The correct answer is (b), George William Trail.
George William Trail was the first Commissioner to Kumaun. He was appointed to the position in 1815 and served until 1823. Trail was a Scottish officer in the British East India Company. He was born in 1782 and died in 1862.
Trail was a keen observer of Indian culture and society. He wrote several books on India, including “The Land of the Vedas” and “The People of the Himalayas”. Trail was also a talented artist and his paintings of Indian landscapes are still admired today.
Trail’s appointment as Commissioner to Kumaun was a significant event in the history of the region. Kumaun had been ruled by the Gorkha kingdom of Nepal since the 18th century. In 1815, the British East India Company defeated the Gorkhas in the Anglo-Nepalese War. As part of the peace treaty, the British took control of Kumaun.
Trail was tasked with establishing British rule in Kumaun. He faced a number of challenges, including the resistance of the local population and the difficult terrain of the region. However, Trail was a successful administrator and he was able to establish British rule in Kumaun.
Trail’s legacy in Kumaun is mixed. He is remembered as a fair and just administrator, but he is also criticized for his role in the suppression of the local population. Nevertheless, Trail was a significant figure in the history of Kumaun and his work helped to shape the region into what it is today.
The other options are incorrect.
(a) George Thomas Lushington was the first Chief Commissioner of the North-Western Provinces. He was appointed to the position in 1835 and served until 1837. Lushington was a British civil servant who was born in 1782 and died in 1873.
(c) Henery Ramsay was a British officer in the Indian Army. He served in the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and was later appointed as the Commissioner of Kumaun. Ramsay was born in 1826 and died in 1891.
(d) Edward Gardner was a British civil servant who served in India. He was appointed as the Commissioner of Kumaun in 1862 and served until 1866. Gardner was born in 1824 and died in 1898.