A
Resident, or in full
Resident Minister, is a state official of certain representative -diplomatic and/or colonial- types, required to take up permanent residency abroad officially.
Resident Ministers These were official representatives of a European colonial power practicing
indirect rule, usually diplomats and/or (sometimes former) military officers, who lived and worked in smaller self-governing colonial entities or various
protectorates and vassal states as a political advisor to the (usually native) ruler(s) and acted like an Ambassador of their own Government, but at a lower level since even large and rich native states were usually seen as inferior to Western nations. Instead of to a single ruler, a single resident could be posted to a native grouping, or even simply to a number of native states the colonial power conveniently bunched together in an imposed artificial, at best geographical unit, which could have a name such as
residency X (as in some parts of British India).
Similar positions could carry alternative titles, such as
Political Agent and
Resident Commissioner; see also specific histories in this and the following section. In some cases, the intertwining of colonial and traditional establishment went as far as to repeatedly employ members of the native princely houses is such posts, either in other polities (sometimes princes of the blood realistically in line for their ancestral throne) or even (especially further relatives, unlikely ever to succeed) within their own state; on the other hand, trusted residents could became de facto (prime) ministers to the native rulers.
Their real role varied enormously, depending upon the underlying power report between both parties and the personalities of the Resident and the ruler(s). Some were little more than observers and diplomatic go-betweens, others met hostility as 'face of the oppressor' or on the contrary won enough trust with the ruler to exercise great influence, on occasion even become his de facto prime minister, or even nominated by the equivalent native title such as vizier. An example that hosting a residency could really be seen as desirabla protection be the native rulers, is from 1887, when both Boers and gold prospectors of all nationalities were overrunning his country, the Swazi paramount chief Umbandine asked for a British resident, which request was refused.
This section only lists solo-Residents; see Residents-general for those organized under a thus titled superior; however those here may still work under some other higher official, such as a Viceroy or Governor(-general) Colonial Residents Examples of Commonwealth governments represented by Residents with such British colonies or (not always British) protectorates include:
Residents in (British) Africa For those working in the Malay states, see the British Residents(-general) section below as they came under the authority of a Resident-general British Residents were posted in various
Princely states -major ones or groups- in
British India, the jewel in Britain's colonial crown, often individually, as in
Lucknow, the capital of
Oudh; to the Maharaja Gaekwar of
Baroda; to the Maharaja Sindhya of
Gwalior; to the Nizam al-Molk of
Hyderabad; to the Maharaja Rana of
Jhalawar; to the restored Maharaja of
Mysore; to the Maharaja Sena Sahib Subah of the Mahratta state of
Nagpur; to the (Maha)Raja of
Manipur; to the (Maha)Raja of
Travancore; to the Maharana of
Mewar in Udaipur. Even when Lord Lake had broken the
Mahratta power in 1803, and the
Mughal emperor was taken under the protection of the
East India Company, the districts of Delhi and Hissar were assigned for the maintenance of the royal family, and were administered by a British resident, till in 1832 the tract was annexed to the North-Western Provinces.
A resident could however also be posted to a group of princely states, usually because they were considered rather unimportant (or except one), as a geographical and/or otherwise linked group.
