General John Munro of the H.E.I.C.S, 9th of Teaninich was a Scottish/British soldier and statesman who had great success in India.[1]
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John Munro was born in June 1778, second son of Captain James Munro, 7th of Teaninich (Royal Navy).[1] The Munros of Teaninich were a cadet branch of the Scottish Highland Clan Munro and their family home was at Teaninich Castle in Ross-shire.[1]
John Munro, 9th of Teaninich entered the army at an early age and was sent to Madras where he took part in the Battle of Seringapatam, and was shortly afterwards appointed Adjustant of his regiment, in which office he displayed a thorough acquaintance with military duties.[1] John Munro also became an accomplished linguist, being able to speak and write fluently in French, German, Italian, Arabic, Persian and several of the Indian dialects.[1]
John Munro held various appointments on the Staff, and was private secretary and interpreter to successive Commanders in Chief in India.[1] He was personally acquainted and in constant correspondence with Colonel Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington during the Mahratta War.[1] John Munro assisted in quelling the Nellmore Mutiny and was soon afterwards appointed Quartermaster-General of the Madras army, at the early age of twenty seven years.[1]
John Munro also served along side his distinguished distant relative Sir Thomas Munro, 1st Baronet (of Linderits).[2] Although John Munro distinguished himself well in the field he was gifted in the singular power of handling the Indian people.[2] His tactful handling of the people of Travancore at a time of dangerous plots against British residents, led to his being given uncontrolled rule of the Province.[2] With this freedom of action he won the confidence of the people as to be able to introduce the practice, in the administration of justice, of having a Christian sitting on the bench as judge beside a Brahmin.[2] Nothing in his career so marked him as a great administrator; he saw what other men failed to see for a long time after that, the British and Indians learned the secret of true co-operation.[2]
John Munro faced severe criticism and official censure by the methods which he was bold enough to adopt, but he proved the true wisdom of his plan, by making it work to the benefit of the governors and the governed.[2] He lived to see Muslims and high caste Hindus appreciate the integrity and fairness of Christian judges, and he paved the way for those who since his day have tried to interpret Western Christianity to the Eastern people.[2]
An Island named Munroe Island is named after this John Munro. History has recorded that John Munro was the greatest British administrator of Travancore and Cochin in 150 years of British Dominion.[3]
John Munro, 9th of Teaninich married in 1808, Charlotte Blacker and left issue:[2][4]