Intro
Captain Montague William Douglas also known as M.W. Douglas, District Magistrate, District Gurdaspur in 1897. Lt. Col Montagu William Douglas CSI, CIE. (1863 – February 1957) was a British soldier and colonial administrator in India. As the Assistant District Commissioner in the Punjab, he investigated the attempted murder allegation made by Henry Martyn Clark against Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the founder of the Ahmadiyya movement. Ahmad later declared him to be the “Pilate of our time”, superior to the original. In his later life he was a noted advocate of the Oxfordian theory of Shakespeare authorship and was president of the Shakespeare Fellowship for many years. He is mentioned in detail in the ROR of Nov-1935, the 2nd Khalifa admits that even Captain Douglas knew that MGA was guilty, however, he went out of his way to clear MGA of all the charges. In 1939, he met with the Ahmadi mullah JD Shams and even presided on a Jalsa in the UK, hence he proved that he colluded with MGA to exonerate him. In 1897, he was a captain in the British Military as well as a judge, in fact, all British officers doubled as corrupt Judges.
He was born to Edward Douglas, (1831–1867) and Annie Arbuthnot, (b. 1831). In February 1884 he joined the 1st Battalion, North Staffordshire Regiment, switching to the Indian army in 1887. He was promoted to captain in 1895.
In 1891, Douglas married Helen Mary Isabelle Downer (b. 1863). They had three children, Edward Montagu Douglas (b. 1891), Major Archibald Stair Montagu Douglas, MM, (1897–1974),[1] and Helen Elizabeth Douglas (b. 1893).[2][3]
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1897
In 1897, having been appointed assistant district commissioner in the Punjab, Douglas was required to investigate the allegations of Henry Martyn Clark against Mirza Ghulam Ahmad. Clark, a Christian missionary, had been approached by a youth named Abdul Hamid, who claimed that Ahmad had sent him to kill Clark. Douglas found Hamid’s claims to be implausible, and that there was evidence that Hamid had been coached. He had also repeatedly changed and even retracted his story. Douglas dismissed the charges. Even after more than forty years he vividly remembered the case and its details. He wrote to J. D. Shams, an Ahmadiyya missionary in London on 29 July 1939, “… the evidence was false and thus I acquitted Mirza Ghulam Ahmad”.[4] The aftermath was presented by Ahmad’s supporters as a triumph, and as evidence of Ahmad’s divine mission.[5] Subsequently, Ahmad compared Douglas favourably with Pontius Pilate, declaring him to be a man of much superior character, stating,
“”””In my opinion, Captain Douglas outshines Pilate in imparting judgment fearlessly and in showing determination and steadfastness … Pilate showed cowardice due to fear of the High Priest and the Elders, and acted in a cowardly manner. But Captain Douglas showed no sign of weakness … Those who are blessed with honour from above do not hanker after worldly honours. This commendable courtesy by the ‘Pilate’ of our time shall be remembered by all my followers when I am gone. He shall be remembered till the end of the world with love and respect.””””“[6][7]
In his book Kitab ul Baryyah (An Account of Exoneration) Mirza Ghulam Ahmad has narrated the details of the case.[8]
Later career and retirement
Douglas was appointed Deputy Commissioner in 1899, and was promoted to Major on 6 February 1902.[9] He was on the executive committee for the Coronation Durbar at Delhi in 1903. From 1910-1913 he was Deputy Commissioner of the Lylpur District. He then served as Chief Commissioner of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands from 1913–1920.[10][11]
Douglas was honoured as Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire (CIE) in 1903 and as Companion of the Order of the Star of India (CSI) in 1919.
In his retirement he was an advocate of Oxfordian theory of Shakespeare authorship and wrote The Earl of Oxford as “Shakespeare”; an outline of the case (1931).[12] In 1928 he became president of The Shakespeare Fellowship, after the death of its founder George Greenwood. He held the post until 1945. Douglas advocated a “group theory” of Shakespeare authorship with Oxford as the “master mind”.[13] In Lord Oxford and the Shakespeare Group (1952) he expanded his theory, asserting that Oxford’s fellow-contributors were Francis Bacon, Christopher Marlowe, the Earl of Derby, John Lyly and Robert Greene.[14] According to James S. Shapiro Douglas also believed that “Queen Elizabeth had entrusted Oxford to oversee a propaganda department that would produce patriotic plays and pamphlets”.[15]
In his later life he also painted and was among amateurs exhibited at the Royal Academy.
References
- Biographical history of Gonville and Caius College Ernest Stewart Roberts, Edward John Gross – 1948 p169 “Douglas, Archibald Stair Montagu: son of Lieut. -Colonel Montagu William Douglas, CI.E., of Port Blair, Andaman Islands; and Helen Mary ..”
