New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1879-04-09
Enelish Rule IN India

English Rule II India.
It is notorious fact that the eI-
pense Of British rule in India Is some.
thing enormous, and forms q crushing
incubus on the country. The popula-
ton is roughly estimated at 100, O00,-
600. and the. average taxation last year
In various ways amounted to three and
three-fourth shillings (Englishl per
head. The gross production Of India
for the same time averaged thirty-one
and q half shillings per head, 80 that
the taxes took II per cent. Of the
product. These figures alone are enor-
NOUS; and when we add the opium Inn
post and the local and municipal taxes,
there is an aggregate of nearly ESQ.,
0O0,0 or $3.50, 600. 600. In 1857, the
total was only about half the above
amount; there has been no increase Of
population, and though the railways
have caused development in many
parts of the country, it has not kept
pace with the expenditure. Accord
ing to high authorities, India is every
year poorer and poorer. The land tax
is q burden SO great that the scultiva-
ton of the soil does not always enable
cuitivator to obtain the commonest
necessities for himself and family, and
the condition of the day-laborer Is pitt
full in the extreme. The great mass of
the people are in q condition of the
most wretched poverty, want in all its
forms stares you constantly in the face,
and the only way for q traveller in In
dia to escape the sight Of it is to sail
away to some other land. OF all the
countries on the globe I have ever Wis
tied, India is the one l least care to see
again, and largely for the reason given
in the preceding sentence. In two
widely-separated parts Of the great
peninsula saw people dying Of fam
inc, and their gaunt and haggard forms
rise before me all too often to make
memory an unalloyed pleasure. That
India has reached the highest point of
taxation is loudly proclaimed by both
native and English residents, and not
a few Englishmen predict her bank
ruptcy before many years shall have
rolled away.
A great portion of the natives are in
different to the foreign rule, and some
are warmly in favor of it, especially
those who hold Offices of greater or less
Importance, and receive q revenue
from them. On the other hand.
think there can be no question that
there is great hostility to the British
authority, and if the way were open to
q revolt, with a promise of success, it
would be speedily forthcoming. Sew
eral of the native Princes, still occupy
ing their thrones, maintain armies of
their own, which are regarded with no
friendly eye by the Government. Nu-
merically, at least on paper, these ar
mics are stronger than the whole Brit
ish force, native and foreign, but their
equipment, organization and discipline
are far inferior, so that they are not
considered formidable. The most i'm
portant of these native forces are those
of Sindia and the Nizam; both of these
rulers are on the best of terms, for the
present at any rate, with the British.
Sindia, who holds the rank of General,
has offered his army to the Government
for Russian or an Afghan war. Many
of the smaller rulers are not so well
disposed, and are only held in check
because they know that characterization
would take away what little power they
possess. That there is an under-current
of hostility had various opportunities
OF knowing. Several times I had con-
versations with native gentlemen-some
of them the result of introductions by
English residents were fur
from complimentary to the rulers of
the land. In these instances, which I
cannot specify without violation of con.
tidence, either asked or tacitly implied,
the list of grievances included the enor-
nous taxation, arbitrary enactments of
an oppressive character, n ational and in.
dividual arrogance, together with other
things more sentimental than practical.
The English in India leave no doubt to
exist that they are the ruling race, and
the meanest tramp among them con-
siders himself of more importance and
better by blood and birth than the high
est native Prince. It is no wonder that
the natives should chafe under the
yoke, especially when they in turn con-
slider themselves the superiors in point
of race and religion, and boast an an
tiquity far beyond that of the invader.
Your servant who will not touch,
through fear of pollution, the food you
eat, cannot hold youin great respect.-
Thomas KNOB, IN Harper Magazine for
March. -, ~ 81
q