India of the Maharajas and British

Lord Maculuay's statement in the British Parliament.



The daughter of an Indian Maharaja celebrates her Panther Shoot

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Just read what INDIA was as per LORD MACAULAY on his statement on 2nd February 1835 in the British Parliament. Please read it carefully it will really shock you. please Read the article Carefully.

******** My Comments*************

These photos and Lord Macaulay's address to the British parliament seems to be quite factual. I have seen in an erstwhile aristocratic family's house in Andhra a family tree tracing their ancestors to about the twelfth century. It is full of photos and remarks that so and so Raj Kumar(i) shot their first tiger at the age of 8 or 10 or that another one of them shot 10 tigers in four hours. For one thing they decimated our wildlife and it was considered not just macho but the norm.

After the break up of the Moghul empire there were several small chieftens and India did not exist politically but as a loose conglomeration of local Rajahs and a common thread of Hinduism.

It wa the British through the East India Company which annexed territory by waging modern wars against aristocratic and under prepared Rajahs and their armies. The British also signed treaties with pliable Rahas and created a political India. There were Rajas at every nook and cranny, for example there was and still is a Raja of Venkatgiri (200 Kms from Madras) the palace is rundown and a shame to preservtion of heritage buildings ( I have a photograph which I can share to those interested, A Raja of Cuddapah (150 KMs from Madras), one at Mylavaram (400 KMs) and so on so forth. They were given rights to ownership of the lands and to collect taxes on behalf of the British.

It is surprising that most of them have not been able to develop their properties and the second/third generation are howering around poverty levels. A case in point is the Raja of Venkatgiri. They owned large tracts of property in Mount Road, Saidapet etc. The Satyam Multiplex complex property belonged to them and they started the group of theatres. Today the family does not know how they lost the (Satyam) property as well as other prime locations in Madras. If you go to Gymkhana Club you will see a large portrait of the Maharajah of Venkatgiri in the lobby stating that he donated the land to the club. Today let me assure you with authority none of the original family are members of the club or even if any one of them them have stepped into its domain in the few decades.

I have some more information about the aristocratic lifestyle and if anyone is interested I can share it