Napier, Sir Charles James

Napier, Sir Charles James

▪ British general and colonial governor
born August 10, 1782, London, England
died August 29, 1853, Portsmouth, Hampshire

      British general, who conquered (1843) Sind (Sindh) (now in Pakistan) and served as its governor (1843–47).

      Napier, a relative of the statesman Charles James Fox (Fox, Charles James), was a veteran of the (Iberian) Peninsular War against Napoleonic France and of the War of 1812 (1812, War of) against the United States. From 1822 to 1830 he was a military resident of Cephalonia, in the Ionian Islands. In 1839, when the Chartist agitation for political and social reform threatened to lead to violence, Napier was given command in northern England, where, by tempering his sympathy for the industrial workers with insistence on law and order, he kept a dangerous situation under control for two years.

      In 1841 Napier went to India, and in August 1842 he was assigned to the Sind command, subordinate to Edward Law, earl of Ellenborough (Ellenborough, Edward Law, earl of, Viscount Southam of Southam, Baron Ellenborough of Ellenborough), governor-general of India (1841–44). In February 1843 Ellenborough forced the armies of Sind to sign a treaty providing for the permanent annexation of British-occupied bases in Sind and for the transfer of large northern areas to Bahawalpur in the event that Napier found the Sindi emirs (rulers) disloyal. Soon convincing himself that some of them were untrustworthy, Napier provoked a war, and, after winning major battles at Miani (February 17) and Dabo (Dubba), near Hyderabad (March 24), he was knighted and made governor of Sind. After the victory at Miani, he is said to have sent a dispatch consisting of one word, “Peccavi” (Latin: “I have sinned”—i.e., “I have Sind.”). As governor, Napier established a model police force, encouraged trade, and began work on a breakwater and water-supply facilities for Karachi. He also repulsed marauding hill tribes on the northern Sindi border.

      Having left for England in 1847, Napier returned to India in 1849 as commander in chief in the Second Sikh War (1848–49), but the conflict had ended by the time he arrived. A quarrel with the governor-general, James Ramsay, 1st marquess of Dalhousie, caused him to leave India finally in 1851.

      A bronze statue of Napier by the sculptor G.G. Adams stands in Trafalgar Square, London.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Charles James Napier — For the similarly named Admiral, his contemporary in the Peninsular Campaign, see Charles John Napier General Sir Charles Napier GCB …   Wikipedia

  • Napier, Sir William Francis Patrick — ▪ British general and historian born Dec. 17, 1785, Celbridge, County Kildare, Ire. died Feb. 10, 1860, Clapham Park, Surrey, Eng.       British general and historian who fought in the Napoleonic Wars, particularly in the Peninsular War in Spain… …   Universalium

  • Charles James Napier — Charles James Napier, (* 10. August 1782 in London; † 29. August 1853 in Oakland) war ein britischer General, Oberbefehlshaber der Truppen der Britisch Ostindischen Handelsgesellschaft. Charles Napier war der älteste Sohn von Oberst Hon. George… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Napier [2] — Napier, Sir Charles James, geb. 1782 zu London, zeichnete sich als Offizier im Halbinselkriege aus, wurde im Dienste der ostind. Compagnie General, erhielt 1841 den Befehl über das Corps gegen Sind u. Beludschistan u. eroberte von 1842–45 durch… …   Herders Conversations-Lexikon

  • Napier [2] — Napier (spr. nēpĭ ĕr), 1) John (meist Neper, Nepper, Nepair), Gutsherr von Merchiston, Mathematiker, Haupterfinder der Logarithmen, geb. 1550 in Merchiston Castle bei Edinburg, gest. daselbst 4. April 1617, studierte im College von St. Andrews… …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Napier — may refer to: Contents 1 People 2 Places 2.1 Antarctica 2.2 …   Wikipedia

  • Napier — (spr. Nehpihr od. Nehpjer), 1) John N. (gewöhnlich Neper, auch Nepper), Baron von Merchiston, geb. 1550 zu Merchiston in Schottland u. st. daselbst 1617; er ist bes. als einer der Erfinder der Logarithmen bekannt, auch wegen seiner Angabe der… …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Charles Napier — may refer to: Charles Elers Napier (1812–1847), British naval officer Sir Charles James Napier (1782–1853), British general Sir Charles Napier (Royal Navy officer) (1786–1860), Scottish admiral of the Royal Navy Charles Napier (actor) (1936–2011) …   Wikipedia

  • Charles Bunbury — may refer to: Sir Charles Bunbury, 4th Baronet (1708–1742), MP Sir Charles Bunbury, 6th Baronet (1740–1821), MP Sir Charles James Fox Bunbury, 8th Baronet (1809–1886) Sir Charles Henry Napier Bunbury, 11th Baronet (1886–1963) This disambiguation… …   Wikipedia

  • Napier [3] — Napier (spr. nehpĭer), Sir Charles James, brit. General, geb. 10. Aug. 1782 zu London, 1841 47 siegreicher Oberbefehlshaber über die Armee in Sindh und Belutschistan, 1849 51 wieder Oberbefehlshaber in Ostindien; gest. 29. Aug. 1853 zu Oaklands… …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”