Administrative System of the Marathas c22.s2.2

c22.s2.2

"The most remarkable feature, perhaps, in the character of the Mahrattas, of all descriptions, is the little regard they pay to show or ceremony in the common intercourse of life. A peasant or mechanic, of the lowest order, appearing before his superiors, will sit down of his own accord, tell his story without ceremony, and converse more like an equal than an inferior; and if he has a petition to present, he talks in a loud and boisterous tone, and fearlessly sets forth his claims." *Jenkins' Report*, p. 54.