Ronald Wingate - Rajputana and Baluchistan

Rajputana and Baluchistan

Wingate left Oman after contracting malaria in October and returned to England for medical care. After several weeks in a nursing home, Wingate had recovered sufficiently to visit St. Moritz for New Years, but he spent nearly a year on leave much of it golfing at Muirfield. Then, in September 1924, he returned to India to serve as secretary to the agent of the Governor-General of Rajputana, the chief British official in Rajputana. In that capacity, Wingate accompanied the agent on all of his state visits, and encountered for the first time what he considered "real India," rather than the frontier regions in which he had previously served.

In 1927, Wingate moved to the same position in Baluchistan. Soon thereafter, in 1928, he was appointed the Deputy Commissioner and Political Agent in Quetta and Pishin. Wingate would later call his years in Quetta, "the happiest time that spent in India," and greatly enjoyed the autonomy and respect he was granted there. While serving in Quetta, Wingate established a new water supply the city, and frequently became involved in matters relating to security and criminal justice.

While in Quetta, Wingate ordered the arrest of several leaders of the Achakzai tribe. In retaliation, members of the tribe kidnapped two British military officers near the town of Chaman and held them for ransom, leading to "considerable criticism" of Wingate by the Army. In the end, Wingate paid a small portion of the ransom demanded, and threatened to send troops after the kidnappers, leading to the release of both the hostages. During his time in Quetta, Wingate also briefly hosted King Amānullāh who was en route to Europe. In 1930, Wingate received a year's leave from India, during which he traveled around Europe. Upon his return to Baluchistan, in 1931, he became the Political Agent in Sibi, but after only a few months he received a new assignment with the Indian government in Delhi.