OUR EASTERN EMPIRE.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 190, 29 July 1911, Page 4 (Supplement)

OUR EASTERN EMPIRE.

India tlm brightest j-ire! in our ImiH’rial diadt-m. is in -h a stale ot ■ unrest that onr Statesmen re4gi»rd th** condition *' f affairs anemia- s «MJ«. "Ilier.- Is e.-ry sign that in the future Indian affairs will take the first mart in one minds; hence it is ot more . than ordinary interest to obtain some little insight in‘o how wo hold our ; jr.‘a?tern Empire, and how- wo maintain ‘ sowr position 1 Indra i» a fat *.ss»<t continent than ■*» poptil.'.rK imagined and it contains nit one race bn; scores, having the great*"'- d-i ’ r< itv < f inhabitants and i.atural ol -eta 'Th* area it covers is r-tnaliv nr- and throc-nnartcr million s. mik-v .’nd what we vaguely t. Jn-lt.i i’. m fact, a territory con-.-i ting of many land-, the inhabitants ' of which speak seventv- ight well «••- Tied languages. and a vast n'lmlicr of <lt? lect»-

iit th-' pop'ilar mind India is finite different t<> the India of the official vmsfi'.- Tier- is a vast nnmMr of vr.tivo States, then tbc-ro are certain stiMi at- 11 Nepal, which Pitlirety U-vond British India, though under th- control or protection of the Governor-Crreral of India. In addition to British India and the Wlitones v h:<h are ruled by Indian , -inew. h’it which are subject to t ■ fi-iti’li Rtj. there are largo tracts of nibal territorv. Thi- territory is un•kr British pbt.<al inflm-we. though r -t ruled by the Indian Gi-vernment. s id further than this, there are sevc - .I self-govemin i States whi-h ar.?. •» ithin the Indian sphere of influence. Honglflv spcaki-ig it innv lie «ai<. that B iti’h India is governed by the Gor-errtor-Ger.cral in coniunction ■with _ his icnneil. tk>- corntrv being divided into eight great provinces ’ Then the provinces are subj.-ct to further partition f-r Government purposes. into divisions end di.stri- ts The divisions are placed under Commissioners. and the districts binder Collectors who act as magistrates. and there are about two hnn--diol and fifty of ihex districts in Bnt-

i-r> India. liut in India there ere also 688 native Btatnt revering 700,000 square miles, and containing inhabitants numbering n.-rr 70.000.000. Generally speaking. Vi s - native States have their own 1 e.-s and r-d-'r- vlm act independently of Briti-h authority in nearly all r*»’en. It is simply astonishing how the , tii.? States vary in character, praet - ally every tvpe of government being i und. from th t of the absolute monto the sc nali-t community. While

« h State is gov-rm-d in its own pe- •- diar wav. still th. re is always a British Itcwideut. or Agent, stationed there. —f' is sn'po-ed simp'y to help and to .’di is.»: that is to say, officially this Jpplie*. hut in reality he wields power 't rho native p’ln -e, or ruling body, •s the ra~- may br. rho.u* t" .dh. the Indian prince pos-.vt-ssej nnlnai>.*<i j> w- i. but practically •Lero is the Resident to keep him in ■touch tvith the British Government, •i tie British Raj undertakes to see that -the prim • is no; molested by other «i:L-n>. 'and also to act as peacemaker in case «.t ipiarre’s Really th- native prince has nothing like the powers which he is supposed io pesscs-s. and ip th? bed, cases he is -cable to limb.' rar nr peace. More ii'.in thi*. the res’iective princes are ;-ot slliwed to send ambassadors, or, tn fact, io have anything except com*rrial inf? rcoui — with any of the other Stat. - In addition, it is laid "down th.it no foreigner may reside nt the Court of any Indian prince unless .-pecial permission is obtained, while the print?" is only allowed to maintain tt bruited armed force The Indian prince has to pay towards the up-keep i'f the troops kept :»V the British Government. An imperia nt fs*«t is that every native ruler ■o-igrnju srTp-jwt to rH** of tno lipp: ria! Governmert to remove him in v-rse of n-.i-lichaviour Outside these limits most of the Indian prim?*? are allowed to do absolutely as thov like. To put the matter in a few word-, the princes are allowed ’•a arrange their internal affairs in their wn wav so as to preserve native rn’e and cu-toni? Still our political agents Koop a sharp ln<>k-out in order to see that nothing is done which i.»ight be prejudicial to the ■ interests of the Empire.

The natii- States vary tremendously in size. s'i:-- being a* great as Enrr>I ran king'L ni'. and others Wing < cm--4 nrativ-.'iy small places. Each of the native prince*- is entitled to a salute of so many guns. The number of tlie®c s.’lute» indicates the relative imimrt:»t,ec of th*- princes, and those with c.-rrn m:::- •>- m-'re. are addre-s-d ’y Die title of Hi, Highness.” In »‘i’- cis*, the Governin'nt increases th-- ii’jruix'r of salutes a princ? ip.-iv rm* tt.i-> being done as a m.-rK *'i’ the f>t*s-rn in which he is held, ami tie incr>-..—• ot salutes lapses at I>i» j’-ath I !!•• Gaekwat of loaruda, rh<> Nizam of Hyderabad, and tho Mali 'iai.nh of .Vlysjre are each entitled to saluK-i of 21 gun* Other nobles are entitled to varying numbers: thus the B-'gum of Bho| al is •-nt it led to 21 guns it? .ide l;--r own territory, and to a salute ♦if ie outside. The same honour tpplios to the other princes.

There a"- two native State* in India, Nepnl and Bhutan, which, pra« •■- ’ tieallv ajwakiiij;. are independent of the Imperia! Government. Still, with the exception ol China the.M? Stale-, have no relit »<<»»» with any Power. A ; British resident w stationed in i •but he exerts no authority in matt. > . of internal government. These latter countries are dStin<-tly . lends of mystery, b-it while enjoying airwet < omp’-'te seclusion they send •H'ss.on* to greet each new GovernorGenrrni of Indie and some of th, most treasure 1 fighting men in the Indian" Army are r-s-rnit..! from the n,ountainon> lands of Nepul. Bhutan ’ :s Still a de t»ly veiled country, rrei »ro posse* s little information repirdm. it The government is dual in form, with .1 spiritual chief (who is the incarnr.tion of the founder of the State! and ’ a temporal chief.

Then there are the independent conn tries of IJaltv lUstan and Af-Lv'--.■,,>>. ti.ongh these countries nre not . I t.» have .in-.- p.'liricnl relations w>Hi any fereirm P<>w-,*r Rr>ti-h r >, -

liic for-r of Oi.'tta in Ib'v.--.,,, a fortress whi-h command- t> !->> Psrss. and wo the tr"'-v r • »>, f Wlipv aisT other position i” t’-• <■ >•,-