British residents were also posted in major states considered connected with India, neighbouring or on the sea route to it, notably:
And elsewhere:
Even in overseas territories occupied ('preventively' or conquered) to keep the French out of strategic trade and waters, residencies could be established, e.g. at
Laye on
Sumatra, an island returned to the
Dutch East Indies in
Aden (while subordinated to Bombay), the only part of
Yemen made a colony in full British possession, the last of three British Political Agents since 1939 stayed on as first Resident since 1859, the last again satying on in 1932 as first Chief Commissioner; he was the only diplomatic representative to the various Arabian rulers who over time accepted British protectorate, but since the 1935 legal separation from British India was followed in 1937 by a reorganisation in an Eastern - and a Western Aden Protectorate (based at Mukallah and Lahej; together covering all Yemen), the British representatives in each were styled British
Political Officers in
Afghanistan, a kingdom entitled to a
gun salute of 21 guns (the highest rank among
princely states, not -then- among Sovereign monarchs): first British Residents (1837 - 2 November 1841 Sir Alexander Burnes; 7 August 1839 - 23 December 1841 William Hay McNaghten; December 1841 - 6 January 1842 Eldred Pottinger), then four native
Vakils acted on behalf of Britain (1856 - April 1859 Nawab Foujdar Khan, April 1859 - 1865 Ghulam Husain Khan Allizai, February 1864 - January 1868 Bukhiar Khan (acting), January 1868 - 1878 Attah Muhammad Khan Khagwani), then two more British Residents (24 July 1879 - 3 September 1879 Louis Napoleon Cavagnari, 1880 Henry Lepel-Griffin), next came two Military Commanders (8 October 1879 - 11 August 1880) and 10 native British Agents (one served two non-consecutive terms) till 1919
Hiram Cox was the first British Resident to the King of independent
Burma October 1796 - July 1797, and there were more discontinuous posting to that court, in the 19th century, never satisfactory to either party; after colonization there were two separate British Residents in a border zone of that country: in the
Northern Shan States and in the
Southern Shan States (each several tribal states, usually ruled by a
Saopha=
Sawbwa) in 1945 - 1948 (each group had been under a Superintendent from 1887/88 till 1922, then both jointly under a Resident Commissioner till the 1942 Japanese occupation)
after five military governors since the British East India Company started chasing the Dutch out of
Ceylon in August 1795 and occupying the island (completed in 16 February 1796), their only Resident there was Robert Andrews, 12 February 1796 - 12 October 1798, who was subordinate to the
presidency of Madras (see British India), afterwards the
HEIC appointed Governors as it was made a separate colony
to the Sultan of the
Maldives archipelago since he formally accepted British protection on 16 December 1887 (informally since 1796, after the British took over Ceylon from the Dutch), but in fact this office was filled
ex officio by the colonial Governors of until 4 February 1948, abolished on 26 July 1965
in
Nepal since 1802, accredited to the Hindu Kings (title
Maharajadhiraja), since 15 March 1816 exercing a de facto protectorate - the last staying on 1920 as
Envoy till the 1923 emancipation
with the Imam/Sultan of
Oman, 1800-1804, 1805-1810 and 1840 (so twice interrupted by vacancy), then located with the African branch of the dynasty on Zanzibar island, since 1862 his role was handed over to a Political Agent
in
Transjordan (present Jordan) April 1921 - 17 June 1946 four incumbents accredited to the Hashemite Emir/King
Residents in (British) Asia Since on 5 November 1815 the United States of the Ionian Islands became a federal republic of 7 islands (Corfu, Cephalonia, Zante, Santa Maura, Ithaca, Cerigo and Paxos), as a protectorate (nominally of the allied Powers; de facto UK protectorate; the highest office was the -always British-
Lord High Commissioner), until its 1 June 1864 incorporation into independent Greece, there were British Residents, each posted with a local Prefect, on seven individual islands, notably:
Cephalonia (Kephalonia),
Cerigo (Kythira),
Ithaca,
Paxos,
Santa Maura (Leucada/Lefkada) and
Zante (Zakynthos)
Residents in (British) European protectorates in the early colonial settlement phase on
New Zealand (where the Polynesian
Māori declared independence on 28 October 1835 as the Confederation of the United Tribes, under British protectorate), from 10 May 1833
James Busby (b. 1801 - d. 1871; from 1834 jointly with Thomas McDonnell as
co-Resident) till 28 January 1840, then two Lieutenant governors (as part of
New South Wales, in Australia) and many Governors since 3 January 1841
at
Rarotonga since the 1888 establishment of the British protectorate over the
Cook Islands; the third and last incumbent stayed on as first Resident Commissioner since 1901, at the incorporation in the
British Western Pacific Territories (under a single High Commissioner, till its 1976 dissolution, in Suva or Honoria), until the abolition of the post at the 1965 self-government grant as territory in free association with New Zealand, having its own cabinet (still under the British Crown, which after the 1976 appoints a special King's/Queens Representative as well as a High Commissioner).
Residents on (British & dominion) Ocean Island states Sikkim, where the
Maharaja had been under a British protectorate (1861 - 15 August 1947; the crown representative was styled Political Agent), became immediately afterwards a protectorate of newly independent
India (formally from 5 December 1950; in the meantime the Indian representative was again styled Political Agent, the first incumbent actually being the former British Political Agent- India was a
dominion, still under the British crown, till 26 January 1950) until
16 May 1975, it was annexed as a constituent state of India.
Residents in protectorates of decolonised Commonwealth states In the
Dutch East Indies, European residents and lower ranks such as assistant residents were posted alongside a number of the many native princes in present Indonesia, compare
Regentschap.
