2502) On 11.09.2022, Pune Martinians are having a Reunion at Sylhet Club, Bombay Sappers, Pune in honour of the Founder of the Martiniere Institutions - Major General Claude Martin:
This is the story of the life of Claude Martin, the Founder of La Martiniere Colleges in Lucknow, Calcutta (present day Kolkata) and Lyon, France in brief:
(I studied in La Martiniere College, Lucknow from 1970-75. I was in Lyons House)
Enlisting with the "French Compagnie de Indies":
- Let us travel back in time to 1751, when Claude Martin as a young man of 16 years of age had enlisted as a dragoon in the "French Compagnie de Indies" to seek his fortune in India. (A Dragoon is a soldier in a Cavalry Regiment).
- Coming from a modest background, his mother wished him all success in his military career and added that the next time she saw him, he should come back in a liveried carriage - a symbol of French aristocracy.
- Little did she realise that by the time he had had a successful career, the French Revolution would break out and he would never be coming back home to Lyon, France.
- Immediately on arrival in the French Colony in Pondicherry, he was deployed to fight against the East India Company in the Carnatic Wars (1752-56), the Battle of Plassey (1757) and the Battle of Pondichery (1961). By now he had grown in rank too and become a Cavalry Captain.
Joining the Bengal Army of British East India Company (BEIC):
- During post-war negotiations with the French, the British East India Company (BEIC) officials saw his capabilities as a tough negotiator/statesman/diplomat and encouraged him to join the Bengal Army of the BEIC, where he was given the rank of a cavalry major.
- The BEIC around this time was keen on expanding its river trade into the territories of Awadh - Varanasi, Allahabad and Lucknow.
Association with the Nawab of Awadh, Asaf-ud-Daula:
- In 1776, he was sent to negotiate a deal with Nawab Asaf-ud-Daula (1748-1797). He immediately became a trusted confidante of Asaf-ud-Daula, who saw in him a person essential to off-set the growing influence of the BEIC.
- In the same year, he was appointed as the Superintendent of the Awadh arsenal, while retaining his rank with the BEIC.
- Now, as a diplomat, he walked the tightrope between the BEIC's aspirations/ambitions and the Nawab's apprehensions, with he did with admirable success, as he was trusted by both.
As a prominent member of the Awadh Aristocracy:
- He was treated as a prominent member of the Awadh Aristocracy.
- He became a great architect for Asaf-ud-Daula, the Nawab of Awadh and together they designed many of Lucknow's historical buildings.
- He became a successful money lender and Banker. It is said that he was so kind-hearted that if anyone was not able to repay his loans, he would call his "Munims" (Accountants) and make them tear up the promissory notes.
He settled many of such persons in the village that Martinians know of as "Martin Purwa" and looked after their welfare.
- He had a huge collection of paintings and used the services of painters like Rinaldi, Hodges and Johann Zoffany. Most of his collection have got lost in the mists of time, but one has found its way to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, while another is now exhibited in the British Library in London.
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The above is a painting depicting Col. Antoine-Louis Polier who was a close friend of Claude Martin enjoying a "nautch" at his house in Lucknow. It had been originally painted by Johann Zoffany.
Distributing his fortune among the people of India:
- He amassed a huge fortune, mainly from the buildings that he constructed.
- In 1797, when Nawab Asaf-ud-Daula passed away, Claude Martin became aware of his own mortality.
- He wrote his will and set up several charities and gave all his servants pensions for life.
- He was almost entirely self-educated and realised the importance of a good education.
In his will, he set aside a large portion of his estate for the founding of schools at Calcutta, Lucknow and in Lyon (France).
- There are now seven Schools/Colleges named after him - two in Calcutta (present day Kolkata), two in Lucknow and three in Lyon, France.
- The residue of his estate after bequests had been made, was to be used for the maintenance of these schools.
The La Martiniere Coat of Arms:
- He personally designed the La Martiniere Coat of Arms. He wanted it to be represented in the Colleges which were to come up later on so that his legacy will live on forever.
- The Coat of Arms is supported by seven flags, each bearing the design of a fish, taken from the Emblem of Oudh.
- The ship recalls his voyage to India, where he established his fortune.
- The lion with the pennant (in the centre) represents his career as an officer with the British East India Company (BEIC) and with the Nawab of Oudh.
- The setting sun behind the castellated building to the right of the shield points to the sunset of his days and the Constantia building which played a greater part in his later years.
- The Coat of Arms and the accompanying motto "Labore et Constantia" on a lemniscate/ribbon/scroll was written by him, after a lot of thought.
The motto is in French and represents his French roots.
It is also an inspirational message to future generations - that if one works hard towards one's goal, success is bound to follow, like in his case.
- The Coat of Arms and the motto are now shared by all the schools founded by Martin.
Sunset Days:
He spent the last days of his life in Constantia building, where he passed away.
The epitaph in the vault which Claude Martin's final resing place in Constantia reads -
"Arrived in India as a common soldier
and died at Lucknow on 13th September,
1800, as a Major General.
He is buried in this tomb.
Pray for his soul.
The anniversary of Claude Matin's passing is remembered by Martiniere institutions as "Founder's Day".
Martinians all over the world get-together on this day and remember the bounty and the legacy of Claude Martin, who although was French by birth, was an Indian at heart.
A few gems from La Martiniere history:
- The Constantia building is full of secret passageways. Every now and then Constantia gives up its "secrets" only to be walled up again, which makes it very exciting for future generations of Martinians to rediscover them again.
- During one such "discovery", an old wooden cupboard was retrieved in which were found a few copies of old Martiniere posts (the College Magazine) from 1912, in which was a photograph of Claude Martin dressed in Indian clothes looking very much like a "Nawab" himself.
- There was also a description of "Chhota/Bara Hazari" (the tea-time snacks given to boarders particularly on Sundays). This student had described that the biscuits were so tough (almost like rocks) that the students used to take pot-shots at flying kites, which used to hover around the College Mess. One such "missile" had brought down a kite.
Sixty years later, when we were in college the biscuits had remained as tough as ever. Nothing had changed.
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