{"id":1010,"date":"2013-01-10T15:11:21","date_gmt":"2013-01-10T15:11:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/54.229.91.100\/libraryandarts\/library\/ehistory\/?p=1010"},"modified":"2026-01-26T11:51:58","modified_gmt":"2026-01-26T11:51:58","slug":"testimonal-to-robert-bourke-governor-of-madras","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/testimonal-to-robert-bourke-governor-of-madras\/","title":{"rendered":"Testimonial to Robert Bourke, Governor of Madras"},"content":{"rendered":"

TESTIMONAL TO ROBERT BOURKE, GOVERNOR OF MADRAS<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The testimonial, transcribed below, came through a former Kildare Co. Council employee, Michael Bermingham, who thought it would be of interest to the people of Kildare and generously donated it to Kildare Library and Arts Service, Newbridge Library, in January 2013.<\/p>\n

\"Robert
\u00a0<\/center><\/center><\/p>\n

To His Excellency The Right Honorable Robert Bourke, Governor of the Residency of Fort St. George, Madras<\/strong><\/p>\n

Verse in English with translation in four languages<\/p>\n

Verse in English with translation in four languages<\/p>\n

His Excellency Robert Bourke
\nFamous ruler and good Monarch
\nMay God bless him and Lady Bourke
\nPrays each Indian, Persian and Irish
\nVerse in Hindustani with translation in English
\nWhen the stars of India shone from the horizon of dignity
\nThe Empire of India has been enlightened with the light of justice
\nThe world depends on these moon and stars
\nYou are the moon of nobility and Empress of India is the sun
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

1887 A.D.
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Verse in Arabic with translation in English<\/p>\n

If there be any picture of the beauty of justice
\nIt is you, O\u2019 full moon of the sky of dignity
\nEver live as ruler and possess consent of the subjects with you
\nAnd rise in position with your excellent qualities
\nVerse in Persian with translation in English
\nO\u2019 grand pearl of the crown of crown-wearers by descent!
\nYour name has beaten the drum of justice up to China and Arabia
\nYou do with India what cloud does with garden
\nYou do with tyranny what the sun does with night.
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

1304 Hijri Era
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dedicated, translated, written and presented by Abdul Ghani Khan Bahadur of the carnatic family and fellow, Madras University.<\/p>\n

\"Robert<\/center><\/p>\n

Note on Robert Bourke:
\n<\/strong>Robert Bourke was born in 1827, son of Robert Bourke (1797-1867), landed gentleman of Hayes, near Slane, Co. Meath, and Anne Charlotte Bourke (n\u00e9e Jocelyn; 1801-67), granddaughter of the 1st Earl of Roden. He was one of eight children \u2013 seven sons and one daughter. After the death of his uncle, John Bourke (1766-1849), 4th earl of Mayo, Robert Bourke became 5th earl and (from 1852), a conservative representative peer for Ireland. Robert Bourke (jnr.) was 1st Baron Connemara (cr. 1887), conservative MP for King\u2019s Lynn (1868-86), under-secretary of foreign affairs (1874-80, 1885-6) and governor of Madras (1886-90). He died in 1902.<\/p>\n

\"Robert<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

An 1877 testimonal to Robert Bourke, Governor of Madras, donated by Michael Bermingham. Our thanks to Michael<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[126],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1010","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-social-history"],"blocksy_meta":[],"featured_image_src":null,"featured_image_src_square":null,"author_info":{"display_name":"Kildare Local Studies","author_link":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/author\/localstudies\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1010","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1010"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1010\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8538,"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1010\/revisions\/8538"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1010"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1010"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kildarelibraries.ie\/ehistory\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1010"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}