For example on
Sumatra, there were Dutch Residents at
Palembang, at
Madan in
Deli sultanate; another was posted with the Sultan of and on
Ternate, one on Bali etc.*
Dutch colonial Residents France also maintained Residents, the French word being
Résident.
However the 'Jacobine' tradition of strict state authority didn't agree well with indirect rule, so often direct rule was preferred.
Many were part of a white colonial hierarchy, rather than truly posted with a native ruler or chieftain. Those under the authority of a Resident general are treated in that section, below.
In the following sub-sections are only other (solo-)residencies. French colonial Residents A single post of Resident was also created in
Côte d'Ivoire, i.e.
Ivory Coast (from 1881 subordinated to the Superior Commandant of
Gabon and the Gulf of Guinea Settlements; from 1886 subordinated to the Lieutenant Governors of
Guinea), where in 1842 France had declared protectorates over the Kingdoms of
Nzima and
Sanwi (posts at Assinié 1843-1870, and Grand Bassam, Fort Dabou 1853-1872, part of the Colony of Gorée and Dependencies in Senegal]):
- 1871 - 1885 Arthur Verdier (to 1878 Warden of the French Flag) (b. 1835 - d. 1898)
1885 - 1886 Charles Bour -Commandant-particular
1886 - 9 March 1890 Marcel Treich Leplène (b. 1860 - d. 1890)
9 March 1890 - 14 June 1890 Jean Joseph Étienne Octave Péan (acting)
14 June 1890 - 1892 Jean Auguste Henri Desailles
1892 Eloi Bricard (acting)
1892 - 12 November 1892 Julien Voisin (acting)
12 November 1892 - 10 March 1893 Paul Alphonse Frédéric Heckman; therefater it had its own Governors
On the Comoros, in the Indian Ocean, several Residents were posted with the various native sultanates on major islands; they were all three subordinated to the French administrators of Mayotte island protectorate (itself constituting the native Maore or Mawuti sultanate) :
- On Ngazidja (Grande Comore island, divided in eleven sultanates, some of which on occasian had the superior title of Sultani tibe): November 1886 - 1912
On Ndzuwani (Anjouan island) with the Phany (sole Sultan): only two incumbents 188x - 189x
On Mwali (Mohéli island) from 1886; then 1889 - 1912 filled by the above résidents of Anjouan
On Wallis and Futuna, after a single French Representative styled chargé de mission (7 April 1887 - 26 June 1888, Maurice Antoine Chauvot), there was a long list of Residents from 7 April 1887; since 3 October 1961, when both islands were joined as the Wallis & Futuna overseas territory, their successors were styled Administrateur supérieur 'Administrator-superior', but the native dynasties remain; they represented the French government by virtue of the protectorate treaties with the Tui (ruler) of `Uvea (Wallis island, 5 April 1887; 27 November 1887 administratively attached to New Caledonia) and on 16 February 1888 with the two kingdoms on Futuna - Tu`a (also called Alo) and Sigave 
Style Résident
This French title, meaning "Superior" (i.e. Senior) Resident, suggests he may have had junior Residents under him, but we have seen no data yet.
In Upper Volta (present Burkina Faso), which has had its own Lieutenant governor (before) or Governor (after) and intermediately has been part of one or (carved up) more neighbouring French colonies, there has been one Résident-Superieur of "Upper Ivory Coast", 1 January 1938 - 29 July 1940, while it was part of the Côte d'Ivoire colony: Edmond Louveau Résident supérieur
In the German colonies the title was also Resident; the post was called Residentur.
in Wituland: Ahmed ibn Fumo Bakari, the first mfalume (sultan) of Witu (on the Kenyan coast), ceded 25 square miles of territory on 8 April 1885 to the brothers Clemens and Gustav Denhardt's "Tana Company", and the remainder of the Wituland became the German Schutzgebiet (Protectorate) of Wituland (Deutsch-Witu) on 27 May 1885. The Reich was represented there by the German Residents: Gustav Denhardt (b. 1856 - d. 1917; in office 8 April 1885 - 1 July 1890) and his deputy Clemens Andreas Denhardt (b. 1852 - d. 1928) until on 1 July 1890 imperial Germany renounces its protectorate, ceding the Wituland to Great Britain which had on 18 June 1890 declared it a British protectorate).
