India Of The Princes

Rosita Forbes has written a comprehensive book which, as the title suggests, describes India's many states or principalities of varying size and importance - a couple of quotes to explain this...
P11
Counting every small fief ruled by semi-independent chieftain there are six hundred and seventy-five States.
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Logically, the Indian States should be divided into three categories. First would come those which enjoy complete legislative and administrative independence within their own borders, whose laws are supreme, so that from their courts there is no appeal, even the Privy Council. In the second rank would come the Principalities who, with partial executive independence, exercise their legislative powers as well as criminal and civil jurisdiction under British supervision. In the last category would be the prepondering mass of small states who have no Treaty rights and no legislative independence. Their positions were established by grants and they should be differentiated from the other two classes of States, whose rulers are entitled to salutes varying from nine to twenty-one guns.

Published in 1939 it tells of the era of Princes and Royal Families in conjunction with the British East India Company - a complex time for sorting out how parts of India were ruled. Each chapter generally covers one state (of the time, now most have combined into the greater states of the modern days. Around half now form parts of Punjab and Rajasthan. Of other modern states there are perhaps one or two from Odisha, Kerala, Telangana, Karnataka, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Kashmir and Uttarakhand.

The stories cover history both ancient (including some mythological) and contemporary - as well as anecdotes and stories, largely made up of the authors personal experiences and travels. The take in special events, great hunts, cultural festivities and ceremonies etc etc - quite a varied mixture, and yet they did all tend to blend together a bit for me by the midpoint. So many names, facts and figures it all became a little repetitive (in spite of the best efforts of the author to vary the content).

There are plenty of captioned photos - in black and white, and of quality that matches the era. Most of these added a lift to the stories told.

I have read this authors El Raisuni: Sultan Of The Mountains - a biography of a Moroccan sarif. It was a fantastic piece of writing and it was inevitable that this would struggle to measure up, despite my hope.

This contains loads of great reading, and would be really helpful for targeted reading, but becomes hard to stay focused on for a casual reader from cover to cover.

3.5 stars, rounded down.