RAJPUTS AND THE HISTORY OF RAJPUTANA. 



87 



vinces is concerned. With not very great exceptions the Rajputs 

 stood the test of the mutiny and were loyal. Most of the states 

 have recovered, and, though a bad ruler is not unknown, the 

 people generally are happy, and even the Rajput nobles, who 

 cannot now obtain new land at the expense of their neighbours 

 and friends, are at least secure in the possession of that which 

 they already hold, which can only be alienated by their own 

 fault. Here, however, family pride, which demands, as they 

 think, very heavy outlay for marriage and funeral expenses, and 

 general improvidence, often lead to serious loss and even ruin. 

 In the good old days the moneylender was kept somewhat under 

 control, because he was not allowed to go too far, or to collect his 

 debts by too legal measures, nor to spend too much on himself, as 

 he was restrained by sumptuary laws. Some states have taken 

 special precaution to protect the noble against his own folly in 

 both respects. The Walterkrit Sabha, a social organisation 

 which was founded on the recommendation of the late Colonel 

 Walter and of other officers, with the support of the chiefs and 

 sympathy of the Government of India, has helped the nobles 

 and better classes of Rajputs to reduce the enormous marriage 

 expenses, particularly by making it punishable to spend too 

 much on such occasions. The chief bards and others who pro- 

 fited most have loyally co-operated in this very useful reform. 

 Personal pride, family honour, and jealousy of eacli other, which 

 were inflamed by the bards, and all of those who were interested 

 in shearing the unfortunate noble, made it very difficult to 

 escape from lavish outlay, so that the friendly intervention and 

 support of a third powerful party, on whose broad shoulders all 

 the odium and blame could be thrown, was of infinite value at 

 this time, nor indeed should a paramount power shrink from 

 performing such an important if temporarily unpleasant duty, and 

 happily our Government does not shirk its responsibility, and 

 has not the desire nor is it under the necessity of adopting the 

 Macchiavellian policy of the Moghuls, which led the emperors to 

 believe that it was all-important to divide if they wished to rule. 

 It was unhappily far too easy to sow dissension amongst the 

 Rajputs, whose hunger for land, jealousy of each other, and 

 impulsiveness, as I have already shown, were always so apparent' 

 History is full of instances of the advantages the old paramount 

 powers sought and obtained from these sad divisions, though, on 

 the other hand, it is not wanting in examples of combination 

 which lasted long enough to prevent their enemies from com- 

 pletely destroying them. 



Such ill-judged action as that of Aurangzeb, when lie fined 



G 



