# Who's Who in India Supplement 1 (1912)/The Durbar

THE DURBAR.
On Tuesday, December, 12th, the Durbar was held on the site of Lord Lytton's Assemblage of 1877 and the Durbar of 1903. The Durbar Amphitheatre contained some twelve thousand seats and accommodated the Governors, Lieutenant​Governors and other high officials, and the Ruling Chiefs and Durbaris from British India and the Native States. Facing the Amphitheatre was the spectators' mound, which accommodated fifty thousand persons. Seats for six thousand school children were reserved on this mound. Their Excellencies the Governor-General and Lady Hardinge left their Camp shortly before Their Majesties, with a fitting escort, and were received with all the honours due to their exalted station on their arrival at the Amphitheatre. Punctually at 11-30 Their Imperial Majesties set out in an open state carriage from their Camp, with an escort of one British Cavalry Regiment, a Battery of Royal Horse Artillery, their Body-guard, the Imperial Cadet Corps and one Regiment of Indian Cavalry. Their Majesties were dressed in full state robes, His Majesty wearing an Imperial Crown especially made for the occasion, and Her Majesty wearing a magnificent tiara. Arrived at the Amphitheatre, Their Majesties were received with an Imperial salute of 101 guns, the twenty thousand troops paying the customary Royal honours. Their Majesties were then conducted to their Thrones by His Excellency the Governor-General. In immediate attendance on His Majesty were H. H. the Maharana of Udaipur, Ruling Chief in Waiting, and the five Aides-de-Camp, — H. H. the Maharaja of Gwalior, H. H. Maharaja Bahadur Sir Partap Singh of Idar (Maharaja Regent of Jodhpur), Colonel Nawab Sir Aslam Khan, G. C. I. E., H. H. the Nawab of Rampur, and H. H. the Maharaja of Bikaner.
His Majesty ordered the Master of Ceremonies, Sir Henry McMahon, to open the Durbar. The King-Emperor then made the following speech :
THEIR MAJESTIES AT THE DURBAR
"In doing so, I have fulfilled the wish expressed in my message of last July, to announce to you in person my Coronation celebrated on the 22nd of June in Westminster Abbey, when, by the Grace of God, the Crown of my Fore-fathers was placed on my head with solemn form and ancient ceremony.
"By my presence with the Queen-Empress I am also anxious to show our affection for the loyal Princes and faithful Peoples of India, and how dear to our hearts is the welfare and happiness of the Indian Empire.
"It was moreover, my desire that those who could not be present at the solemnity of the Coronation should have the opportunity of taking part in its commemoration at Delhi.
"It is a sincere pleasure and gratification to myself and the Queen-Empress to behold this vast assemblage and in it my Governors and trusty officials, my great Princes, the representatives of the Peoples, and deputations from the Military Forces of my Indian Dominions.
"I shall receive in person with heartfelt satisfaction the homage and allegiance which they loyally desire to render.
"I am deeply impressed with the thought that a spirit of sympathy and affectionate good-will, unites Princes and People with me on this historic occasion.
"In token of these sentiments I have decided to commemorate the event of my Coronation by certain marks of my especial favour and consideration, and these I will later on to-day cause to be announced by my Governor-General to this assembly.
"Finally, I rejoice to have this opportunity of renewing in my own person those assurances which have been given you by my revered predecessors of the maintenance of your rights and privileges and of my earnest concern for your welfare, peace, and contentment. ​ "May THE Divine favour of Providence watch over my People and assist me in my utmost endeavour to promote their happiness and prosperity.
"To all present, Feudatories and Subjects, I tender our loving greeting."
His Majesty's address was received with enthusiastic cheers from the vast assemblage.
The Governor-General. High Officials and Ruling Chiefs next advanced to the Thrones and did homage in the following order : —
His Highness the Nizam of Hyderabad.
His Highness the Gaekwar of Baroda.
His Highness the Maharaja of Mysore.
His Highness the Maharaja of Kashmir.
His Highness the Maharaja of Jaipur.
His Highness the Maharaja of Jodhpur.
His Highness the Maharao Raja of Bundi.
His Highness the Maharao of Kotah.
His Highness the Maharaja of Kishengarh.
His Highness the Maharaja of Bharatpur.
His Highness the Maharawal of Jaisalmer.
His Highness the Maharaja of Alwar.
His Highness the Maharaj Rana of Dholpur.
His Highness the Maharajadhiraja of Sirohi.
His Highness the Maharawal of Dungarpur.
His Highness the Maharaj Rana of Jhalawar.
His Highness the Maharaja of Indore.
Her Highness the Begum of Bhopal.
His Highness the Maharaja of Rewah.
His Highness the Maharaja of Orchha.
His Highness the Raja of Dhar.
His Highness the Raja of Dewas (Senior Branch).
His Highness the Raja-of Dewas (Junior Branch).
His Highness the Maharaja of Samthar. ​His Highness the Nawab of Jaora.
His Highness the Raja of Katlam.
His Highness the Maharaja of Panna.
His Highness the Maharaja of Charkhari.
His Highness the Maharaja of Bijawar.
His Highness the Maharaja of Chhatarpur
His Highness the Raja of Sitamau.
His Highness the Raja of Sailana.
His Highness the Raja of Rajgarh.
The Rana of Barwani.
The Raja of Alirajpur.
His Highness the Khan of Kalat.
The Jam of Las Bela.
His Highness the Maharaja of Sikkim.
