Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-27
CONTINUED From Third Page.)

In the Durbar Hall of the palace. The
procession had entered the preliminary
bows had been made, the nawab and the
viceroy had taken their seats on the
dais and the vice regal staff, faultlessly
clad in white duck uniforms, lowered
themselves Smartly into the chairs be-
fore which they had been lined up.
But there had been a shortage of
chairs and behind one tall guardsn1an
stood a low armchair instead of the
customary high straightforward seat
He had not noticed that his seat was a
good deal lower than his colleagues, and
descending precipitately. he lost his bal
ance and went over backward. and the
viceroy. the prince and his ministers
and sirdarS were presented with the in
teresting spectacle of the guardsman' S
white-trousered legs helplessly sticking
up in the air with his spurs protruding
from his shining boots.
Ceremony Isn't Always the Order.
But they all sat immovable, without
batting an eyelash; and while the
viceroy calmly discoursed with the
prince upon the services which his
newly organized camel transport corps
were capable of rendering in future i'm
perial campaigns, the symbol of Britain's
armed might was extricated.
But ceremony is not always the order
of the day. The late Marquis Curzon,
most magnificent of the viceroys, has
described the Mehtar of Chitral in
festive vein. 'CurZon was entertaining
the Mehtar at dinner.
The Mehtar sat with us at table in
one of the raised recesses of the room
the rest of the court squatted or lounged
on the floor below. They tried our het-
erogeneous drinks (beer, whisky and
ginger wine) and regaled us with their
own music and story. The whisky and
the ginger wine were mixed together
am not sure that little beer was not
added-and l can recall the sight Of
one nobleman pouring this amazing
connection down the throat of another,
at the same time that he held him by
the nose. Among the guests was a
blind scion of the old ruling family of
Badakshan. who came in and tWanged
a primitive guitar"
One of the Mehtar's brothers enter
tanned the company with a chant. pro-
fessional singers and dancers. all males,
added to the general din. Nor was this
Mehtar a frivolous fellow. He was
supreme in judicial as well as executive
authority. holding the power of life and
death over his subjects.
The Maharaja of Mysore is a good
instance of how the British like to
bring up ruling prince. He was edu-
Gated in his own home under the super
N1olOil VI d I1lSlIlDSl VI Vic 4lQldll SINll
Service, was given British knighthood.
invested with his powers by the viceroy,
escorted during the ceremonial proceed
ings by an infantry battalion, a cavalry
regiment and a battery of artillery,
equipped with a political officer in the
person of a retired colonel and a pri-
vate secretary in the person of a trusted
member of the British Civil Service.
Was Ward of the Government.
Then there was a Maharaia Nripen-
ORA Narayan Bhup of Cooch Behar, who
was the subject Of an experiment which
turned out very happily (the present
Maharani OF Cooch Behar, young, lively,
lovely, is the best known of the Indian
prtncesses, and quite a social celebrity
IN London, on the English hunting
field. in Paris and on the Riviera.
This Maharaja was ward of the
government and carefully educated to
be model ruler at the ward institution
at Benares and the government college
at Patna. The paramount power pro-
vlded him with an English tutor and
guardian, and the viceroy received him
cordially and gave him medal. He
was granted salute Of IS guns and a
European guard of honor.
Finally the paramount power looked
about for the model wife for the model
ruler 1t had made. and after many con-
hdential Investigations and inquiries by
magistrates and lieutenant governors,
they found the ideal girl in the young
daughter Of high-caste and influential
Brahmo "a Brahmo is a person who
believes in Brahrnoe-one God
correspondence passed and repassed
between the powers that be, and the
Maharaja assuring the father that he
objected to polygamy and believed in
one true God, the marriage took place,
NcR1% 1f TSaes ID
sigh OF relief and stood itself a drink
One may add that this marriage of
Imperial convenience turned out happily.
In her fifteenth year the Maharani
Sunlty Devee described her first meet
ing with her fiance thus: IT looked up.
and as I did so ! met the Maharaias
eyes fixed on me full of love. and I
blushed. From that moment my future
husband and loved each other" They
sent their sons to an English public
school.
Baroda Isn't So Satisfactory.
The story of Baroda and it's ruler, the
Maharaja Gaekwar, is illuminating, but
not quite so satisfactory from the
British point Of view Baroda, state
of 5000 square miles containing 2000,-
600 OF people, very fertile, very rich,
had long been giving trouble TO the
British overload. A series of tyrann!cai
or spendthrift or feeble minded or re-
bellious rulers had played the devil
with il.
First, the Maharaja Khanderao. a
mighty hunter, noted wrestler and a
great lover Of women, went in for
artificial deer preserves, sports arenas
for the people and jewels for his multi
tudlnous favorites-and nearly ruined
the state. Two Of his big extravagances
enrich the Baroda crown jewels in the
Razarbag palace today-the 125-carat
Star OF the South diamond which
Khanderao bought for 100000 on it's
discovery in Brazil in 1858, and which
is now valued at $4,000, 900. and the
priceless pearl carpet which was in
tended as gift TO the prophets tomb
at Mecca (but the MaharaJa had second
thoughts about it,.
Khanderao's state was saved from
bankruptcy by the American Civil War,
which got into full swing at this time,
and, causing a sensational rise in cotton
prices, brought enormous prosperity to
cotton growing Baroda. so that the
country stood up we'll under excessive
taxation. Then came the Indian mu-
tiny, and Khanderao stood in with the
British. II was lucky gamble, for the
British, enabled 10 withdraw their
troops from that area, in gratitude SUBJ
Eequently RENTED an ancient annual
levy Of 100000 and granted Khan
derao the insignia Of royalty and the
title OF His Highness the Maharaia."
Torturer Was Successor.
Khanderaos successor, Malharrao,
plotted against the British supremacy
and IN year spent I'll lakhS of rupees
against an income of only ga lakhs He
abducted respectable women and tor
tured and murdered his people and
tried n, YNnfEnYa fNN1ifira1