PRINCES OF INDIA

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 162, 22 April 1935, Page 8

PRINCES OF INDIA

HOW THEY RULE.

BRITISH ASSISTANCE. The co-operation of the Princes of India is recognised to be vital to the success of any scheme of government which is granted to India in the future. The signs of their support of the Government Bill which is to be promoted in this session of Parliament are, on the whole, favourable, for the Princes recognise that their peoples are concerned about reform; and as the safeguards so imperative at an early stage are widely approved it is not surprising that the' Princes are inclined not merely to fall into line but to show a keen enthusiasm to make the best of the new departure, states an English journal. Sir William Barton, K.C.I.E. who has served as British Resident of Mysore and Hyderabad, has for some time been associated with the Political Department specially charged with the care of the relations between the Princes and the Government. He has not only seryed the Princes but knows the conditions, and his book "The Princes of India," is not only timely and topical but gives tlie British reading public a perspective of the Indian States ruled by the Princes which hitherto has not been available. In one of the chapters in which Sir William describes the present condition of government, he says:— "In England one may pass one's life without seeing anything'of officialdom beyond the policeman and the postman. The position is very different in India, even in the States. Nearly half a century ago Kipling sympathised with the peasant as "the much administered man.' Th 3 administration is even more comprehnsive now.

Official Trinity of the Village. "Officialdom begins in the village with the head-man or mayor, the accountant, and the village constable. These posts are generally herditary in the States. The village community organised on a caste or clan basis, _is in fact, the foundation of the administrative system. From it rises the superstructure of the official hierarchy. "The peasant must stand well with the official trinity of his village if he desires a peaceful existence. The accountant keeps the records of rights in land in the village; he writes up the amounts due from each peasant for land revenue; he reports on and sometimes appraises the crops ; Indian crop forecasts, which influence the markets of the world are in fact, based on his figures. Crime again is less rife in the States than on the British side of the border, possibly because police methods are more rough and ready.

"In the larger States—e.g., Baroda, Mysore, Hyderabad, Trayancore, Gwalior, and Bhopal the higher grades of the Civil Service, are, as a rule, tolerably efficient. In the majority of the States, however, they are underpaid and proportionately unreliable. Appointments are not always made with due regard to merit and suitability, a highly-trained electrical engineer, for example may find himself posted to the Palace Amusements Department; a chief engineer, responsible for great public works may suddenly be transferred to a confidential appointment on a Princess's staff.

Inspector of Dancing Girls. "It is barely twenty years ago since in one small State the inspector of dancing girls on £l5O a year was given an extra £lO for acting as Chief Justice. ' In many States the old system of administering justice has been superseded by the complex hierarchy of Bench and Bar on the British model. Whether the innovation is a boon to the people is open to doubt. Competent authorities will tell you that justice is speedier and more in accordance with equity when a decision is reached by the traditional methods of the village or guild panchayat (council of five), and the ultimate appeal to the Durbar, than is the case when the regular courts function. "The larger States generally have High Courts. It is not unusual practice for rulers to appoint retired British or Indian High Court Judges as Chief Judges of their High Courts, which increases the confidence of outeiders who may desire to establish business relations in State territory. In some States the ruler delegates most of his authority to a Minister, who is frequently supported by an executive ■ council. Given an able and efficient Minister, the quality of the administration is generally good. "It frequently happens that Brahmins who have had admisistrative experience in British India, are selected for Ministerial posts by Hindu rulers. Officers so lent have in many cases rendered excellent service. Experience and Inside Knowledge.

"The experience and inside knowledge which a ruler who realises his duties towards his people can build up in the course of years makes it possible for him to keep a strong check oyer oppression by his officers, especially if he follows the example of his late Highness Ranjitsinhji, the Jam of Nawanagar. "When tiu; administration is in disorder or difficulties, the Paramount Power occasionaly advises a State Government to employ British officers or British Indian officers in key positions. On the other hand many rulers themselves apply for the loan of British experts from the Indian Civil Service, the Public Works, Finance, Police, Military, and so on. The Princes, it would seem, place a high value on such help, and State Ministers will tell' you how greatly they appreciate the services of British officers especially where strict impartiality is difficult to secure, as where there' is tension between Moslem and Hindu. British officers who have worked under Durbars could tell many a vivid story of their experiences and of their clashes with vested interests. Some have narrowly escaped poisoning; others, unless they held an im-pregnably-dominant position have had to fight endlessly against petty harassments and intrigue."