The Washington herald., 1912-03-13
CLERGYMAN DEFENDS
GAEKWAR OF BARODA

Our old friend, the Gaekwar of Baroda.
that ruler Of 100000 Indians. who re-
Joices in the euphonious title Of "Cow-
herd" who, Il was reported, "snubbed''
his Emperor King at the Delhi durbar,
and who also was the defendant in an
alienation suit brought by a husband
during that maharajah's soJourn in Eng
land (but was denied redress because
no sovereign ruler was amenable to the
civil law'O. has found an apologist in
the person Of an English clergyman, who
spent a year at the court OF the po-
tentate and who says that he had ''the
time OF his llfe''
The magniicence with which the Gaek-
war, with fabulous revenue at his dis
posal and with numerous palaces. is sur
rounded. all lend themselves to an in
teresting description, especially in a land
as legendary as India.
THE food is excellent, and is sent up
every day by the. principal caterer in
Bombay. The two chief meals of the
lday-breakfast at II and dinner at $50
are prepared by a French cook and serv-
ed under the experienced eye OF an Eng
Iish maitre d'hotel, Mr.. Pluck. a very
imposing person with a ribbon In his
buttonhole, who was butler to Lord
Ampthill when he was governor of Mad
| ras. When there are English guests
there are the usual kind OF drinks. whis-
ky and hook. with seltzer at breakfast
and champagne and port at dinner, with
liqueurs afterward.
The Maharaja never drinks anything
but water. and only one glass OF that
half an hour after each meal, as he does
not want TO grow stout. He does not
smoke more than ten or twelve cigarettes
week.
Silver in this happy principality is no
more accounted than Il was In the days
of Solomon. Everything that We are ac-
customed to see made of wood and
china, such as chairs. tables beds. water
jugs, and so on. are, in Baroda. fashioned
Of gold or silver. and in the midst OF all
this splendor there sits the Gaekwar, pa
thetic in the simplicity OF his white
robes, without jewel on his dress, with
out a ring on his finger, never with even
shilling in his pocket
But the Gaekwar-Maharsja does not
always cultivate this Spartan simplicity.
At Mohammedan festivals he appeared
magnihcently dressed, a great plume OF
diamonds waving above his puggari. a
splendid collar Of pearls and diamonds
hanging round his neck, the Star OF In
dia blazing with jewels on his breast. and
priceless rings flashing on his hands. as
with one he returned the salutes OF his
subjects. and with the other grasped his
jeweled sword hilt He was mounted on
an enormous elephant, decorated with a
gold necklace. gold cases for his tusks,
gold anklets, and earrings the size of a
breast plate-snd golden bells. Only
few of the elephants can bear the weight
Of the golden ''ambari,' or throne. for
the carrying OF which they have to be
specially fed. II Is as big as small
motor car. and II takes twenty-four men
to lift Il on to the elephants back.
Though the Gaekwar has more palaces
than he knows what to do with. he Is
building new one in Bombay. II is a
magnificent building OF white stone. en-
riched with rare marbles. mosaics, and
carved woodwork. II has already cost
him one and a half million sterling. and
when asked what he intends to call the
sumptuous pile. he replied. White Ele-
phant," which shows that this Gaekwar
possesses a fine sense OF humor. II will
come as a surprise TO many people, who
are accustomed TO regard Indian ladies
as the least emancipated. to learn that
the wife OF the Maharaja rides astride
and takes part in tiger hunts.
Now that King George OF England. as
Emperor OF India, has paid his tribute
to the immemorial civilization OF the
great Indian empire by again making
Delhi its capital, 1t is meet TO lay before
the reading public some means OF appreci-
ating the wonderful traditions of that
Legendary city and country. and of its
greatness in the days long gone by.
1t was Delhi that became the center
Of one mighty branch OF Ayrian culture
long before Moses had written the PEN
tateuch. and it is OF Delhi that there
still remain those imperishable records
which provide US with so beautiful a pic
ture OF early Eastern romances dating
from 1900 before Christ and containing
words not less than 5000 years old. From
dim nucleus in Central Asia there
shot onward TO the far flung limits or
the ancient world the messengers of a
civilization that was born no man to-
day knows where. 1t seems to me that
II ever there was scope for the deifica-
tion of man, a leader, or IL you please,
race, II was there.
Wherever an Ayrian set his foot there
appeared as IL sprung from the very
earth civilization; there was begun the
tale OF greatness. One brand OF these
wanderers entered Persia, and, behold. |
a kingdom and civilization. Another |
went to Greece and created Athens. and |
a wonderful civilization from which We |
are profiting to this day. Still another |
descended upon the then wilds of Italy |
and reared the famous city of the seven |
hills. the "urbs eterna," and a fourth. |
dwindled down to but remnant, numer- |
ically. owing to their long wanderings |
in strange lands and inclement. cold |
settled exhausted in Cornwall /
and became fishermen and the discov-
erers of the worlds first tin mines.
But II was upon Northern India that |
these invading hordes concentrated their |
chief strength. sweeping over the heaven
ward towering mountains of the Hims-
layas to the almost sluggish lands be-
you'd. conquering. intermarrying, and |
a new race and never before /
known arts by the mystic mingling of
blood. This strange people flitted hither
and thither among the dismayed Mongols.
and where they flung their captives into /
bonds they struck, unconsciously. per-
haps. the fetters from their ancient
fancies.
Evidence Of all this dwells in the early /
Hindoo scriptures. collection of hymns,
,alled the Vedas. or these the best |
known is the Rig veda, more than 1000
songs OF praise to the gods Of fire and
water, sky and sun, thunder and rain,
elemental deities that bear a strong
likeness to the gods of the Norsemen
G n nF I'll