Interview with Sir Olaf Caroe [sound recording]

Audio recording of oral history interview with Sir Olaf Caroe, covering the period 1914-1947. Subjects: Mahsuds, Pathans, Khans, Red Shirts, Amritsar, Peshawar. Cassette side OA1/10/1: Effect of Raj in India and England. Receiving commission in Queen's Regiment 1914. Reaction to news of India posti...

Full description

Archive & Special Collections OA1/10/1-7 Closed

Date(s) of creation: 1972-1974
Level: Item
Format: Archive           
Main author: Caroe; Sir; Olaf Kirkpatrick (1892-1981); Knight; colonial administrator
Other authors: Allen; Charles (b 1940); historian and interviewer

collection SOAS Archive
id OA1.10.1-7
recordtype archive
scb_item_location Archive & Special Collections
item_location Archive & Special Collections
scb_loan_type Reference only
callnumber OA1/10/1-7
callnumber_txt OA1/10/1-7
callnumber-sort OA1/10/1-7
prefix_number 1-7
title Interview with Sir Olaf Caroe [sound recording]
scb_date_creation 1972-1974
scb_level Item
level_sort 8/Collection/Sub-Collection/Sub-Sub-Collection/Sub-Sub-Sub-Collection/Series/Sub-Series/Sub-Sub-Series/File/Item
scb_extent 3 hr. 07 min.
author Caroe; Sir; Olaf Kirkpatrick (1892-1981); Knight; colonial administrator
author_facet Caroe; Sir; Olaf Kirkpatrick (1892-1981); Knight; colonial administrator
Allen; Charles (b 1940); historian and interviewer
authorStr Caroe; Sir; Olaf Kirkpatrick (1892-1981); Knight; colonial administrator
author_letter Caroe; Sir; Olaf Kirkpatrick (1892-1981); Knight; colonial administrator
author2 Allen; Charles (b 1940); historian and interviewer
author2Str Allen; Charles (b 1940); historian and interviewer
format Archive
scb_admin_history British officer in Queen's Regiment and civilian in Indian Civil Service, Governor of North West Frontier Province and member of Indian Political Service.
description Audio recording of oral history interview with Sir Olaf Caroe, covering the period 1914-1947. Subjects: Mahsuds, Pathans, Khans, Red Shirts, Amritsar, Peshawar. Cassette side OA1/10/1: Effect of Raj in India and England. Receiving commission in Queen's Regiment 1914. Reaction to news of India posting. Voyage to India on troopship; impressions of Suez and Aden. Arrival at Bombay. Hyderabad Deccan residency. Architectural styles in India. Friendship with architects of Delhi; admiration for their work. Indian domestic architecture. Reasons for learning Urdu; description of Indian tutor. Cassette side OA1/10/2: Discussing Emperor Aurengabad with Indian tutor. Process of learning Urdu; textbooks. North Indian climate. Account of heat; effects; relief of Himalayas. Indian attitude to Himalayas. Description of North West Frontier. Reasons for 1917 campaign against Mahsuds. Battalion's contraction of malaria. Army barrack life; route marches. Description of topees, spinepads, shorts and mess clothes. Impressions of Pathans. Explanation of Pathan tribal system; purpose of tribal gatherings. Cassette side OA1/10/3: Perpetuation of tribal system in unadministered areas of NWF. Extent of government interference. Reason for maintenance of unadministered territory. Reasons for joining Indian Civil Service in Punjab. Bungalow furniture and sanitation. Indian servants. Description of gardens, flowers, lawns. Drinking habits. Hunting jackals. Enjoyment of pony trekking in hills; familiarising with villagers. Refusing to play cards. Cassette side OA1/10/4: Dancing at club; description of club facilities. Lahore club. Flirtations resulting from family separations. Pain of separation. Visiting formalities. Prejudice against Indian membership of clubs; later changes. Indian traders. Joining Indian Political Service; recruitment procedure. Origin and scope of work of IPS. Recollections of Peshawar; description of deputy commissioner's bungalow. Reputation of previous incumbents; reasons for their friendships with Pathans. Cassette side OA1/10/5: Recollections of Abdul Qayyum and Khan brothers. Roos-Keppel's reliance on Abdul Qayyum. Necessity of arresting Khan brothers in 1931; later cooperation. Pathan criminals. Contrasts in Frontier's landscape. Tedium of some office work. Touring district. Preference for making headquarters and holding court in tents rather than bungalows. Importance of observing correct formalities and using quotations. Description of Pathan villages. Pathan hospitality; description of food received. Noises and smells of India. Cassette side OA1/10/6: Objectives of Red Shirt movement. Account of Peshawar riots 1931 and eventual control. Effect of Amritsar incident; opinion of incident. Story of Waziristan political agent's return to station after being kidnapped; his subsequent suicide. Murder of police officer. Pathans' violence. Reasons for success of ICS. Causes of corruption among lower paid government officials. Comparison of Jinnah and Nehru. Nehru badly received during Frontier tour of 1946. Cassette side OA1/10/7: Belief Nehru mistaken in visiting Frontier. Working as Linlithgow's foreign secretary; admiration for him. Regret over British hurried departure from India. Continued contacts with India and Pakistan. Effects of Raj.
scb_access_status Closed
scb_conditions_gov_access Access to sound recording of this interview is currently unavailable at SOAS Library. The transcript can be consulted. Researchers can access a copy of this sound recording at the British Library Listening & Viewing Service. Reference: C1510/10/01-07. For more details see www.bl.uk/listening or contact listening@bl.uk / 020 7412 7418.
scb_copyright Copyright held by British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
scb_use_restrictions Private study only. For publication or broadcast please refer to Archivist
language English
language_search English
scb_copies Copy available at British Library Listening & Viewing Service. Reference: C1510/10/01-07 Copy available at Imperial War Museum. Reference: 004909/07
scb_related_material Transcript available at SOAS Library. Reference: OA1/10/T
hierarchy_top_id_raw OA1
hierarchy_sequence OA1.0010.001-7

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