The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1900-04-28
FALLEN RULERS AS PRISONERS
How England Treats Potentates who
Become Her Captives.

How England Treats Potentates who
Become Her Captlves.
An insight may be gained as to treat
lnent in store for leaders OF the Boer
republics who may suffer defeat and
fail to escape into either German or Por-
tuguese territory by comparison with
that of princes and kings held captive
heretofore by the British government,
says the St. Louis Globe-Democrat In
I84o when the state OF Maharajal Dl1u-
leep Singh was finally annexed to the
Indian empire, that potentate was ere
quested" to take UP his residence in
England-the inducement of ready
compliance being aided by the promise
of yearly income OF $4,000, with
nothing at all as an alternative. Dhu-
leep Singh wisely acquiesced, purchased
the fine estate OF Brandon in Norfolk,
upon which he resided for many years
as a wealthy English country gentleman.
Though during this period the maha-
1ajah frequently expressed the desire to
revisit his native country, protesting the
utmost loyalty to the empress queen,
yet he was never permitted to travel
east of the istlmus OF Suez. In this
case the bond seems to have descended
upon the heads of his children, for while
his sons have entered the British army
and one of them, Prince Victor, recently
married the daughter of the earl OF
Coventry, yet they have never been al
lowed to set eyes on the land over
which their ancestors ruled.
Approaching Calcutta on the left
bank OF the HULL river at Garden beach
the visitor will have pointed out the fine
palace OF the late Valid Ali, king OF
Oudt. There from 1856 until a recent
date this prince was held in semi-cap-
tivity upon an annual allowance OF
100000, the only proviso as to his free
dom OF action being that he should not
leave the vicinity OF Calcutta. The king
OF Oudh, true to those prodigal heredi-
tary instincts which brought about his
downfall, not only managed to expend
this large sum, but in the keeping OF
snake mounds, inenageries and other
costly forms of amusement dear to the
oriental mind was obliged to draw fire.
quently upon the imperial treasury for
further amounts. The generosity and
leniency with which he was thus treated
was probably due to the fact that he
offered no armed resistance to his OWL
deposition. Blazing with jewels and
seated in a smart equipage, with ser
wants in royal liveries, the king Of
Oudh was often conspicuous figure or
the Calcutta maidan-the famous park
where the society of the Indian capita
takes an outing after the heat of the
day has passed.
Far different was the fate of the poor
old Bchadur Shah, last of the Great Mo
g,lls. After the fall Of Delhi in 1851 he
was tried for high treason and sent a:
a state prisoner to Rangoon.. There, If
small hut, the only lineal descendant
OF Shah Jel,an and Aurangzeb passed
the remainder Of his days, unnoticet
and upon mere pittance. AS, however
both of his sons were slaughtered ane
less culpable rebel leader, Tantis
Topi, was executed, he may have
thought himself fortunate to escape
with his life
Near Colombo, i'll Ceylon, England
still holds in light durancc Arab Pash7
and his colleagues of the Egyptian re
bcllion of 1882. While Arab has no
ceased to bemoan his fate and uselessl,
petitions the British government 70,
permission to return to Egypt, yet, cob
sidering that he was sentenced to death
his lot cannot be considered burden
some. Provided with an income sufti,
cicnt for his wants, a pleasant residence
permission accorded him to receive visi.
tors and considerable measure Of free.
dom within the district, he would I'M
doubtedly have been worse off had his
successful enemies been his own race
and religion.
OF minor potentates England has al
present one African, being confined to
the limits of that island in the
South Atlantic made famous as
the prison Of the great Napo-
leon, and another even the far less
desirable residence of Cape Coast Cas-
tie. For several years Cetewayo, king
OF the Zulus, was held an unassigned
prisoner at Ghowe, near the scene of the
present military operations in Natal,
where he died before the promise OF
restoration to his throne was carried
into effect.
Attention. Candidates.