New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-12-05
CORONATION DURBAR
George V to Receive at Delhi
Homage of Indian Vassals.

year. with Queen Mary In order tn bolo
a great durbar at Delhi on the onani,c
day Of the year 1912. appeals to the in,agi-
nation not only Of his lieges in all parts
| of the world but likewise to foreign ma
tons George and his consort have al
ready visited India as Prince and Princess
of Wales. but this will be the first oc-
casion Of an English monarch coming as
such 10 India since the latter became sub
! ject TO the British Crown
| Nor can I recall any instance of a Eu-
ropean sovereign making a royal or i'm
perial progress through Asiatic dependen-
eies subject TO his rule. Napoleon III
visited Algeria in state, and his sojourn
i there. though brief served TO strengthen
| the up TIL that time wavering loyalty
or the native chiefs and population to such
| & degree that when the war with Ger
many broke out. in 1870. Algeria remained
loyal 10 France instead of taking advan-
tage OF the latter's misfortunes to secure
! her OWN freedom.
And King John OF Portugal, when he Wis
tied Brazil, became so fascinated thereby,
and won TO such an extent the good will
Of the people there. that he declined TO
return home. and contributed in no small
degree 10 the separation of Brazil from
the mother country. and 70 the estabis H.
ment Of its independence as an empire
under the rule OF his favorite son, Dom
! Pedro.
King George and Queen Mays visit 10
India next fall cannot fail to strengthen
| his rule over tina vast empire. the posses
sion of which. with its three hundred mill
ion people of hundreds of different races
and creeds, contributes so greatly 10 the
Importance, the power and the prosperity
! of Great Britain. The people of India
until now have been restricted to seeing
governors and viceroys the personifica-
ton OF Engiand's sovereignty-Tnere Of
/ fcials, subject to orders from London and
liable at any moment TO be overridden and
1 even recalled in what, 10 an Oriental mind,
/ appears disgrace True, there have been
occasional visits from members of the
/ British royal family, as, for instance, when
| King Edward was in India as Prince OF
Wales in 1S75-'76. and when the Duke and
Duchess OF Connaught were present at the
coronation durba- at Delhi on January l.
! 1905, on which occasion. however. Lord
/ Curzon. as Eiceroy, insisted on having the
/ pas" Of the royal duke. greatly 10 the
/ amazement Of the native princes. The
durbar Of January / 1912. will however. af-
/ ford the princes and the people Of India
/ the opportunity OF coming face 70 face, not
with their Emperor's representative or with
any mere princes of his house. but with
! the haisar-i-Hind himself.
Il may be as well TO explain right here
that there will re 10 coronation ceremony
at the durbar. The stories that the King
and Queen intend to have themselves
crowned as Emperor and Empress Of India
! at Delhi are without foundation. Corona
tons are essentially European functions,
| and would not be understood in India,
| where the reign Of a sovereign. great or
small, suzerain or vassal, is always SOL
EMMY inaugurated by means OF q durbar.
The principal object of these accession dur
! bars is TO enable the various vassalS and
lieges OF the new ruler to offer their aIlegi-
| ance and to pay their homage.
At the durbar at Delhi thirteen months
hence all the native rulers Of India SUBJ
! jet to the suzerainty or TO the sovereignty
OF the Kaisar-i-Eind. will, with q similar
| object in view assemble in great state and
| splendor. arrayed in cloth Of gold and jew
/ els Of priceless value, attended by the
| princes of their house, the dignitaries Of
their courts. and by their armed retainers.
furnishing display OF magnt1cerce that
no other continent than Asia could dream
Of and that no part OF Asia but India
could furnish The durbar viii take place
/ l., the great horseshoe shaped anlphitheatre.
where the English and native heralds VIII
/ proclaim King George and Quee~ Ma1 as
Emperor and Empress Of India after which
The act Of homage on the part of the vassal
rulers viii take place, one after the other,
/ in accordance with their rank
The procession OF all these princes from
Delhi and from the camps and temporary
townships II the vicinity, will furnish per-
/ haps an even still more picturesque spec
! t3ce, with the hundreds Of state elephants,
! adorned with golden and fewelled trappings
/ Of barbaric character and slrmounted by
/ golden, ivory and silver howdahs. The
/ British troops alone taking part in the af-
fair will number more than fifty thousand,
| and il may safely be taken for granted that
! everything will be done, both by the gov
errnaent and by the British authorities IN
India. 70 render this duFbar of durbars
memorable by its grandeur and Inagnif1-
/ cence in the history OF India and of the
world
/ There is one feature about these dUrbars
which is Of particular importance and
which invites reflection. Prior to the es-
/ Enlistment Of English rule in India all. its
various rationalities were forever at cruel
! and devastating war with one another.
England has compelled them TO remain at
peace but for all that there is little inter
course between them. and, as Lord CUrZon
while Eiceroy once remarked, their states
/ form series Of watertight compartments,
| each entirely distinct and separate from
the remainder. \ iurbar such as that
which takes place at the end of next year
will have the effect OF bringing all these
different princes together. into contact
with one another. under the presidency, 50
70 speak. OF the English Emperor OF India.
There is only one of them who 1t may be
safely assumed will be absent, namely
the Craikwar Of Baroda. The latter, IN
spite Of his great wealth and Of the extent
Of his doninions, is Of an origin 50 pie
| beian and of caste 50 low that nearly all
the other princes Of India. among whom
prejudice OF caste, pride Of birth, tlueness
Of blood and purity of lineage are carried
| TO the extreme look on him almost IN the
| light OF a pariab, whose very touch is
| contamination II is because he was aware
of the insulting manner in which III the
other great and small vasSaI rulers and
princes Of InGia would hold aloof from
him and would subject him to the most
conternptuous form of ostraclsm and boy
colt that he remained away from the last
coronation durbar, in 1903 And it is be-
cause the English government IS power
less 10 protect him from these affronts and
fndignfties by his fellow Indian rulers and
priuces that he is so embittered at heart