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x official list. And so, too, with a few well-known courtesy titles (see § 8 of this Introduction).

After much thought and deliberation, it has been determined that, at least for this first edition of The Golden Book which in many respects must necessarily have something of the nature of an experiment the Arrangement of the work shall be simply alphabetical. In future editions it is possible that the volume may be divided into separate parts, distinguishing between Ruling Princes on the one hand, and Dignitaries and Titled Personages of British India on the other or possibly distinguishing between Territorial Titles and others. But the difficulties of classification would be exceedingly great in a large number of cases, and any attempt in that direction would certainly greatly delay the appearance of the work. And, after all, even the most careful and accurate classification would, for practical purposes, be of very little use ; for, as the next section of this Introduction will show, there is at present no strict gradation of titles and of some titles the relative values, strange as this may seem, are different in different parts of India.

In India itself, the relative social importance of the various Dignitaries included in this work is well known, and any attempt further closely to define precedence would be an invidious as well as unnecessary task.

For European readers it may perhaps be sufficient to give very rough and general analogies from the European system. For instance, the relative position of such potentates as the Nizám of the Deccan or the Mahárájá of Mysore to the Indian Empire may not unfitly be compared with that of the King of Saxony to the German Empire. The hereditary Mahárájás, Rájás, and Nawábs of British India occupy a position very similar to that of the British Peerage at home ; while the holders of the lower titles may be compared with our Knights Bachelors, and the Knights and Companions of the Military Orders. Among the ruling chiefs, their comparative position and importance may also be estimated by observing the area and population of their respective States, as compared with the smaller Kingdoms and Principalities of Central Europe.

A list of one hundred and ninety-six different titles known to the Government of India has been compiled in the Indian Foreign Office. Even this long list can hardly be regarded as exhaustive, for it does not include many dynastic appellations which have come to be regarded in the light of titles, such as Gaekwár, the dynastic name of the Mahárájás of Baroda; Sindhia, that of the Mahárájás of Gwalior; Holkar, that of the Mahárájás of Indore. Nor does it include such titles as that of Yuvaráj or Jubaráj (Youthful Rájá), often applied (as lately in Manipur) to the heir to the Ráj. And it is of course exclusive of the, Military Orders of Knighthood.