160 iniinsii immj-: in india. 



not only to keep the peace within onr liorder, and to 

 hold in check the larc^e armies maintained by Rajahs 

 of various degrees, but also to defend a population of 

 two hundred and fifty-two million souls (according to 

 the census taken in 1881) from all foreign agression. 

 These native forces, although very formidable -looking 

 on paper, as aggregating three hundred thousand men, 

 do not, on closer inspection, pi-esent elements for any 

 serious apprehension of danger ; for, however numerous, 

 the greater part are mere rabble — ill-clad, noisy, and 

 badly armed ; nor do they possess an ai'tillery enabling 

 them to cope with European troops of all arms ; moreover 

 the possibility of a successful insurrection oi- mutiny 

 has been very much minimised by the introduction 

 of railways and telegraphs ; although too much 

 reliance must not be placed upon these either, for 

 nothing is easier for rebels than to teai' up the rails 

 and cut the wires ; besides, during the hot season, 

 large numbers of European troops, and more especially 

 ofiicers, occupy the military Sanitaria, now so much 

 in vogue, at a considerable distance from their 

 base. 



The following gives the approximate strength of the 

 forces kept up by Indian Princes, compiled from state- 

 ments which appeared in the Times of 2nd September^ 

 1878, and 29th July, 1879 :— 



