Mark Cubbon
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant-General Sir Mark Cubbon KCB
(August 23, 1775 – April 23, 1861) was a British
army officer with the East India Company who became the British Commissioner of Mysore
state in 1834. He retained this office until 1860. He moved the capital from Mysore to Bangalore
, helped reform the finances of Mysore, and created a peaceful and prosperous government. Cubbon Road and Cubbon Park
in Bangalore are named for him.
, Isle of Man
, the son of Vicar Thomas Cubbon and Margaret Wilks. He arrived in Calcutta in the summer of 1801, as a cadet. He soon gained an appointment to the 2nd Madras Battalion, and in July 1804 to the 2nd Battalion 5th Native Infantry, serving with the Field forces commanded by Col. Chalmers in Travancore. Cubbon had great admiration for the Sepoy
s and respected their religious views. By 1809 he had secured a civilian appointment in the East India Company's administration.
, William Bentinck
, in pursuit of fiscal efficiency, appointed Cubbon as Commissioner of Mysore state. Cubbon restructured the government of Mysore, helped reform its finances, and created a peaceful and prosperous state. Cubbon is credited with the construction of over one thousand miles of roads, hundreds of dams, coffee production and improvements in the tax and revenue systems.
In 1859, when orders were issued to transfer the superintendence of Mysore affairs from the Governor-General to the government of Madras, Cubbon submitted his resignation, as he held it to be contrary to the declaration made by the Honourable Court of Directors in 1838. The order was withdrawn by the Viceroy, Lord Canning
. At the beginning of the next year, however, Cubbon felt compelled to resign owing to ill-health.
Lady Canning, makes a mention of Cubbon from his summer home in Nandidroog
:
23 April 1861 while returning to England in the company of his physician, Dr. Campbell. Cubbon Road, Cubbonpet and Cubbon Park
in Bangalore are named for him. A medallion portrait of Cubbon is found on the ceiling at the west end of the Central Hall in the Karnataka High Court building, while an equestrian statue by Baron Carlo (Charles) Marochetti
stands in Cubbon Park near Attara Katcheri and the Terrace Garden. The grammar school of Ramsey
and the Cubbon Almshouses are of his foundation.
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(August 23, 1775 – April 23, 1861) was a British
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
army officer with the East India Company who became the British Commissioner of Mysore
Kingdom of Mysore
The Kingdom of Mysore was a kingdom of southern India, traditionally believed to have been founded in 1399 in the vicinity of the modern city of Mysore. The kingdom, which was ruled by the Wodeyar family, initially served as a vassal state of the Vijayanagara Empire...
state in 1834. He retained this office until 1860. He moved the capital from Mysore to Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
, helped reform the finances of Mysore, and created a peaceful and prosperous government. Cubbon Road and Cubbon Park
Cubbon Park
Cubbon Park is a landmark 'lung' area of the Bangalore city, located within the heart of city in the Central Administrative Area. Originally created in 1870, when Major General Richard Sankey was the then British Chief Engineer of Mysore state, it covered an area of and subsequent expansion has...
in Bangalore are named for him.
Early career
Cubbon was born at the vicarage of MaugholdMaughold (parish)
Maughold is a village and parish in the Isle of Man. It is named for Maughold, the island's patron saint.The village of Maughold lies on the coast some three miles from Ramsey, with mountainous terrain on its landward side. The parish includes most of the North Barrule, the second highest hill on...
, Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
, the son of Vicar Thomas Cubbon and Margaret Wilks. He arrived in Calcutta in the summer of 1801, as a cadet. He soon gained an appointment to the 2nd Madras Battalion, and in July 1804 to the 2nd Battalion 5th Native Infantry, serving with the Field forces commanded by Col. Chalmers in Travancore. Cubbon had great admiration for the Sepoy
Sepoy
A sepoy was formerly the designation given to an Indian soldier in the service of a European power. In the modern Indian Army, Pakistan Army and Bangladesh Army it remains in use for the rank of private soldier.-Etymology and Historical usage:...
s and respected their religious views. By 1809 he had secured a civilian appointment in the East India Company's administration.
Commissioner of Mysore
In 1827 Cubbon succeeded Sir William Morrison as Commissary-General, and in 1831 served as Commissioner to inquire into the Mysore rebellion. He was appointed Colonel in the same year. In 1834 the Governor-General of IndiaGovernor-General of India
The Governor-General of India was the head of the British administration in India, and later, after Indian independence, the representative of the monarch and de facto head of state. The office was created in 1773, with the title of Governor-General of the Presidency of Fort William...
, William Bentinck
Lord William Bentinck
Lieutenant-General Lord William Henry Cavendish-Bentinck GCB, GCH, PC , known as Lord William Bentinck, was a British soldier and statesman...
, in pursuit of fiscal efficiency, appointed Cubbon as Commissioner of Mysore state. Cubbon restructured the government of Mysore, helped reform its finances, and created a peaceful and prosperous state. Cubbon is credited with the construction of over one thousand miles of roads, hundreds of dams, coffee production and improvements in the tax and revenue systems.
In 1859, when orders were issued to transfer the superintendence of Mysore affairs from the Governor-General to the government of Madras, Cubbon submitted his resignation, as he held it to be contrary to the declaration made by the Honourable Court of Directors in 1838. The order was withdrawn by the Viceroy, Lord Canning
Charles Canning, 1st Earl Canning
Charles John Canning, 1st Earl Canning KG, GCB, PC , known as The Viscount Canning from 1837 to 1859, was an English statesman and Governor-General of India during the Indian Rebellion of 1857.-Background and education:...
. At the beginning of the next year, however, Cubbon felt compelled to resign owing to ill-health.
Lady Canning, makes a mention of Cubbon from his summer home in Nandidroog
Nandi Hills, India
Nandi Hills or Nandidurg is an ancient hill fortress of southern India, in the Chikkaballapur district of Karnataka state. It is located just 10 km from Chickballapur town and approximately 60 km from the city of Bangalore...
:
Death and legacy
Cubbon died at SuezSuez
Suez is a seaport city in north-eastern Egypt, located on the north coast of the Gulf of Suez , near the southern terminus of the Suez Canal, having the same boundaries as Suez governorate. It has three harbors, Adabya, Ain Sokhna and Port Tawfiq, and extensive port facilities...
23 April 1861 while returning to England in the company of his physician, Dr. Campbell. Cubbon Road, Cubbonpet and Cubbon Park
Cubbon Park
Cubbon Park is a landmark 'lung' area of the Bangalore city, located within the heart of city in the Central Administrative Area. Originally created in 1870, when Major General Richard Sankey was the then British Chief Engineer of Mysore state, it covered an area of and subsequent expansion has...
in Bangalore are named for him. A medallion portrait of Cubbon is found on the ceiling at the west end of the Central Hall in the Karnataka High Court building, while an equestrian statue by Baron Carlo (Charles) Marochetti
Carlo Marochetti
Baron Carlo Marochetti was a sculptor, born in Turin but raised in Paris as a French citizen.-Life:Carlo Marochetti was born on 4 January 1805. His first teachers were François Joseph Bosio and Antoine-Jean Gros in Paris. Here his statue of A Young Girl playing with a Dog won a medal in 1829, and...
stands in Cubbon Park near Attara Katcheri and the Terrace Garden. The grammar school of Ramsey
Ramsey, Isle of Man
Ramsey is a town in the north of the Isle of Man. It is the second largest town on the island after Douglas. Its population is 7,309 according to the 2006 census . It has one of the biggest harbours on the island, and has a prominent derelict pier, called the Queen's Pier. It was formerly one of...
and the Cubbon Almshouses are of his foundation.