in German East Africa
- Resident of Ruanda: 1906 - 15 November 1907 Werner von Grawert (d. 1918), formerly the last military district commander of Usumbura (the other district being Ujiji)
Resident of Urundi (present Burundi): 15 November 1907 - June 1916, starting with the same as above; formally accredited to the native Mwami (King; on 8 October 1905 the Germans recognized the already ruling Mwezi IV Gisabo as "Sultan" of Burundi and its only supreme authority)
Resident of Bukoba west of Lake Victoria overseeing an area of 32 200 km²;
in German Kamerun
- Resident of Garua
Resident of Mora
Resident of Ngaundere
in German South-West Africa (present Namibia)
- Resident of Schuckmannsburg for the Caprivi Strip. German colonial Residents
In Cabinda (in present Angola), five incumbents from 1885 (18 July 1885 Portuguese Congo district created after 14 February 1885 confirmation by the Berlin Conference of the 1883 Portuguese protectorate over "Portuguese Congo") to 1899 (end of autonomy under the Governors of Congo district which had its seat in Cabinda since 1887) Portuguese colonial Residents
Residents-general (& their subordinate Residents)
British Residents(-general)
At the "national" level of British Malaya, after the post of High Commissioners had been filled (1 July 1896 - 1 April 1946) by the governors of the Straits Settlements (see Singapore), Britain appointed the following Residents-general:
Then there were various British Chief Secretaries 1911-1936 and two Federal Secretaries until 31 January 1942; after three Japanese Military governors, the British Governor (1 April 1946-1 February 1948) stayed on as first of four High Commissioners as de facto Governor-general of the Federation of Malaya until independence on 31 August 1957 saw the creation of an elective federal Paramount ruler styled Yang Dipertuan Agong (since 16 September 1961 with the addition bagi Malaysia).
There were specific Residents accredited in most constituent Malay states:
A similar position, under another title, was held in the other Malay states:
In the Straits Settlements, under direct British rule:
On Northern Borneo, contrary to the Malay peninsula, in Sabah and Sarawak no such officials were appointed, as there were white rulers or governors;
but to the still sovereign Sultans of Brunei, lying between those larger states, British Residents were appointed 1906 - 1959 (interrupted by Japanese commander Masao Baba 6 January 1942 - 14 June 1945), afterwards only High Commissioners for the matters not transferred under autonomy (and 1971 Self-government) until full independence went in force 1 January 1984.
1 July 1896 - 1901 Frank Athelstane Swettenham (b. 1850 - d. 1946; from 1897, Sir Frank Athelstane Swettenham)
1901 - 1904 William Hood Treacher (b. 1849 - d. 1919)
1904 - 1910 Sir William Thomas Taylor (b. 1848 - d. 1931)
1910 - 1911 Arthur Henderson Young (b. 1854 - d. 1938)
1885-1911 British Residents were appointed to the Sultans (until 1886 styled Maharaja) of Johore, an unfederated state until 1946; thereafter the British crown was represented by General Advisers until the Japanese occupation, finally by Commissioners 1945-1948
1888-1941 to the Yang Di Pertuan Besar (state's elective ruler) of the nine member-confederation Negeri Sembilan, which accepted a British protectorate in 1888 and acceded in 1896 to the Federation; again British Commissioners after the Japanese occupation
- 1883-1895 additional British Residents were appointed to the Yang Di-Pertuan Muda (ruler) of Jelebu, a major member principality
1875-1889 additional British Residents were also appointed to the Undang Luak Sungai Ujong (ruler) of Sungai Ujong, another major member principality
1888-1938 British Residents were appointed to the Sultans (until 1882 styled Bendahara Seri Maharaja) of Pahang from the start of the British protectorate; again British Commissioners after the Japanese occupation
1874-1941 British Residents to the Sultans of Perak as written in the Pangkor Treaty of 1874, since they exchanged Thai sovereignty for a British protectorate; since 1 July 1896 part of the Federated Malay States; after the Japanese occupation a single British Commissioner
1875-1941 British Residents to the Sultans of Selangor during the Klang War, a year after accepting British protectorate (never under Thailand), 1 July 1896 part of Federated Malay States; after the Japanese occupation British Commissioners
1909-41 British Advisers replaced the Thai king's Advisers in the sultanate of Kedah, an unfederated state; after Japanese and Thai occupation, British Commissioners were appointed
1903-41 British Advisers replaced Thai ones in the sultanate of Kelantan, an unfederated state; after Japanese and Thai occupation, British Commissioners were appointed
1909-1941 British Advisers replaced Thai ones with the Rajas of Perlis, since the acceptance of British protectorate as an unfederated state in stead of the Thai sovereignty (since the secession from Kedah) and were appointed again after Japanese and Thai occupation, until 1 April 1946 it joins the Malay Union (from 16 September 1963, Malaysia)
1904-25 British Agents were appointed to the Sultans of Terengganu, i.e. even before the 9 July 1909 exchange of Thai sovereignty for a British protectorate as unfederated Malay state, then Advisers 1919-1941 (overlap merely both titles for the same incumbent); after Japanese and Thai occupation, British Commissioners were appointed.
