80 



COL. T. HOLBEIN HENDLEY, C.I.E., ON THE 



foreigners ; and thus the ancient proprietors are reduced to 

 poverty and ruin. 



18. From of old all his Eajput kin had daily rations of 

 grain ; for four years these rights have been abolished. 



19. From ancient times the vassals formed his council: now 

 he consults only foreigners. What has been the consequence ? 

 The whole annual revenue derived from the mountains is lost. 



20. From the ancient allotment of the brotherhood the 

 mountaineers carry off the cattle, and instead of redeeming 

 them, this fcmjdar (of lies) sets the plunderers up to the trick 

 of demanding blackmail. 



21. Money is justice and there is none other: whoever has 

 money may be heard. The bankers and merchants have gone 

 abroad for protection, but he asks not where they are. 



22. Eefers to their being fined when they attempt to do- 

 themselves justice, and recover their cattle when they have been 

 driven to the hills, thereby leading to loss of dignity ; to failure 

 to investigate feuds, whereby the Eajput is obliged to abandon 

 his patrimony, there being neither protection nor support. 



They add that the chief is so supine and so regardless of 

 honour, that he tells us to take money to the hills and redeem 

 our property; foreigners are all in all, and the home-bred is 

 set aside. Dekhanis (Southerners) and plunderers enjoy the 

 lands of his brethren. Justice there is none. 



Our rights and privileges in his family are the same as his in 

 the family of the Presence (the Maharana). What crimes have 

 we committed, that at this day we should lose our lands ! 



We are in great trouble. 



The recital of the wrongs of those poor people seems like 

 reproducing a page out of ancient Semitic history. 



The courage of the Eajputs, whether it is considered under 

 its personal or its tribal and collective aspects, during the period 

 of their greatness, was undoubted. Where every page of their 

 history seems full of instances of both kinds of courage it is 

 difficult to quote special cases. The most powerful incentives to 

 bravery amongst them are perhaps pride of race and devotion 

 to the immediate tribal lord rather than love of country. The 

 ordinary Eajput thinks it quite sufficient to introduce himself 

 by saying, "I am a Eajput," the son of a king, and the proudest 

 boast of his wife is to be the mother of a Eajput. Many a man 

 of this race has been encouraged by his women to return again 

 and again to right the enemy and to perforin the most heroic 

 deeds. Even their taunts were not wanting, though these were 

 rarely needed. The Emperor Akbar caused effigies to be put 



