Sir Charles James Napier (August 10, 1782 - August 29, 1853) was a British general and Commander-in-Chief in India. The city of Napier, New Zealand is named after him.
A quote for which Napier is famous involves a delegation of Indian locals approaching him and complaining about his interference with suttee, the custom of burning widows alive on the funeral pyres of their husbands. The exact wording of his response varies somewhat in different reports, but the following version captures its essence:
- "You say that it is your custom to burn widows. Very well. We also have a custom: when men burn a woman alive, we tie a rope around their necks and we hang them. Build your funeral pyre; beside it, my carpenters will build a gallows. You may follow your custom. And then we will follow ours."
A statue in honour of Sir Charles Napier is placed on a pedestal at Trafalgar Square, London.
- General Napier should not be confused with his cousin Admiral Charles Napier (naval officer) of the same name. The admiral visited his cousins in the Peninsular and this can lead to confusion.
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