Punished with Love

Author’s noteThere were more than six hundred Native States in India in whose territories the British did not directly govern. These were generally those that had accepted the British Raj peacefully without fighting or being obstructive. The states varied in size and altogether contained seventy-seven million inhabitants. Ostensibly they were independent Powers, but if their Rulers disregarded the wishes of the Raj, they were given a British Resident or Advisor. Some of the States were completely independent, whilst others required strict control where the Prince misgoverned his people, oppressed the weak or had unpleasant habits. It is amusing to know that Governesses for Princely households were actually supplied by the Raj as a part of the system for Imperial grooming of the young Princes. Often this was astonishingly successful! Moulded by Nannies, Tutors and advisors and by the example of visiting officials and often the schooling of Eton and Oxford, many of the Princes became very English as someone wrote, ‘they were English aristocrats buffed to an Oriental polish!’. “A sense of greatness keeps a nation great, And mighty they who mighty can appear.”