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| major and commissioner of Delhi William Fraser, 1806 paintingen.wikipedia.org |
On Sunday evening the 22nd March 1835 about half past 7 o’clock , an unexpected event took place William Fraser was shot dead close to his residence. This incident took place when he was returning home after visiting Maharajah Kulleean Singh Chief of Kishengurh, then residing in Delhi. It was an important ceremony at the Majharajah's place. The assassin was one Kurreem Khan a well-known Marksman and was hired by the Nawab Shumsooddeen Khan of Ferozepoor to kill the British officer.
The Assassin, as planned before, rode up in the rear of his victim and when he was on target and close by used the carbine gun and pumped-in its contents. It was an instantaneous death for Fraser. One slug went through his body while two others penetrated almost to the other side of the body. Kurreem Khan was executed on the 26th August and the Newab on the 8th of the following Month. At the trial both were found guilt of killing a high-ranking English officer.
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| Tomb of William Fraser at St. James' Church, Delhi, |
The killing of a good British officer took countless people in Delhi - both natives and Europeans by surprice. Because like many British officers he was much influenced by the Indo-Mogul culture and had a taste for arts and culture. Besides being a good admirer of Mogul poet, Ghalib, he also commissioned famed art work called as''the Fraser Album''. It includes countless works by well-known artists of Mogul era. The fine artwork covers the life during the Mogul period which is quite beneficial to the posterity as the present is relevent to the past era.
Being an agent to the Governor General, William Fraser, in 1814 accompanied the Army under the Command of the late Major General Sir Robert Rolls Gillespie K.C.B. The army was engaged against the Hill Fortress of Kalunga. Fraser voluntarily took part in the military operations and, on two occasions, severely wounded. It was the Marquis of Hastings K.G. Governor General and Commander in Chief in India soon afterwards conferred on William Fraser the rank of Major in the First Regiment of Irregular Horse. This regiment was a famous one commanded by none other than Colonel James Skinner CB (1778 - 4 December 1841); an Anglo-Indian mercenary in India), a true friend. Fraser took part in the siege of Bhurtpoor in 1826. Peace was restored there after successful military operations.
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| St. James Church, Delhi. slideshare.net |
Fraser's mortal remains were first interred in the Burial Ground within the city but later removed to within the area surrounding St. James Church by Col. James Skinner C.B. A suitable monument was erected worthy of him. His epitaph, written by Skinner, reads as follows:
‘The remains interred beneath this monument were once animated, by as brave, and sincere a soul, as was ever vouch saved to man, by his creator! A brother in friendship, has caused it to be erected that when his own frame is dust it may remain as a memorial for those, who can participate in lamenting, the sudden and melancholy loss of one, dear to him as life. William Fraser. Died 22nd March 1835.’
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