- ^ The Douglas Archives
- ^ Portraits in the India Office Library and Records p63 India Office Library and Records, Pauline Rohatgi – 1983 “Douglas, Montagu William (1863–1957) Lieut -Colonel. Deputy Commissioner, Punjab 1910-13 FL seated in Delhi Planning Committee group. Photo 206 x 271mm “
- ^ Letter dated 29 July 1939 to J D Shams
- ^ Muhammad Zafrulla Khan, Ahmadiyyat: the renaissance of Islam, Tabshir Publications, 1978, p.189.
- ^ Tadhkirat-ush-Shahadatain, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 20, pp. 30-41.
- ^ Tadh-Kiratushaha-Datain online
- ^ Kitab ul Baryyah
- ^ “No. 27428”. The London Gazette. 25 April 1902. p. 2795.
- ^ List of Rulers Provinces British India
- ^ David P. Henige, Colonial governors from the fifteenth century to the present, 1970, p.84
- ^ H. N. Gibson, The Shakespeare Claimants: A Critical Survey of the Four Principal Theories Concerning the Authorship of the Shakespearean Plays, Taylor & Francis, 1962, p.73.
- ^ R. C. Churchill, Shakespeare and His Betters: A History and a Criticism of the Attempts Which Have Been Made to Prove That Shakespeare’s Works Were Written by Others, Max Reinhardt, London, 1938, p. 51
- ^ Schoenbaum, Sam, Shakespeare’s Lives, Oxford University Press, 1991, p.435.
- ^ James Shapiro, Contested Will: Who Wrote Shakespeare?, Faber & Faber, 2011, p.216.
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1970
The Muslim Sunrise of Oct-Nov-1970 was edited by Maulvi A.R. Khan Bengali. The magazine reports on the World Conference of Religion and Peace that was held in Kyoto, Japan on Oct 16-21, 1970. Major Abdul Hamid and Zafrullah Khan were there and represented Ahmadiyya. The newspaper also reports on the tour of West Africa by the 3rd Khalifa (on April 27th, 1970)(Mirza Nasir Ahmad) and how visited Abidjan, Ivory Coast. A lecture by the 2nd Khalifa on May-29-1922 is reproduced. The same lecture by Mirza Mubarak Ahmad is continued, in this write up, Seth Ghulam Nabi is mentioned, Maulvi Abdul Karim and his book, “Sirat Masih-e-Maud”. Munshi Zafar Ahmad of Kapurthala is also quoted, a book named “Ashab-e-Ahmad” is quoted. Sheikh Yaqub Ali Irfani is also quoted via his book “Shamail Hazrat Masih e Maoud”, he quoted Lalah Sharampat of Qadian and Lala Malawamal, Mirza Bashir Ahmad alleges that Lala Malawama lived to be over 100. The story of Dr. Henry Martyn Clark is also given, as well as the role of Captain Douglas in the case. Muhammad Hussain Batalvi is also quoted. 4 Ahmadiyya locations are given out, the Dayton Mosque-temple at 637 Randolph St, Dayton, Ohio, the Fazl Mosque, 2141 Leroy Place, Washington D.C., the Ahmadiyya Mosque in Chicago, IL, on Wabash Ave and an Ahmadiyya mission in NY, on 147-20 Archer Ave, Jamaica-Queens.
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Montagu William Douglas’ visits to the Fazl Mosque London in 1936 and 1939 (alhakam.org)
Montagu William Douglas’ visits to the Fazl Mosque London in 1936 and 1939
Ata-ul-Haye Nasir, Al Hakam
In 1897, a false lawsuit of attempted murder was initiated against Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, the Promised Messiah and Mahdi, by a Christian missionary named Henry Martyn Clark (1857-1916). The judge assigned in this case was Lieutenant Col. Montague William Douglas CSI, CIE (1863-1957). He acquitted Hazrat Ahmadas, declaring the accusations made by Martyn Clark as fabricated stories.
