Modern India Part 6

a.s.sam, chief commissioner; salary, $16,500.

Central Provinces, chief commissioner, $16,500.

Northwestern Frontier Province, governed by an agent to the governor general, whose salary is $16,500.

The governors of Bombay and Madras are appointed by the king; the lieutenant governors and commissioners by the Viceroy. All of them have legislative councils and complete executive organizations similar to that of the general government at Calcutta. Each makes its own local laws and enjoys administrative independence similar to that of the states of the American Union, and is seldom interfered with by the Viceroy or the authorities in London, the purpose being to encourage home rule as far as possible. The provinces are divided into districts, which are the units of administration, and each district is under the control of an executive officer, who is responsible to the governor of the province.

Exclusive of the great provinces named are eighty-two of the ancient princ.i.p.alities, most of them retaining their original boundaries, governed by native chiefs, who are allowed more or less independence, according to their ability, wisdom and zeal.

The control exercised by the central government varies in the different states, but there are certain general rules which are applied to all. The native princes have no right to make war or peace, or communicate officially with each other or with foreign governments except through the Viceroy. They are permitted to maintain a limited independent military force; they are allowed to impose a certain amount of taxes; no European is allowed to reside at their courts without their consent, but commerce, trade, industry, education, religious wors.h.i.+p, the press and other rights and privileges are free to all just as much as in England or the United States. The native chiefs are not permitted to interfere with the judiciary, which has a separate and independent organization, as in Great Britain, with the Viceroy and the council of state corresponding to the House of Lords, as the highest court of appeal. Each native chief is "a.s.sisted" in his government by a "Resident," who is appointed by and reports to the Viceroy, and is expected to guide the policy and official acts of the native ruler with tact and delicacy. He remains in the background as much as possible, a.s.sumes no authority and exercises no prerogatives, but serves as a sort of amba.s.sador from the Viceroy and friendly adviser to the native prince.

The following is a list of the ruling native princes in the order of their rank as recognized by the British government, and the salutes to which they are ent.i.tled:

Salute of twenty-one guns-- Baroda, the Maharaja (Gaikwar) of.

Hyderabad, the Nizam of.

Mysore, the Maharaja of.

Salute of nineteen guns-- Bhopal, the Begam (or Newab) of.

Gwalior, the Maharaja (Singhai) of.

Indore, the Maharaja (Holkar) of.

Jammu and Kashmire, the Maharaja of.

Kalat, the Khan of.

Kolhapur, the Maharaja of.

Mewar (Udaipur), the Maharaja of.

Travancore, the Maharaja of.

Salute of seventeen guns-- Bahawalpur, the Nawab of.

Bharatpur, the Maharaja of.

Bikanir, the Maharaja of.

Bundi, the Maharao Raja of.

Cochin, the Raja of.

Cutch, the Rao of.

Jeypore, the Maharaja of.

Karauli, the Maharaja of.

Kota, the Maharao of.

Marwar (Jodhpur), the Maharaja of.

Patiala, the Maharaja of.

Rewa, the Maharaja of.

Tonk, the Newab of.

Salute of fifteen guns-- Alwar, the Maharaja of.

Banswara, the Maharawal of.

Datia, the Maharaja of.

Dewas (senior branch), the Raja of.

Dewas (junior branch), the Raja of.

Dhar, the Raja of.

Dholpur, the Maharaja Rana of.

Dungarpur, the Maharawal of.

Idar, the Maharaja of.

Jaisalmir, the Maharawal of.

Khairpur, the Mir of.

Kishangarh, the Maharaja of.

Orchha, the Maharaja of.

Partabgarth, the Marharawat of.

Sikkam, the Maharaja of.

Sirohi, the Maharao of.

Salute of thirteen guns-- Benares, the Raja of.

Cooch Behar, the Maharaja of.

Jaora, the Nawab of.

Rampur, the Newab of.

Tippera, the Raja of.

Salute of eleven guns-- Agaigarh, the Maharaja of.

Baoni, the Newab of.

Bhaunagar, the Thakur Sahib of.

Bijawar, the Maharaja of.

Cambay, the Nawab of.

Chamba, the Raja of.

Charkhari, the Maharaja of.

Chhatarpur, the Raja of.

Faridkot, the Raja of.

Gondal, the Thakur Sahib of.

Janjira, the Newab of.

Jhabua, the Raja of.

Jahllawar, the Raj-Rana of.

Jind, the Raja of.

Gunagarth, the Newab of.

Kahlur, the Rajah of.

Kapurthala, the Raja of.

Mandi, the Raja of.

Manipur, the Raja of.

Morvi, the Thakur Sahib of.

Nabha, the Raja of.

Narsingarh, the Raja of.

Nawanagar, the Jam of.

Palanpur, the Diwan of.

Panna, the Maharaja of.

Porbandar, the Rana of.

Pudukota, the Raja of.

Radhanpur, the Newab of.

Rajgarth, the Raja of.

Rajpipla, the Raja of.

Ratlam, the Raja of.

Sailana, the Raja of.

Samthar, the Raja of.

Sirmur (Nahan), the Raja of.

Sitamau, the Raja of.

Suket, the Raja of.