THE RAJA'S GIFTS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2669, 14 January 1916, Page 3

THE RAJA'S GIFTS

INDIA'S GENEROUS HELP IN THE WAR (By St. Nihal Singh.) India has more than 700 Rajas, whose possessions, powers, and privileges vary greatly, aud it is only natural that Britons who aro without special knowledge of India should not bo able to irasp the significance that attaches to the generous aid that these Indian riders have been rendering to the Empire during the fifteen months of the war. I may, therefore, call the reader's attention to some important points in this connection. ■ I shall first take the case of Nepal. It is nearly five times as large as Belgium as it was before the ivar, but with about three-fourths of its population. ' It is over-run by ranges of the Himalayas, which, in many places, attain a very high altitude. It is the home of the brave Gurkhas, whoso exploits in France, Flanders, and Gallipoli have frequently been mentioned in official and newspaper dispatches. Without going into the intricacies of diplomacy, I may say that Nepal is not in the Indian Protectorate; as are the other Indian States rnled' by Rajas. . Nepal, however, has been most generous in helping the British to prosecute the war. Special facilities have been allowed for recruiting the Gurkhas, which in itself is a great and valuable privilege. The Maharaja of Nepal is a minor, and tho country is ' ruled by the Prime Minister, Maharaja Sir Chandra Shamshere Jang Bahadur, who has made; liberal contributions to purchase machine-guns and other equipment, and to the various war funds;. Perhaps most important of all, a cadet from the Maharaja's dynasty, Rana Jodha Jang Bahadur by name, has been fighting on the Continent for months. Recently he was_ wounded, but he refused to leave his regiment:' The following day a piece of shell hit him in the neck. Recently tfie Queen decorated tim with the Military Cross.

"Our Faithful Ally.!' Next I may refer to Hyderabad, known as tho premier Indian State, which'is almost seven, times the size of Holland, and has more than twice as large a population as has Queen Wilhelmina's land. Its ruler, the Nizam, is truly living up to the title "Our Faithful Ally," which the British bestowed upon one of His Highness's predecessors. ' Excluding the contributions that the Nizam has made to various funds, lie put £400,000 iiitb • the war chest, r am safe in saying that no other single contribution lias reached, muoli less ex, ceeded, this figure. It is important to note" that Ufawab Afsur-ul-Mulk, K.0.1.E., and Hyderabad troops are seeing active service.' i'he second largest contribution made by a single personage was the gift of £333,333 by.His Highness the Maharaja of Mysore,, the area and population of whose State are almost as large as those of Portugal. His : Highness is meeting tho expenses incurred by the troops, that lie has sent to the front, with some of 'which*'his near kinsman, Colonel Des Raj Urs. is serving. • The Maharaja-Gaekwar of Baroda, whose State is as large as "Wales and very rich, showed deep attachment to the British by placing all his resources, financial and military, at the service of the King-Emperor. His ; Highness has recently made generous contributions to purchase aeroplanes and has donated sums to many, funds.. Tho Mabajara of Bhutan, also, offered his entire resources. The Maharaja-Sindhia of»Gwalior—a large and populous State—has been prevented by ill-health from going to the front,_ as he did at the time of the Boxer rebellion in China. .His contributions have been, so many and so varied that it would take a large space merely to name them. > It is, indeed, impossible to do even scant justice to what the other Rajas have given in money and men. All that ] can say is that the direct expenses in connection with the war that the Indian rulers are incurring will run into millions' of rupees. Their troops are fighting in many theatres of war, and everywhere they are fighting most gallantly. A.gaiu and again officers and men belonging to the units of tho Imperial Eervice Troops—which, it.must be distinctly understood, belong to the Rajas and _ are .paid by . them—'have made heroic stands in the face of overwhelming odds, made assaults upon the enemy • when death was certain, and carried messages to beleaguered fortresses. The work of the cavalry, and especially of tho Camel Corps of the Maharaja of Bikanor, has been particularly brilliant. Sons of, Kings. . Rajas and cadets from Indian ruling families still continue to come to the front. Among them are Hindus, Musalmans and Sikhs. Many of them aro Hindus belongiug to the fighting race of Rajputs—-a word which means "sons of kings"—representatives of which

liave been ruling parts of India from ancient days to tho present timo. The oldest and the youngest among the Indian rulers who came to . figlit for the King-Emperor are Rajputs, the former over 70 years old and the _ latter not yet of age. Among the Hindu Rajas now at the front is one who is a Brahman, which is, strictly speaking, the priestly caste, but which furnishes some of the toughest of Indian fighters and shrewdest administrators.. A scion of the fine fighting raco of Marafchas at the front has recontly been invalided, and has gone" back to Akalkot, of which State lie is the Raja. Raj-Kumar (Prince) Hitendra Narayan of Coocli Behar, who also has gone hack, represents a faith which was founded by an Indian, Raja- Ram Mohan Roy, wTiose remains lio buried in Bristol, and who sought to abolish caste, seclusion of women, and other prejudices, and to establish the brotherhood of man. Among the Indian Rulers who have proceeded on active service is the Nawab of Loharu, who is proving useful in a politico-military capacity in the Per : sian Gulf region, where Indians, in conjunction with their British comrades, have been recently achieving great successes.

Only those who know of the sumptuous arrangements that exist in the •Rajas' palaces to insure their-comfort can appreciate the depth of devotion to the British cause that impels them to bear the hardships of campaign life. At home they have large and ■' commodious palaces, with scores of attendants, generations of whose ancestors' have served the Rajas, and who perform every possible .function for their masters, even in some instances to the point of- cutting away the meat from the bone, or placing a spoonful of rice in the Ruler's mouth, Keen to Fight. Even the most important Raja at the front has to share his small room with another, and must content himself with a single attendant, who must simultaneously'serve as private secretary, ade-de-camp, major domo, and valet. So auxi'ous have some cadets been to come to the front that they have put aside fheir pride of race and volunteered to serve as hostlers, if that position would' en-able-them to get ,into t'-e fight. It is characteristic of the culture of these personages that the hardship that they have felt the most has been the necessity of going without their customary baths. Privations, however, have no terrors for India's fighters, be they Rajas or commoners. Indeed, one of the most distinguishing .traits of character of many of the Indian rulers is So inure themselves to hardships. The Maharaja of Patiala, who was compelled by illness to abandon his journey to the front, sleeps on straw, under ordinary Army blankots, when his troops are en.gaged.in manoeuvres. . _ The Begums and R-auis have generously supplemente dthe aid that the Rajas have given in the war. This is especially the case with Her Highness the Begum of Bhopal, who rules, in her own right and name, over a State of considerable size and population in Central India. She has given contributions with a lavish hand to relief funds. Being a devou,t Musalman, she has sent hundreds of Korans to Muslim soldiers. This gift,' more than any other, emphasises the. staunch loyalty which .the Jfusalmans of India have 6liown to the British, to'.tho utter discomfiture of tho Young Turk party and its German henchmen.—London "Observer."