Overview

Sir William Henry Sleeman (1788-1856) was a British soldier and administrator in India. While serving as Resident at the court of the King of Oude in Lucknow, he toured around the realm and collected information for the Governor-General about the proposed annexation of the kingdom by the East India Company. His letters and diaries suggest that he collected evidence for and against annexation. Sleeman described the kingdom of Oude as suffering from maladministration, anarchy, and lawlessness but highlighted that unlawful annexation would usher resentment and rebellion. Volume I exhibits Sleeman's account of his journey and a selection of private correspondence and Volume II discusses the social and economic condition of the kingdom.