James Oliphant

Lieutenant-Colonel James Oliphant (1796–1881) was Director and Chairman of the Honourable East India Company, and Equerry to the Maharajah Duleep Singh of the Punjab.

James was the fourth son (of seven children) of Ebenezer Oliphant, 7th of Condie and Mary, third daughter of Sir William Stirling of Ardoch.

One of Arthur Craigie's children was Sir Lancelot Oliphant, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Belgium and Director General of the Foreign Office.

In the late war, the Siege of Nowa(h), conducted by Ensign Oliphant, is the only example of this nature; upon which it may be remarked that if that enterprising and skilful officer had been provided with a body of properly trained Sappers and Miners, the place might undoubtedly have been taken in half the time".

[11][12] Oliphant had very independent views of the rights and justices of the Indians under the East India Company's rule and was not scared to stand up for them.

[14] As Sir James Hogg, 1st Baronet commented in the House of Commons in July, 1848: "Major Oliphant had given an opinion in favour of the Raja's innocence.

The fact was, however, that Major Oliphant was the only one out of thirty directors who ever wrote or spoke one word, not merely against the honour, but against the propriety of the conduct of Colonel Ovans."

As John Elliot said in the same debate in the House of Commons, the issue brought into question the very integrity of the East India Company's government in Bombay.

The Raja had been presented with two choices, either admit to a host of charges, in which case he could retain his position or plead his innocence and be stripped of almost everything that he owned or stood for.