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 measures all tend towards unification with the Empire, and emphasize the position of subordinate cooperation, which is the true basis of the welfare—it may be said the existence—of the States of the Empire.

It cannot be doubted that as time goes on the obligations and responsibilities of the rulers will increase, and that the standard of administration will be raised; but it is clearly one of the most important duties of the Government of India to maintain the integrity of the States and to encourage the efforts of the Chiefs towards the attainment of efficiency. Sir John Malcolm, the first and probably the greatest of the representatives of the paramount power in Native States, said in 1816: 'If we made all India into zillahs (British districts), it was not in the nature of things that our Empire should last fifty years; but if we could keep up a number of Native States without political power but as royal instruments, we should exist in India as long as our naval superiority in Europe was maintained.' And, forty years later. Lord Canning, writing of the transfer of India from the East India Company, said: 'The Crown of England stands with the unquestioned ruler and paramount power in all India, and is for the first time brought face to face with its feudatories. There is a reality in the suzerainty of the Sovereign of England which has never existed before, and which is not only felt, but eagerly acknowledged by the Chiefs.'

Thus it will be seen that the chief factor in our dealings with feudatory India is the sense of loyalty of the ruling Chiefs to the Crown of England. As is the Raja, so is the Raiyat, the people of Native States follow the lead of their rulers; and it is no exaggeration to state that there is more loyalty of the real kind in these States than in many parts of British India. It is a healthy sign of the times that spontaneous expressions of this loyalty are evoked when danger to the Empire is rumoured. It is not many years ago since Russia loomed largely on the frontiers of India. At first her designs on Central Asia and the Khanates, bordering on Afghanistan, caused a