in Singapore, after two separate British Residents (7 February 1819 - December 1822 William Farquhar, then John Crawfurd), the Governors of the Straits Settlements filled the post 1826 - 15 February 1942; after four Japanese Military Administrators and two Japanese Mayors, a British Military Administrator 12 September 1945 - 1 April 1946, then four British Governors and the second incumbent stayed on as first of two gubernatorial 'Heads of state' styled yang di-pertuan negara, his Malay successor also becoming the first President after independence
In Malacca (Melaka), a former Dutch colony, seven consecutive British Residents were in office 1795-1818, followed by three Dutch governors; after the final inclusion in the British Strait Settlements, 1826, most were titled Resident Councillor, except the periode 1910-1920 reverting to the style Resident; after the Japanese occupation, Resident Commissioners took their place until the 1957 independence installed Malaysian Governors and Chief Ministers
In Penang (Pinang), after three Superintendents for the British East India Company (1786-1799; only Prince of Wales Island had yet been ceded to the British by the Sultan of Kedah), then two Lieutenant-governors (in 1801 Province Wellesley on the mainland was added) and many Governors after 1805 (since 1826 as part of the Strait Settlements), only Resident Councillorss were in office 1849-1941 (name Penang assumed in 1867); after four Japanese and since 1945 two British military governors, four Resident Commissioners 1946-1957, since then Malaysian-appointed 'heads of state' In the British Malay states and possessions
(The French word is Résident-général)
French
In Morocco, accredited with the Sultan: Residents-general 28 April 1912 - 2 March 1956 (first incumbent previously military governor)
In Tunisia, accredited with the Basha Bey Residents-general 23 June 1885 - 31 August 1955; first incumbent was the last of the two previous Resident ministers
On Madagascar: 28 April 1886 - 31 July 1897 In Africa
In present Vietnam&Laos: Residents-general for Annam -Tonkin (at Hué) 11 June 1884 - 9 May 1889
- Residents-Superior for Annam (also at Hué) 1886 - 1950s (at least 1953)
Residents-Superior for Tonkin (at Hanoi; subordinated to Annam until 1888) 1886 - 1950s (at least 1953) - But none in Cochinchina
Residents-superior for Laos September 1895 - 5 April 1945
In Cambodia Residents-general 12 August 1885 - 16 May 1889;
- later downgraded (under Hué?) to Residents-superior 16 May 1889 - 15 October 1945
several regional Résidents In Indochina
(Belgium mainly used French in the colonies; the word in its other official language, Dutch, is Resident-generaal)
Burundi (cfr. German above; there were Belgian Residents ): 1960 - 1 July 1962 Jean-Paul Harroy (b. 1909 - d. 1995), staying on after being its Belgian last Governor (and Deputy Governor-general of the Belgian Congo) Belgian
In the protectorate Korea, accredited to the Choson Monarch (rendered as King or Emperor) 21 Dec 1905 - 1 Oct 1910 three incumbents, all Japanese peers (new western-type styles, rendered as: Marquess/Duke or Viscount); the last stayed on as the first Governor-General after full annexation to Japan
Japanese (original title?)