Promised Messiah’sas words about Captain Douglas
During an address in July 1899, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmadas, the Promised Messiah and Mahdi, said:
“As such, one ought to observe the wisdom of Captain Douglas. When Maulvi Muhammad Husain Sahib of Batala said in my connection that I claimed to be a king and an announcement was also read out before him, he was able to grasp with remarkable sagacity that all this was a conspiracy and he refused to lend an ear to any of the falsities of my opponents. Without doubt, in Izala-e-Awham and other books, my title ‘Sultan’ or King has been written, but this is in the context of the heavenly kingdom, for I have nothing to do with worldly kingdoms. […]
“In short, Captain Douglas astutely reached the depth of these matters and dealt with complete justice, without leaning even slightly towards either one of the two parties involved out of partiality. In standing for justice and supporting the oppressed, he demonstrated an example of such excellence that I sincerely hope all the esteemed officials in our government forever uphold this lofty example of justice—a perfect example of equity which even leaves behind the justice of Nusherwan.” (Al Hakam, 24 July 1899, pp. 5-6; Malfuzat [English], Vol. 2, p. 31)
‘This noble judge will be fondly remembered’
In another instance, the Promised Messiahas writes:
“Captain Douglas, who took the place of Pilate as presiding judge in my case, allowed me to be seated. Hence, this Pilate proved himself far more virtuous than the Pilate of the Messiah son of Mary. For, in issuing his verdict, he courageously and stringently remained committed to the rules of the court and paid no heed to any external pressure, nor was he prejudiced by religion or ethnicity. He held court so impeccably that if his person was held up as a means of pride for the nation and as an example for his fellow judges, it would be entirely justified. To pass fair judgment is a difficult task. Unless one breaks off all their ties they cannot rightly fulfil the duties of this office. But I can honestly testify that this Pilate faithfully discharged his duty—whereas the first Pilate of Rome was unable to fulfil his duty so faithfully. His cowardice led to great hardships for the Messiah. Thus, this difference ought to always be remembered by our community for as long as the world exists and as the community grows into the hundreds of thousands and millions, this noble judge will be fondly remembered. It was his good fortune that God chose him for this task. It must be extremely trying for a judge to confront two parties, one of whom is a missionary for his religion and the other holds a belief that is at variance with his own, especially when the judge has been informed that the latter holds stark religious differences. But this courageous Pilate resiliently took on this test, despite the fact that he was shown passages from my books, which owing to a lack of erudition, were interpreted as unduly hostile to Christianity. But, despite this opposing effort, his facial expressions remained impassive, for his enlightened conscience had already arrived at the truth. And because he pure-heartedly sought the truth behind the case, God helped him and revealed upon his heart the truth, and as a result the reality was disclosed to him. He was gladdened for having been able to find the path of justice. Indeed, it was only due to his fairness that he gave me a seat just as was given to the plaintiff. But, when Maulvi Muhammad Husain came to provide his testimony against me in the way that the High Priest had testified, he found that I was seated. As such, his eyes did not look upon me in the state of disgrace that he so desired. At this, he thought to himself that equal treatment would have to suffice and so he requested a chair for himself from our Pilate. However, he reprimanded him and loudly proclaimed that neither he nor his father had ever been given the right of a chair [in any government institution] and that there was no official instruction to provide him a seat.” (Noah’s Ark [Kashti-e-Nuh], pp. 89-90)
Montague William Douglas visits the Fazl Mosque in 1936
Colonel Douglas visited the Fazl Mosque on 12 April 1936. The Daily Sketch reported under the heading “They Call Him ‘The Just Pilate’”, and published a photograph of Colonel Douglas with Hazrat Maulvi Sher Alira, with the following caption:
“Colonel Montagu W. Douglas chatting with Hazrat Maulvi Sher Ali[ra] at the London Mosque.”
This was followed by a detailed report, stating:
“Judge Meets Witness After Forty Years
“Known to more than a million and a half of the Ahmadiyya Community in India as ‘the just Pontius Pilate’, Colonel Montagu W. Douglas, of the United Services Club, and formerly High Commissioner of the Andamans, met yesterday at the London Mosque, Hazrat Maulvi Sher Ali[ra], a companion of the accused in the trial which won the colonel his soubriquet 40 Years ago.
“Sher Ali has come to translate the Koran [sic., Quran] into English, and as he was a witness at the trial the colonel, who presided, was invited to the mosque to meet him. There they talked over the event which has an important place in later Mohammedan history.
“Colonel Douglas, who retired from the Indian Government service in 1920, told the Daily Sketch yesterday that the trial took place in 1897 in the Gurdaspur district of the Punjab. The accused was Mirza Ghulam Ahmad[as].
“‘For some years previously Ahmad[as] had been hailed by his followers as the Promised Messiah, and his teachings had caused great controversy among the Hindus and other religious sects in India. Many allegations were made against him, and he was generally regarded with suspicion.
“‘I can visualise him now, standing before me accused of conspiracy to murder a missionary of the Church Missionary Society.
“Witness Coerced
“‘An Indian boy of 16, the chief witness for the prosecution, declared that Ahmad[as] had instructed him to murder the missionary, but he made several conflicting statements.