His Highness the Maharaja of Bhutan.
His Highness the Maharaja of Travancore.
His Highness the Raja of Cochin.
His Highness the Raja of Puddukottai.
His Highness the Maharaja of Kolhapur.
His Highness the Rao of Cutch.
His Highness the Maharaja of Idar.
His Highness the Mir of Khairpur.
His Highness the Nawab of Palanpur.
His Highness the Jam of Nawanagar.
His Highness the Maharaja of Bhavnagar.
His Highness the Raj Saheb of Dhrangadra.
His Highness the Raja of Rajpipla.
His Highness the Nawab of Cambay.
His Highness the Nawab of Radhanpur.
His Highness the Thakur Saheb of Gondal.
His Highness the Nawab of Janjira.
His Highness the Sultan of Lahej.
The Sultan of Shehr and Mokalla
The Fadthli Sultan. ​The Raja of Dharanpur.
The Raja of Bansda.
The Raja of Chota Udaipur.
The Maharawal of Bariya.
The Nawab of Sachin.
The Raj Saheb of Vankaner.
The Thakur Saheb of Palilalia.
The Thakur Saheb of Limbdi (Limri).
The Thakur Saheb of Rajkot.
The Chief of Bhor.
The Chief of Mudhol.
His Highness the Maharaja of Cooch Behar.
The Raja of Karond (Kalahandi).
His Highness the Nawab of Rampur.
His Highness the Maharaja of Benares.
His Highness the Raja of Tehri.
His Highness the Maharaja of Patiala.
His Highness the Nawab of Bahawalpur.
His Highness the Maharaja of Jhind.
His Highness the Maharaja of Nabha.
His Highness the Maharaja of Kapurthala.
His Highness the Raja of Sirmoor.
His Highness the Raja of Mandi.
His Highness the Raja of Bilaspur.
His Highness the Nawab of Maler Kotla.
His Highness the Raja of Faridkot.
His Highness the Raja of Chamba.
His Highness the Raja of Suket.
The Nawab of Loharu.
The Sawbwa of Kengtung.
The Sawbwa of Yanghwe.
MALIK UMAR HYAT KHAN, C.I.E., M.V.O.
The Homage having been paid, Their Majesties advanced in an imposing procession from the Durbar Shamiana to the Royal Pavilion. Here they were in full view of the fifty thousand spectators and the twenty thousand troops. Their Majesties were attended by Their Excellencies the Governor-General and Lady Hardinge. His Highness the Duke of Teck, the Duchess of Devonshire, the Countess of Shaftsbury and the Hon'ble Venetia Baring; with the young Maharajas of Bharatpur and Jodhpur, the Maharaj Kumar Himmat Singh of Idar, the Maharaj Kumar Sadul Singh of Bikanir, the grandson of the Maharaja of Orchha, and Sahibzada Wahidaz Zafar Khan of Bhopal as pages in attendance on the King-Emperor, and the Thakur Saheb of Palitana, Maharaj Kumar Gulab Singh of Rewa, Rajkumar Ramchandra Singh, Maharaj Mandhata Singh, both of Sailana, in attendance on Her Majesty. There was a pause while Their Majesties showed themselves in their Royal splendour to the crowded populace, then a stirring roll of drums and the massed bands sounded a summons to the Heralds, Major Peyton and Malik Umar Hayat Khan Tiwana, C. I. E., M. V. O. The former read the Royal Proclamation, which was as follows :
"Whereas, by Our Royal Proclamations bearing date the nineteenth day of July and the seventh day of November in the year of Our Lord one thousand nine hundred and ten in the first year of Our Reign, we did publish and declare Our Royal intention, by the Favour and Blessing of Almighty God, to celebrate the Solemnity of Our Royal Coronation upon the twenty-second day of June, one thousand nine hundred and eleven;
"And Whereas, by the Favour and Blessing of Almighty God, we were enabled to celebrate the said Solemnity upon Thursday, the 22nd June last;
"And Whereas, by Our Royal Proclamation bearing date the twenty-second day of March, in the year of Our Lord one thousand nine hundred and eleven, in the first year of Our Reign, we did declare that it was Our wish and desire ​Ourselves to make known to all Our loving subjects within Our Indian Dominions that the said Solemnity had been so celebrated, and to call to Our Presence, Our Governors, Lieutenant-Governors, and other of Our Officers, the Princes, Chiefs, and Nobles of the Native States under Our Protection, and the representatives of the Provinces of Our Indian Empire;
"Now we do by this Our Royal Proclamation, make announcement thereof and extend to all Our Officers, and to all Princes, Chiefs, and Peoples now at Delhi assembled Our Royal and Imperial Greeting and assure them of the deep affection with which we regard Our Indian Empire, the welfare and prosperity of which are and ever will be Our constant concern.
"Given at Our Court at Delhi, the twelfth day of December, one thousand nine hundred and eleven, in the second year of Our Reign."
The Assistant Herald, Malik Umar Hayat Khan Tiwana, then read an Urdu translation of the Proclamation. The reading was followed by loud and prolonged cheering, and it was further signalized by the massed bands playing the National Anthem, and the Artillery firing a salute of 101 guns, which was followed by a "feu de joie" from the troops. These salutes ended, His Excellency the Governor-General stood at the foot of the Throne and read the statement of Royal Boons which it had pleased the King-Emperor, after consultation with his Ministers and the Governor-General in Council, to grant to his Indian subjects.
The announcement was as follows :