The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1909-07-11
THE EMPIRE OF INDIA
VII CONSTITUTION AND GOVERNMENT

Calcutta, India.--There 10 no
more complex society in any quarter
OF the globe than that Of India. It Ia
composed OF large number Of RADICAL
ly different classes, races and COM
munities whose divergent interests and
antagonistic sentiments have always
prevented common action or national
unanimity. Speaking more than TOO
different languages and dialects: divid-
cd into classes by religious. racial and
color lines: further subdivfded by the
immutable tyranny OF caste; slaves to
hereditary doctrines OF government
| the people of India have no notion
Whatever Of the meaning of national
| spirit or true Patriotism
Broadly speaking. India under
| British rule has approached more near,
ly to singleness OF government than
| ever before In its ake-long history.
But even under British rule. each
| province and community is ruled by
different constitution. and a great
deal of the Empire is not under the
domestic control of the English at all.
india" as officially defined. means
all Of the peninsula bearing that name.
north to the scientific frontier set by
the Himalaya Mountains. and a por-
ton Of the more easterly peninsula
which includes Burma and assam.
This vast extent of territory Is half as
large as the United States in area.
and has q population, greater than
.orth and South America and Africa
combined. British India means all
that part OF India which IL directly
under the rule OF the British crown
as represented by the King Emperor.
The balance OF the territory is divided
among the Native States" which are
Independent In internal administration.
but subject to the suxerainty of Great
Britain In ell external affairs. IT,.
There are no less than I'll Of these
native states, scattered all over India
from the south to the north and the
east to the west They range in size
from the feudal territory of Hydera-
bad, which 10 about the area of Kan
sas and has six times as much popula-
tion. to the tiny principally of Lava.
which has only nineteen square miles
Of territory and less than 5000 people.
In the aggregate the native states
make up one-third of the area of all
India and they have a population Of
65,00O,000
One of the contributing causes Of
the matiny Of 1857 was the annexation
Of the Kingdom Of oudh. When Queen
Victoria assumed the government of
India she declared in her solemn
proclamation that the policy OF an
nexatton had ceased. Since that time,
1858, NO native states in what was
then called India. have been annexed.
Some outlying territories in the
mountains and eastward Of Burma
have been added to British India by
force. but these are inconsiderable.
Under the rule OF the East India
Company, the English always pretend
ed to govern under the authority of
the decadent Mogul Empire. Patents
were issued by the Emperor OF Delhi
giving the company right to rule in
sections where the DEGREES of EN-
peror and no more weight than would
be accorded today to a ukase of the
Gar in Alaska. Yet the British kept
up the show Of submission and actual
ly shaped their government along the
lines of the ancient Mogul policy.
Even to this day. Mogul precedents
are examined and consulted in all
serious questions concerning admins
tration. Curiously enough, the Eng
lish adopted Oriental administrative
methods but insisted on Occidental
law. Therefore the good old Common
Law of England was imported and ap-
piled. blanket fashion. to all the courts
Of India. Only since the beginning of
the present unrest has the English
law failed. 1t was found necessary
to abolish the right of trial by Jury
In political cases. as otherwise con-
victions could not be secured.
Thus the already complex society OF
India is made more complex by the
British rule. Two-thirds of the coun-
try is governed by the English; work
ing under a combination OF Moham-
medan administrative procedure en-
forced by English law and actually
administered. for the most part, by
Hindus who have no sympathy with
either the Mogui forms or the British
Jurisprudence. The remaining third Of
the country. so far as local affairs
are concerned, 10 governed by the
absolute will of I'll maharajahs.
rajahs.. pawabs. begams. ana other
Indian potentates.
In addition to the countless natural
classes and communities which, divide
India, the liberality OF the British
in maintaining educational
Institutions has created an artificial
class which is politically of more inn
portance than any OF the others. The
native Indian who has received a de-