“‘I quickly reached the conclusion that there was no case against Ahmad[as] and acquitted him. Later it was learned that the boy had been coerced to tell a story that was completely false. The trial became famous and Ahmad’s[as] adherents grew to immense proportions.
“‘As far as I was concerned, the acquittal of Ahmad was simply a matter of judicial procedure, but the community has chosen to describe me as “the just Pontius Pilate.”’
“Imam A.R. Dard[ra], head of the London Mosque, the headquarters of the community, told the Daily Sketch that Ahmad died in 1908 and was succeeded by [Hazrat Hakeem Maulvi Noor-ud-Deenra and then by] Mirza Mahmud Ahmadra, the present leader.
“‘Col. Douglas is very much loved by the community,’ he said. ‘He set a fine example of British justice.’” (Daily Sketch, 13 April 1936, p. 10)
Montague William Douglas visits the Fazl Mosque in 1939
On 30 July 1939, Montague William Douglas presided over a gathering held at the Fazl Mosque in London to honour the Promised Messiahas, which served as a ceremonious recognition of the Promised Messiah’sas enduring legacy.
The South Western Star reported under the heading “Southfields Mosque: Promised Messiah Honoured”:
“A special meeting at the London Mosque, Southfields, on Sunday, in honour of the Founder of the Ahmadiyyat movement, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad[as], was presided over by Col. M. W. Douglas, C.S.I., who 42 years ago tried and acquitted Mirza Ahmad[as] on a charge of incitement to murder. The Ahmadiyya Community, a group of Muslims, believe that Mirza Ahmad[as] was the promised Moslem Messiah. This community built the London Mosque in Southfields.
“The Imam, Maulvi J. D. Shams, read a paper on the Founder of the movement. He was born in Quadian, a small Indian village, in 1834 [sic., 1835], said Maulvi Shams. Though descended from a princely line, and greatly honoured and revered, he loved to remain in seclusion with his books. In 1889, he announced that he was the Messiah. There was a great stir all over India and a storm of opposition агоsе.
“A Plot that Failed
“In 1897, a young boy was prevailed upon to say that he was sent by the Promised Messiah to kill Dr. Martin Clarke, a Christian missionary. Dr. Clarke charged Ahmad[as] with incitement to murder. The case was tried by Col. (then Captain) Douglas, the president of that afternoon’s meeting. The boy confessed that he had been threatened into saying all that he did, and that whatever he had said against Mirza Ahmad[as] was false. Douglas acquitted Ahmad[as] of the charge.
“‘The chairman of this afternoon’s meeting,’ said the Imam, ‘will always be remembered as a symbol of even-handed Justice.’
“A Spiritual Movement
“Col. Douglas thanked the Imam for his interesting address. He said that he was often asked the main objective of the Ahmadi faith, and he replied that it was to spiritualise the Muslim religion. He considered the development of the Ahmadi faith brought the Muslim religion into proper adjustment with the life of today. When he tried the case against the Founder, 42 years ago, the followers numbered only hundreds. Now they number over a million. He wished the movement all success.” (South Western Star, 4 August 1939, p. 3)
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Links and Related Essays
https://ahmadiyyafactcheckblog.com/2016/10/13/who-is-jalal-ud-din-shams/
Montagu William Douglas’ visits to the Fazl Mosque London in 1936 and 1939 (alhakam.org)
https://ahmadiyyafactcheckblog.com/2018/12/06/who-is-maulvi-burhanuddin-of-jhelum-1830-1905/
http://www.ahmadiyya.org/bookspdf/bar/bar180-201-frm.htm
https://ahmadiyyafactcheckblog.com/2016/12/26/the-mirza-family-was-above-the-law-in-british-india/
https://ahmadiyyafactcheckblog.com/?s=Lekh
https://ahmadiyyafactcheckblog.com/?s=Athim
http://www.ahmadiyya.org/bookspdf/bar/bar180-201-frm.htm
https://ahmadiyyafactcheckblog.com/2017/04/05/when-the-athim-prophecy-was-about-to-expire/
https://ahmadiyyafactcheckblog.com/2018/12/17/lekh-rams-murder-the-details-aryasamaj-lekhram/
https://ahmadiyyafactcheckblog.com/2017/10/06/anjam-e-athim-1897-quotes/
https://ahmadiyyafactcheckblog.com/2016/10/16/mgas-nasty-poetry-vs-the-christian-abdullah-athim/
https://ahmadiyyafactcheckblog.com/2017/10/06/anjam-e-athim-1897-quotes/
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Pictures with JD Shams from 1939
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