WEALTH OF INDIA.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 4032, 5 January 1932, Page 6

WEALTH OF INDIA.

FABULOUS STORES. MAGNIFICENCE OF PRINCES. LAVISH ENTERTAINMENTS. The request of the Indian Princes attending the Rounu Table Conference to bo allowed to pay their own expenses m view of tin financial crisis in Britain was a gesture of loyalty, friendliness, and generosity, writes A. M. in the Svdnev “Daily Telegraph. ComparativJy few people who have not lived iu India'recognise that the native States represent one fifth of 'lie total area of that geographic unit and oneapuirtei ot the population There are 662 Stales ruled bv Indian princes, Rajahs, and chiefs, varvme in size from 84.000 square mdes down t. andei one square mile; and fp-m a population oi nttwn indiums .In., n ) ; 'Vi? in' : : \ ;ui , , nt . ;lll) ers of the Chamuei of Ihuices * are the most important, by reason of then Herritorv, the populations they govern tle • prestige they hear. ihe role of then - in ,. s at 1 titles conjures up the history 0 f icdia dirongii the ages, and the ntag,rigV „ . v hull so astonished Warren Hasj,, ; live and still astonishes visitors U Gene.-ai’lv the Native Princes are spohei. of i.s Rajahs, but the variations of the kingly title are many In the Hindu States Ihe ruler may be Maharajah, Ma- , ' Nirana, Rawal, Rai. and Ran. de n y latcs he is Nawab, but a ( ,f all the Moslem Princes is , i; , .in (u. Hyderabad). In the smaller States the title may he the Mir, Khan, or Jam. , . . T ~ The, recognition of the rank of a INatiye Prince on" British territory is _by his salute Hun-lire is the audible witness of high estate. The Princes are graded by the number , ' guns accorded to them, and some in recognition of particular service to the Empuo receive in addition a peisonal For example, the Maharajah of Bikaner receives a salute of 17 guns, plus a personal salute of two additional guns. Princes with eleven guns and more are styled ‘Highness" ; lesser ones, "Excellency. ’ It is interesting to watch a Native Prince arrive at Durbar, and descend from his carriage and stand rooted to the ground counting the guns as lhey go oft lest bis dignity be diminished by an error in the number. Strictly Aristocratic. Inside the durbar hall it is the same. Tin Viceroy or Governor, as the case may bo, arises from Ids throne and ad--ac es to meet his guest. How far he ~uw many steps, depends upon the iuna of the Native Prince. The snot, nn tlie carpet is rigidly eyed bv dl beholder st the Viceroy by some mis omit dots nut advance far enough or too tar. . Tim East is, left to itself, strictly aristocrat. It believes in ceremony, magnificence, and the protocol. That is why or. Curzon was a great success. He gave the Indians the pomp and ceremony Which they like. Yet the pomp and .ceremony of the Vice-Regal Court pales to almost insignificance before thet magnificence and ritual of many of the Native Princes. The extent to which the natives appreciate ceremony may be gathered from the fact that, the colloquial for a “Native Prince” is the ‘Durbar Sahib.” The r - personal link between Ruler and ruled is . verv strong, because of the daily durbar, . when any subject may approach the Prince (Rajah, by the way, means “protector of Die people”). Life iu an Indian State, for a foreigner? anyhow,-is much brighter than in British India. ANiativa capital is full of pictur- . esque incidents. The Ruler and his court wear the immemorial robes of splendour. The processioa of jewelled and caparisoned elephants is maintained The horses of cavalry have painted points. The attendants carry the peacock’s feathers and the yak tails; the gold and silver maces precede the Ruler. Tlie State umbrella is in evidence, the symbol of his power. Life is personal, a galaxy of colour and a riot of incident. Sure Credits. The wealth, of some of the Rajahs is fabulous. In their personal affairs at 1 least ihere seems little trouble in balanced ing budgets. Nor is their wealth in bank . : ! ~mus. or overdrafts, stocks, and shares, .-:ui the other credits of Western capitalists. Wealth is real, visible, and tangible, lb lies in the tosha-hanas, in the jewel houses, gob! and silver bullion, and clis- - ordered piles of [-earls, emeralds, diaV* moods and rubies; in jewelled ornaments ;>W weapons; in gem encrusted garments. Thank of the ruby of Jebangir, which Munlaz-ad-Dowiah -.ore to celebrate the building of the ’ ,ij Mahal, and which in 1848 fell to (.Ween Victoria and bedecks crown of Britain. It was only one superior i- e gems. of Ho) Baja.. as at Amber, not the ; r jee. cl uses, but hoards gems. v. hic'li they are only .('..W; O once on of Kashmir 'i a n up •’ w’iTi'v'* :>'-«vnt found v';V ; g.N’j bvh.W'f or 1 V‘ ■ ■v-.f'W w-AW 1 gold and sifljic iMii I *.!*} ,*Vy N<^K ate. Ve| ; j.'-' - w ‘ y,'. '• moitpy r \ n ' ,r \ . f * **"' y-r.- W' 1 ' ami ' igspecialh '\* ''' \ . I V' 1 - iv '''r. to the !, ‘ electric a b t'&sS -J';- 1 * '-'.."V My >* ,vf ;ul 1 W;-'" $ * *}»****' *> 5“ VP ; s I'T«.V i,' "h.-W' 1 " - yt. ; * 'yr.,.’'-/; ,r v- '-y V ; * 'L >*tcd earMi saloon 'V.s were taken e Indian U |n Paudal Motilal last : -