Identifier: ridpathshistoryo01ridp (find matches)
Title: Ridpath's history of the world; being an account of the ethnic origin, primitive estate, early migrations, social conditions and present promise of the principal families of men ..
Year: 1897 (1890s)
Authors: Ridpath, John Clark, 1840-1900
Subjects: World history Ethnology
Publisher: New York, Merrill & Baker
Contributing Library: Mugar Memorial Library, Boston University
Digitizing Sponsor: Boston University

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to the natural evolution ofpolitical power and the establishment ofsecular forms of government in a coun-try where the chieftain sympathized bykinship with the priest, than in landswhere they two were in antagonism.This was one of the leading causes ofthe miserable condition into which thepolitical institutions of India fell at anearly age, and in which they have eversince continued. After the military chieftain in a bar-barous age, leader and defender of awandering tribe, has passed, by the set-tled residence of his people, primogeniture • , • i • ^„«+ naturally follows into a prince, having a court mihtary*chief_and a retinue and even tainship.the beginnings of an administrative sys-tem, he must provide for the continu-ance of his rank, his reputation, hisgovernment. This is most easily andnaturally done by transmitting it tohis son. The priest would encouragethis tendency; for the counselor of thefather would have a favorable situationfor influence with the descendant. He-
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(NDIAN PRINCE-TYPK.-The Maharajah of GwALiOR.-Drawn by A. de Neuvill THE INDICA NS.—GO VERNMENT. 739 redity would thus become a natural ele-ment in the system, and primogeniturewould follow as a secondary suggestion.All of these facts have appeared in thepolitical structure of India, and in theorder named. The government of the Indian princeshas been an absolutism from the earliestages. Everything has conspired to makeAbsolutism of the native prince a des-oftE™* Pot, and to perpetuate theprinces. despotism in his family. The right of the Indian nabob to tax hissubjects for the support of the govern-ment and to supply the means of warrests with himself. Any part of theprivate property of the people, from onetwelfth to one fourth of the same hemay take as a revenue, without responsi-bility. In the same way he may enlisthis subjects into the army. Custom hasprescribed that those who serve in warshall be recompensed by a gift of land.In former times only the Kshatriyaswere summoned fo

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