History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v1.c11.12

v1.c11.12

We have discussed, heretofore, at length what in our opinion was the main cause of the weakness of Indian states. To put it shortly, the absence of representative political institutions prevented the people from feeling self-interest in the maintenance of the state intact and the belief that kings were appointed from heaven in reward for their austerities in past lives made the people thoroughly unconcerned as to who ruled them. The king enjoyed absolute power and was the master of the state or kingdom as if it were an item of private property. Patriotism was naturally absent and though its place was tolerably supplied by the feeling of loyalty, disloyal and treasonable persons were not uncommon, those who were successful in their usurpation being accepted by the people without demur. This state of things continued down to the latest period of Indian history, for we find in the last successful usurpation by Rāghoba, hundreds and thousands came forward to support his cause. Had the people a proper conception of their rights and duties as members of the Maratha state, not a man would have been found to stand by that misguided person in creating the unfortunate cleft in the solidarity of the Maratha state which eventually destroyed it. The greatest benefit of the British rule in India is the awakening of the people to a sense of their essential rights and duties as citizens of the British Empire. And it will be wise for the British government to take note of this awakening and to admit people to their due share in the government of the country. British statesmen should remember that even the British government in India is comparatively weak if it is not supported by the co-operation of the people rendered not merely by the sentiment of loyalty but by the feeling of self-interest engendered by self-government through representative institutions.