THE RAJPOOTS. .317 



Clannish as a Highlander, they are as proud of their 

 pedigrees. And like the Jews, the poorest tribesman can 

 trace a descent unmixed with Gentile blood. The Mahom- 

 medans with some truth retort, that in great families the 

 blood, if pure, has (owing to the custom of adoption) flowed 

 through many mean channels. 



Although beaten by the Moghuls, the spirit of the 

 Meywar tribes was never subdued, and Oodeypore to this 

 day proudly boasts that it never gave a daughter to the 

 victor's harem. To this — more fortunate than other Rajpoot 

 reigning families — and to their undoubtedly ancient lineage, 

 the Maharajas owe their precedence over the other princes 

 of Rajpootana. Unfortunately for the Oodeypore Maharajas, 

 their revenue is not equal to their pride of race. So, 

 although they regard modern potentates, like Scindiah, 

 Holkar, and the Guicowar, as mushroom upstarts, the 

 wealth and dominions of these princes nowadays put 

 Oodeypore in the background. I candidly confess I like 

 the Rajpoots. 



Even the country people have the independent bearing 

 of an Englishman, with just a soupqon of Gallic courtesy to 

 take away its roughness. The Irish only lack stamina to be 

 the Rajpoots of the West. An Indian official (who was 

 present at the scene) told me a story of the last Oodeypore 

 prince which I think bears out my predilection. 



On arrival at a Viceroy's Durbar, the Maharaja found 



