Love is both blind and hereditary in India. If you want proof of that, visit the remnants of Michel James Marie Raymond’s tomb in Hyderabad. Two hundred years since ‘Monsieur’ Raymond’s death in 1798, you can still find offerings made by the locals at his grave.
The offering itself varies based on one’s religion. The Hindus remember him as Musa Ram; the Muslims as Musa Rahim. Either will leave a sweet or incense sticks. But Asaf Jàh II, Nizam of Hyderabad (1734-1803), whom Raymond served as General in the Hyderabad Army, sent a different offering on his passing – a box of cigars and a bottle of beer (Dalrymple, White Mughals: p xxxiv).
The Nizam knew that Raymond had died a betrayed man. After years of loyal and efficient service to the Hyderabad State, his duties were discarded and his rival (the British Resident James Kirkpatrick) was appointed in his place. The destiny of Hyderabad was thus intertwined with that of the British – and France had lost one of its greatest captains in India.
But the men who served under him remember him fondly. On the anniversary of his death, they would assemble near his tomb eating sweetmeats and recounting their adventures together. The tradition of tributes they paid to their former general is probably the reason why so many locals continue to revere Raymond today.
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