On occasion, residents were maintained, notably by former colonial powers, in territories in a transitional process to a new constitutional status, such as full independence. Such function could also be performed under another title, such as Commissioner or High Commissioner.
Thus after World War I, there were Residents in some mandate territories:
Also after World War II, and not only in former mandate territories; e.g. in parts of Libya, a former Italian colony, put under UN administration since 1946 prior to their unification as a Libyan kingdom, Britain maintained a Resident in Tripolitania April 1949 - 24 December 1951 and another in Cyrenaica 17 September 1949 - 24 December 1951, and France one in Fezzan 1950 - 24 December 1951.
In a later phase a former colony could itself appoint such Residents, as India did 5 December 1950 - 16 May 1975 in its Himalayan protectorate Sikkim, then still an independent monarchy (afterwards absorbed into India as an additional constitutive state) where Britain had obtained a protectorate over the Maharaja in 1861, see above.
after the French and British occupation of the former German colony Kamerun (since 26 September 1914), Britain started appointing a long line of Residents (some were District Officer or Senior D.O., others Deputy Resident or Senior Resident) in its zone from 1916, even before the 28 June 1919 formal division into French - and British Cameroons and the 20 July 1920 British Cameroons- League of Nations mandate; they continued in the 13 December 1946 created British Cameroons United Nations trust territory, until 31 December 1949; next a single Special Resident was appointed (although in 1949 Southern Cameroons was divided into two provinces: Bamenda, capital Bamenda, and Southern, capital Buea) until 1 October 1954 when British Cameroons became an autonomous part of Nigeria; next two Commissioners were appointed in stead, until on 1 October 1961 Southern British Cameroons was incorporated into the Republic of Cameroon (the former French Cameroun), the northern part was already united with Nigeria on 1 June 1961.
Present Jordan was part since 12 May 1920 of the British mandate of Palestine (under a British High Commissioner), but in August 1920 the British create autonomous local administrations in Ajlun, Salt, and Karak -with limited success, and 11 April 1921 the Emirate of Transjordan is (under British mandate); 26 May 1923 Transjordan formally separated from Palestine; 28 Feb 1928 Britain recognizes Transjordan mandate as independent, but maintains military and some financial control; 25 May 1946 proclamation of the Hashemite Kingdom (style Malik) of Transjordan (present Jordan); the 17 June 1946 formal independence from Britain finally ends the term of the last of four British Residents:
- April 1921 - 21 November 1921 Albert Abramson (b. 1876 - d. 19..)
21 November 1921 - April 1924 Harry St. John Bridger Philby (b. 1885 - d. 1960)
August 1924 - March 1939 Henry Cox (from 1937, Charles Henry Cox) (b. 1880 - d. 1953)
March 1939 - 17 June 1946 Alec Seath Kirkbride (b. 1897 - d. 1978) Postcolonial Residents
Government Resident: in Australia:
- in the Northern Territory, under the authority of the Governor of New South Wales, after having been merely under Military Commanders: 3 March 1864-1 January 1911, at which date it became a separate territory but the last incumbent stayed on as first of 6 Administrators; then again 1 February 1927 Robert Hunter Weddell was Government Resident for North Australia, until from 12 June 1931. Administrators were (and still are) appointed, even after on 1 July 1978 self-government was granted.
1 March 1927-12 June 1931, while the above was split, there were two consecutive incumbents for Central Australia
during the late 1860s, the title was often used in reference to Robert John Sholl, the chief government official in the North District of the Colony of Western Australia. Sholl, who was based in Roebourne, was officially responsible for all government matters in the northern part of of the Colony. (His position was later downgraded to that of Resident Magistrate for Roebourne.)
Resident Administrator: in Australia: on Lord Howe Island, repeatedly:
- at least two incumbent 1869-1882 (the first before the settlement started in 1834 was included in New South Wales; in 1878 the island was declared a forest reserve, reclassified botanic reserve in 1883; since 1913 this had a Local Advisory Committee); next came non-resident Magistrates and non-resident Chairmen of a Control Board in Sidney, then two Superintendents August 1940-1945;
again (incumbents not known) 1945 - 1953, then again Chairmen of the newly created Lord Howe Island Board; since 1982 the island is a UNESCO World Heritage site Other Uses
Resident Commissioner
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