[1]. [The present relations of the States to the Government of India justify these expectations.]
[2]. If Lord Hastings’ philanthropy, which rejoiced in snatching these ancient States from the degradation of predatory warfare, expected that in four short years order should rise out of the chaos of a century, and “was prepared to visit with displeasure all symptoms of internal neglect, arising from supineness, indifference, or concealed ill-will”; if he signified that “government would take upon itself the task of restoring order,” and that “all changes” on this score “would be demanded and rigidly exacted”: in fine, that “such arrangements would be made as would deprive them of the power of longer abusing the spirit of liberal forbearance, the motives of which they were incapable of understanding or appreciating”; what have they to hope from those without his sympathies?
[3]. Quintus Curtius, lib. ix. [ii. 6].
[4]. Ibid. lib. viii. [viii. 27].
BOOK III
SKETCH OF A FEUDAL SYSTEM IN RĀJASTHĀN
CHAPTER 1
Feudalism in Rājasthān.
Many years have elapsed since I first entertained these opinions, long before any connexion existed between these States and the British Government; when their geography was little known to us, and their history still less so. At that period I frequently travelled amongst them for amusement, making these objects subservient thereto, and laying the result freely before my Government. I had [130] abundant sources of intelligence to guide me in forming my analogies; Montesquieu, Hume, Millar, Gibbon[[1]]: but I sought only general resemblances and lineaments similar to those before me. A more perfect, because more familiar picture, has since appeared by an author,[[2]] who has drawn aside the veil of mystery which covered the subject, owing to its being till then but imperfectly understood. I compared the features of Rajput society with the finished picture of this eloquent writer, and shall be satisfied with having substantiated the claim of these tribes to participation in a system, hitherto deemed to belong exclusively to Europe. I am aware of the danger of hypothesis, and shall advance nothing that I do not accompany by incontestable proofs.