New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-03-10
RISE OF THE INDIAN EMPIRE.
THE ORIGINS OF BRITISH DOMINION.


pp. 2o5. Scribner's Sons.
Sir Alfred Lyall, high authority upon Indian
questions, has essayed in this volume an eX-
PLANTATION, and to some considerable extent
corrtt,tion, of the long-accepted and popular
theory of the rise OF the British dominion in
India This purpose separates the work from all
current histories of India, and lends to it sig
nifcance which must be fully recognized and APP
preciated The idea that the conquest OF India
was brought about solely By the irresponsible
acts of trading corporations, which may he said
to permeate modern history, is, contends this
author, O serious error; and it has seemed TO him
worth while to clear away the prevalent mis-
apprehension, and to show how by what causes
and convergent influences. the Indian Empire OF
England really came to be founded
Ono most indispensable preliminary fact involves
Q knowledge of the relations Of the western world
to India in the eighteenth century. 1t must be
constantly borne in mind that so late as this
period the peoples Of Europe were still clinging
to the belief that they had right to seize,
steal and occupy any foreign country, and forth
with monopolize its productions and its trade.
Tho example set by the Pope in preceding CEN
turtles in bestowing newly discovered regions upon
his Spanish and Portuguese allies had been
generally accepted as in accordance with the
Pontiff's rights; always provided, in the view of
hereto powers such as England and Holland, that
they need be under no scruples in defying the
pontifcal authority India made its first APP
pearance as tempting prey. Venice had been
enriched enormously by its commerce. and the
rest Of the maritime world was bound to share
tho plundcr. Spain and Portugal, indeed, made
the first important movement but they were
followed closely by Holland, and all three were
equally determined that none should share their
gains First to steal the prize, then to exclude
all the rest Of the world from participation in
Il, was the common policy; and voice
raised against the ethical monstrosity of it.
But there were great differences in the meth
DDS adopted. The Dutch exhibited the most
acuteness and business sense. as was to have
been expected from nation Of scamcn and
merchants whose interests were so united. The
English policy was for some time vaciating and
uncertain The greedy. venal Stuarts thought
only of making money BY East India adventure
They were willing to he paid for letting hardy
seamen and bold traders take all the risks: but
that was as far as they looked in the matter
The Spanish and Portuguese proved shrewd
traders but they were to find occupations
in Holland which would leave little room for
Oriental expansion. They could fight. but they
could no longer hold their own against the new
Corners Az to France, her position was as yet
undecided She was now one side. and
again on the other: allying herself anon with
Holland against England. and with England
against Holland next. But she moved by degrees
into position of formidable rivalry to her he
reditary enemy, and as the years went py IL
became more apparent that the final struggle ior
supremacy in India must lie between these
Powers.
Those were the days when nations might be at
neace on one side Of the world and in deadly
rranp]e On the other The French and English
East India companies carried on their wars ana
intryues without reference to the attitudes OF
their respective governments. They fought when
ever fighting was to be DONE and they ioueht
with a desperation ard ferocl'y wmch mas
measurably passed away from modern war But
there was on all sides systematic action AS the
author puts it: The point to be observed Is
that this system under which he fouhdatlohs
Of our Indian empire were laid. was something
very different from the kind of scrambllng' nap
hazard adventure to which the establishment. o'
that empire is by common imagination 50 often
ascribed." ..
Tn the hands of free and wealthy people ~
really provided very powerful instrument OF
colonial and commercial extension To quo'e the
author again: "The first maritime explorers
from the despoticay governed States oil SPAN
ard Portugal seized lands and claimed Navigation
rights in the name Of their crown, WHICH a' o'ioc
treated all these captures as incremehts 10 us
complete sovereignty. Between the Dutch hfpuo-
lie and the East India Company the connection
was exceedingly close. although formal distinc-
tim was always maintained The English on
Tho other hand, adopted from the beginning, ana
preserved up TO the end of the eighteenth century
a system under which the State held a position
not unlike that of partner EN- commahui'c'
Iii,
snopsibility. interfering occasionally to demand
a share of profits or TO lay heavy fine upon
charter renewals. and assisting the company only
when TO do so accorded with the general CONNER
c;al or political interests Of the nation.
The English company, in effect, had TO rely
unon the value of its monopoly-which it had az
the same time to protect By armed force against
tho rest of the world-and depend mainly II not
altogether upon its own resources. Inc uhoh'-
cial war which was in those days waged In every
corner Of the globe was indeed almost necessity
of the situation. No company OF adventures
could have afforded to wait for permission from
home before repelling the attacks of foreigners
or anticipating them. They made no such AT
tempt. nor were they expected to do So lhcy
simply went ahead and did the best that seemed
possible in the circumstances Ihe oashce Vi
eucoess naturally wavered. At times the Dntch
seemed about to carry all before them. lhey ui"|e
the English from the Spice Islands, and in 30 dong
fixed their 1lteIprise permanently upon 'ho
Indian coast France, in her turn, under Duplex
and I.abourdonnais. appeared at one time launched
upon a conquest which might involve the whole
quarrel. But here and there appeared breaks and
.cc;dents and disasters: and tho Portuguese and !
Suanish and Dutch and French competition
dyindled and sank away, while the English do
mipon continued to expand and to soldify.
Sir Alfred Lyal has made very interesting
and telling picture of this long and diversified
struggle. OF conrse he has not omitted TO show
the influence OF European politics upon Indian
affairs. and he has sketched curious parallel
Iotwncn Iouis XIV and the Emperor Aurungzebe, |