Imperial Honeymoon with Indian Aristocracy (An Old and Rare Book)

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What necessitated and facilitated the birth and growth of the imperial harem was the emerging tide of nationalism under the leadership of the middle class. Under its impact the property, privilege and pelf of the British imperialists and their Indian partners constituting zamindars, princes and similar other classes were threatened with serious erosion. The fact of "the Government and the People" being in diametrically "opposite camp" made the situation volcanic which, according to imperial and feudal strategists, demanded necessity of imperial harem and honeymoon for the defence of their respective vested interests.

Such a realisation of the reality gave birth to the conservative front and ushered in an era of imperial honeymoon. A section of Indians, it was felt, should be brought over to participate in the British Indian administration to make it more popular, But the middle class has to be discarded, for the "Bengalees would be the first to fly at any armed rebellion and were always anxious to seek jobs......he would be a bold man who should say that the country would be any the better for the changes. Larger changes of this kind would weaken the administration, and that every individual step in this direction is one step towards an acknowledged evil. If one hundred Baboo judges or district officers, appointed in place of an Englishman, would represent serious deterioration in the administration of the country, every single appointment of the kind constitutes an acceptance, on some pretext, of a one- hundredth share of an acknowledged evil. If every English- man in India, no matter what his office may be, is in addition to that, a volunteer soldier, who can be depended on to stand up and fight when necessary, what are the reasons for pushing him out to make room for an effeminate pedant who will be hated as long as he is upheld by English bayonets, and who will run away whenever, and as soon as, these may for any reason be withdrawn."

The present study is not a monograph on the life and times of the Indian princes and zemindars but is a survey of the relationship existing between the Indian aristocracy [1] and the British Indian Government. It proposes to analyse the motives of the British Government in propping up the Indian aristocracy and the role played by the Indian nobility in buttressing and perpetuating the designs of imperialism in India. The present work is neither in defence of the Indian aristocracy [2] nor against it. The present work is a review of and for all practical purposes the Indian princes of various States were treated like zemindars by the Government, and in the present work they have been similarly treated as a part of Indian aristocracy along with zemindars and landed magnates.

[3] Chaudhuri, N-" word for Landlordism", pp. 2-4, 10-17, 22-3%, 41-55. The author had personal links with the zemindars and appeared to have developed excessive weakness for the landlords for his personal vested interests as well. He was the legal advisor of the Maharajah of Nepal and Ramgarh and dedicated the book to "Maharaja Sri Sri Sri Kamakshya Narayan Singh of Ramgarh". The Indian National Congress has however challenged Landlordism as the mest nefarious of all, and its working committee have decided to abolish it at an early date.

It divided lordism into three categories-Landlordısım, Moneylordism and Houselordism and asked why the other two should not be touched. It is against the abolition of zemindari and requested the Congress to do the same, Churchill, according to the author, may not grant freedom if landlordism was to be abolished.

"Churchill may try an Anglo-Muslim to combine with a discontented Muslim party which is unfortunately popular among the Muslims. If the present landlords receive cruel and inconsiderate treatment, they will then naturally side with the reactionaries and add to the miseries of the fighters of India's freedom. If the Congress be cruel to them, there is no reason why the landlords should be exceptionally kind to the Congress. There are the Native princes, both landlords and moneylords, who are yet undecided and who certainly will not be very favourably disposed towards the Congress, i the landlords of India are harshly treated .