The Life of the Hon’ble Rai Kristo Das Pal Bahadur, C. I. E (eBook, PDF)

To write the life of the Hon'ble Kristo Das Pal fully and satisfactorily is by no means an easy task. He has left nothing in the shape of notes or diary, and the sources from which the facts of his early and domestic life may be obtained are scanty. The same difficulty occurs, though in a less degree, in regard to the events of his public career. Private letters received by him from high officials cannot be made use of for this purpose as they are all of a strictly canfidential character, and as they reflect the personal, and perhaps the private opinions of men still living, and still in the service of Government. More than two years had elapsed since the death of Baboo Kristo Das Pal, and yet not even a suggestion had been made by any one to write the biography of so emi nent a. Man; and if abler men have not come fofiyard, a humble friend may be excused if he) undertakes a difficult task even at the risk of failure. Public encouragement was tardy at first, and far from re-assuring. Had it not been for the prompt pecuniary assistance rendered by His Honour the lieutenant-governor of Bengal, His Highness the Maharaja of Vizianagram, and Her Highness the Maharanee Sarnamoye, the work could not have been undertaken at all. But pecuniary assistance was not) all that was needed. I stood in need of literary help and information. I gratefully acknowledge that, but for the literary help rendered me most kindly by Baboos Shum bhqo Chunder Mukerjee, Surendra Nath Banerjee, Norendra Nath Sen, and several other gentlemen; it would have been difficult for me to complete the work.