John Malcolm - Early Life

Early Life

Born at Burnfoot, Dumfriesshire, Malcolm was the son of George Malcolm, a gentleman farmer of Eskdale and Burnfoot. Jock, as he was then known, was one of the four Malcolm brothers who attained knighthoods or baronetcies in the service of the British Empire. In 1782, through the influence of the Johnstones of Alva, Jock Malcolm entered the service of the East India Company as a cadet, leaving from London to Madras.

In his early years at Madras, Jock Malcolm was 'not a prodigy of virtue'. He was known as 'Boy Malcolm' for many years, which his biographer explained was due to there being 'something so open and joyous in his manner; so active and so frolicsome'. He was a fine horseman and a crack shot, but like so many other young officers he soon found himself in debt. A relation in London forwarded him £200 but his brother intercepted it so that he may learn the hard way.

A part of his success is to be ascribed to the zeal with which he applied himself at first to study the manners and languages of the east. Having distinguished himself at the siege of Seringapatam in 1792, he was appointed by Lord Cornwallis to the situation of Persian interpreter to a British force serving with a native prince. In 1795, on his return from a short visit to his native country, on account of his health, he performed some useful services in General Clarke’s expedition at the Cape of Good Hope, for which he received the thanks of the Madras government, and was appointed secretary to the commander-in-chief.

In 1797, he was made captain; and from that time to 1799, he was engaged in a variety of important services, terminating at the fall of Seringapatam, where he highly distinguished himself. He was then appointed joint secretary with captain (afterwards Sir Thomas) Munro, to the commissioners for settling the new government of Mysore. In the same year, he was selected by Lord Wellesley to proceed on a diplomatic mission to Persia, where he concluded two treaties of great importance, one political, and the other commercial; returning to Bombay in May, 1801. His services were acknowledged by his being appointed private secretary to the governor-general. In January, 1802, he was raised to the rank of major; and on the occasion of the Persian ambassador being accidentally shot at Bombay, he was again entrusted with a mission to that empire, in order to make the requisite arrangements for the renewal of the embassy. As plenipotentiary for the British East India Company, he came into conflict with Sir Harford Jones, the British Ambassador to Persia, which resulted in a number of minor disputes about precedence in the Persian court and the giving and receiving of gifts. Upon his return to Bombay he was censured by the government for having spent too much on gifts for the members of the Persian court.

In January, 1803, he was nominated to the presidency of Mysore, and to act without special instructions; and in December, 1804, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant-colonel. In the June of the following year, he was appointed chief agent of the governor-general, and he continued to serve in that capacity until March, 1806, having successfully concluded several very important treaties during that period.

Malcolm is credited with having introduced the potato to Persia. On his first visit he noted the suitability of the climate to growing this vegetable, and on his second mission to Persia took along thirty bags of seeds, which he distributed as he went, along with notes on how to grow the potato.

He was employed in many important negotiations and held various distinguished posts, being Ambassador to Persia, Resident of Gwalior (1803–1804) and Governor of Bombay 1827–1830. He was the commander of the British Army which defeated the Holkars who ruled Indore at the Battle of Mahidpur in 1818. After defeating the Holkars he signed the Treaty of Mandsaur with them. It was under this treaty that the British were given the cantonment town of Mhow which is 23 km from Indore.

He was the author of several valuable works regarded as authoritative, viz., Sketch of the Sikh (1812) A History of Persia (1815), Memoir of Central India (1823), Political History of India from 1784 to 1823 (1826), Sketches of Persia (1827 by A Traveller) and Life of Lord Clive (1836). As a writer, Malcolm was a profound influence on the generation of military and diplomatic officials that governed British India in the period before 1857.