This solicited a soft squeal from the girl and a shaking of her head. He then twisted and pulled on the teat, which produced a loud cry and caused her to raise her head and show us her face. That face, which I would have called pleasing and youthful earlier had seemed to age many years in the mere two hours of her torment. She gazed at us with desperate, sunken, reddened eyes that were pleading for some respite, or even for death. I would have felt pity for her, but I reminded myself that, although cruel, her situation was in keeping with the customs and laws of her people and, although barbarous in my eyes, were accepted in this land.

We could not see the mother’s face due to her inverted position, however, what could be seen also had a shimmer of perspiration. Additionally, the upturned backs of her thighs and her posterior had taken on a crimson hue as, despite her dusky complexion, prolonged exposure to the sun had left her with a burn in those regions.

The Sargent knelt beside the woman and spoke to her. We could not hear her response, but could guess what it was from the Sargent’s next actions. At his barked commands, one of the guards brought him a rattan cane about a yard long and as thick as my pinkie finger. Ashvan flexed the cane and swung it through the air directly above the mother, making her abundantly aware of his intent.

[TBC]
 
Another guard approached the daughter carrying a clay pot. He removed the lid and held it before her face while apparently explaining its contents and the purpose to which they would be employed. Whatever the case, the damsel clearly understood the consequences as indicated by the look of abject horror that she exhibited. The man stuck his hand in the pot and pulled forth a small pile of red powder. Even at such a distance, I could smell the acrid aroma and Lieutenant Shaw confirmed that it was pure chili powder. This was not the diluted powder that was found in curry such we had supped upon just an hour before, but the raw, undiluted substance which, Shaw explained could be intensely caustic and irritating to any sensitive region such as the eyes or nostrils. But, these were not the intended targets for this powder. Instead, the guard rubbed the substance into the girl’s private parts, first coating the nether lips and then inserting it into the most intimate orifice. At first she cried and moaned at this great violation, but she quickly began screaming in pain and thrashing about as much as her bonds would allow, as the chili burned the membranes of her privates.

Concurrently, Sargent Ashvan swung the rattan down in a vicious arc, striking the older woman across the backs of her thighs with a thunderous crack. This area is sensitive enough under normal circumstances, but was made more so by the inflammation of sunburn. The woman screamed mightily. As quickly as he could draw the cane back, Ashvan delivered a second stroke, this time further down and, I believe also striking her labia, producing an even more powerful scream. Another stroke followed at once, this time further down upon what would have been the underside of her buttocks if she were standing. The woman screamed again then made howling sounds as her body shook. Three dark red welts with beads of blood were rising from the places which had been targeted. The Sargent shouted at the woman, then waited for a reply.

I could not tell if the woman said any words among her moanings, nor could I have heard any above the howling of her daughter, but either her reply was negative or the Sargent lost patience, for he laid three more blows upon her in quick succession, crossing over the wounds already present.

After the third stroke, the mother shouted something that made Ashvan drop to his knee beside her. Words were exchanged between them and the Sargent stood and shouted to his men. Shaw informed us that it was over, the mother had relented and revealed the desired information.

The guards unbound the mother’s limbs. She struggled to extricate herself from her contorted position, but, have been bound for so long a time, her arms and legs clearly were unable to respond to her will. Instead, she flopped about helplessly while the guards stood over her cruelly mocking her efforts. Finally, she managed to get her left arm across her chest, freeing her leg to return on its own to a more natural position. She was then able to roll onto her side and her right arm and leg fell into a more normal disposition. She could then only lie there crying and moaning as I have no doubt that the return on normal blood flow was provoking new waves of pain to her muscles.

Over at the post, the man who had been introducing the chili powder to the daughter’s womanly regions, was now using a cloth to liberally anoint said privy parts, dipping the rag into a bowl of goat’s milk held by another guard. The girl moaned in manner that suggested relief, or perhaps pleasure, as the intolerable burning of the spice was being alleviated. I later learned that milk is an effective ameliorant to the inflammatory effects of chili to the mouth and tongue, so I may assume the same is true of other sensitive tissues. One of the guards that had freed the mother came over and untied the girl’s left ankle. He then cut the rope that held her right leg in the air. The leg fell across the shoulder of the man washing her as the girl let forth a shrill cry. The man dropped his rag and undraped himself of her leg. He placed his shoulder against her belly while his companion severed the ropes binding her hands. The first man stood and the girl fell across his back as he lifted her, bearing her across the courtyard like a stevedore would a sack of grain, for the maiden hung as limply, unable to move so much as finger. Two other guards lifted the mother by the shoulders and legs and followed the other toward the same door through which the women had been brought such a short time earlier. The contrast between their entrance, clothed and defiant, and their exit, naked and defeated, was quite dramatic.

I inquired of Major Erskine what would happen now and what would become of the two women. He informed me that, acting on the information the mother had provided, a patrol would be sent to capture the felon Kalyan. If their information proved correct, the women would be freed as they would be of no further need and, while they had helped conceal the miscreant, there would be little gained by prosecuting them. If, however, it should transpire that the mother had lied in order to appease her tormentors, things would not go well for them, although he could not say what consequences would befall.

While we were speaking, Lieutenant Shaw had been conversing with the Sargent in a jovial manner in the native tongue. When the Sargent left I asked if the Lieutenant could enlighten us as to the matter that elicited such amusement. He informed us, in the bluff and unabashed manner of veteran solider, that he had warned Ashvan that he and his men should be cautious in thoroughly cleansing the younger woman’s pudenda before they had their amusement with her, lest they should burn their members with the residue of the chili powder. The Sargent had assured him that he need not worry as they would only take her in the manner of the Greeks.

He and I laughed at this jape, while the Major snorted that such abuse of captive women was to be expected among the pagans. I knew, of course, that the ravishment of women was not exclusive to the darker races, but did not feel a need to comment.

Before parting company, Lieutenant Shaw complimented me on my deportment during the proceedings. He said that many white men would be discomfited or outraged while observing such a display of cruelty, not recognizing the difference in proprieties between the East and West. He said that I had impressed him with my composure and that he looked forward to escorting me on my further sojourn.

[Mr Turner concluded his business in Maheshibad and returned to Madras on May 1st, departing for America three days later. Considering his almost obsessive attention to detail, it’s surprising that there is no further mention of the fates of Kalyan, his wife and his daughter, in the manuscript. This information may have been in his original notes, but, as I have said, I have been unable to locate these. There are other interesting details of his trip that I will reveal later. - N]
 
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