Page:General Sir Richard Meade and the feudatory states of central and southern India.djvu/179

Rh During his brief tenure of office as Indore Resident Colonel Durand declined to submit to the humiliating ordeal, but his successor, Sir Richmond Shakespear, was more complaisant.

Accordingly, when Meade and his suite presented themselves for the first time, on his appointment, no chairs were provided, and he and those accompanying him had a very mauvais quart d'heure.

But this was the first and last occasion. Meade courteously but firmly declined a repetition of the unpleasant operation, and insisted that, in future, chairs should be invariably provided for the Resident and those accompanying him.

There was much correspondence, but ultimately HolkaryieldedHolkar yielded [sic]—and the old ceremonial of obeisance and squatting has been long a thing of the past (in the case of British officers), not only at Indore, but even in the still more strait-laced court of the ruler of Hyderábád.