Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-07-31
Geographic News
Bulletins BY the
NATIONAL Geographic Society
ABOUT

Is a Mdndrdna To-Day a comic
opera ruler or an illustrous east
ern potentate? And where and what
is Rajpipla?
These problems of the near dog
days have arisen since an Indian
rule, the Maharana of R~ajpipla,
paid a formal call on President
Harding one day recently. Some
thing in the country of this ruler
and of Maharanas and Maharajas
In general Is told in a bulletin from
the Washington, D. c., headquarters
Of the National Geographic Society.
Like German Principally
IF RaJpipla Is not as familiar a
name in America as Bengal or the
Punjab or even as Hyderabad or
Mysore," says the bulletin, there is
a reason. There are some 700
tive states in India, and Rajpipla
happens to be among the smallest.
At III same time it is attached to
one of the larger native states, Ba-
roda. as a tribute payer. Well in
formed foreigners are expected to
know of the existence of New York
and Pennsylvania as component
parts of the United States. but IL u
number Of their counties were semi
Independent and the situation were
paralleled by most of the other
states, the outsider could hardly be
expected to know the subdivisions
even though the rulers were given
the full title Of governor
"Rajpipla is / northwestern India
about 200 miles north of the city of
Bombay, and is about midway in
size between Rhode Island and Del
aware. In this territory the Maha-
rama rules over something less than
$4,000 subjects. Very roughly the
status Of his domain might be COM
pared to that of some of the small
er German principalities before the
World War, such, for example as
Saxe-Weimar which is approximate
ly the same size and has 4 little over
twice the population.
"Army" Numbers III Men
Enough the Maharana of Raj
pipla rules over a relatively small
area and over a population equal
only to that of the city of New Bed
ford, Mass, and though he pays
several thousand dollars tribute to
a larger state, he is none the less a
real ~potentate, with family which
has reigned since 1870. In common
with many of the hundreds Of rulers
of native states he is addressed as
His Highness' under British regula-
tons and is saluted with eleven guns.
The Rajpipla army numbers
III men, but this does not measure
his importance. Hardly any of the
indian princes can muster more
than a c%orporaPs guard; for the goy-
eminent of India takes are If all
relations outside their borders, and
the only function of their armies
Is to stand guard about the palaces
and furnish atmosphere on state &C.
casions.
AFoIuvntno DIAL D,Io
THE appearance of an Indian
prince in the West brings up the
little understood and very compli-
Gated question of how the govern
ment OF India Is constituted. The
whole peninsula is commonly look
ed upon as a British possession
But the British govern directly only
the portion known as British India.
The 700-odd native states, whose
territory YER about one-third the
area Of India, are only under the
protection and suzerainty of the
government of India, headed by the
Viceroy, the Earl of Reading.
within their own domains most
rulers, though there Is usually a
British agen. resident at their capt.
tails who advises with them from
time to time. Many of the rulers
have unrestricted power of life and
death over their subjects, and in the
case of practically all of them, all
government proclamations and writs
run in their names. British police
may not operate within the native
states and fugitives from British
justice must be extradited as though
the states were foreign governments.
THE most common title of Indian
royal rulers is Maharaja. A 'Raia'
is a ruler or king, and 'Maha Raja'
means Great King Maharana is
merely a variant form used in some
of the states"