Sri Aurobindo

Autobiographical Notes

and Other Writings of Historical Interest

Part Two. Letters of Historical Interest

1. Letters on Personal, Practical and Political Matters (1890–1926)

Letters Written While Employed in the Princely State of Baroda (1895–1906)

To the Dewan, on the Government’s Reply to the Letter on the Curzon Circular¹

My dear Sir,

In reference to the answer of the Government of India to our protest dated the 2^d May, 1903, His Highness directs me to write that you must think over the whole matter and consider what is to be done. You must clearly understand that it is not because His Highness wishes to go to Europe often, as is popularly supposed, that he stands by his protest, for he does not care about the matter in that light, but because he is bound to defend a natural right which is being hedged in with humiliating conditions and that without rhyme or reason. It is under such circumstances your part as Minister to consult with Mr. Bhandarkar, Mr. Samarth and other officers on whose abilities and devotion His Highness places confidence, and if they merit that confidence, they should surely be able to suggest some course which would meet the peculiar difficulties of the situation, and advise His Highness in a wise and fruitful manner.

Yours sincerely

Aravind. A. Ghose
Secretary

P.S. His Highness wishes you to consult Mr. Pherozshah Mehta very confidentially on the point, paying him his fees, as to what action he would advise the Maharaja to take.

A. A. G.

H.E.
R. V. Dhamnaskar
Dewan Saheb
Baroda

Re Gov^t answer to protest against the Circular about visits to Europe.

¹ 14 August 1903. Unable to go to Europe, the Maharaja passed the summer of 1903 in Kashmir. Sri Aurobindo accompanied him there as his private secretary. The present document, addressed to R. V. Dhamnaskar, the Dewan or prime minister of the state, contains the Maharaja’s first reactions to the Government’s reply to the final version of the previous document.

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