is a very suicidal policy for one set of Englishmen to ruin another in a foreign country, and even the thinking portion of the natives must laugh at the house divided against itself and be full of hope that their time is coming to gain ascendancy, when they see Mr. Grant at his work.”
[Brahmin and Pariahs: Pp 69-70]
2. “In the early days of Indian Empire our civilian went out of England—a mere boy—and he found himself at once a member of a dominant and privileged class. The millions of Hindusthan all bowed themselves to the dust before him. He was taught—and how soon is such a lesson learnt—to consider himself a supreme being to those around him. As the common phrase in India runs he was one of the heaven-born. After a few years of subordinate office, with a salary greater than that of the grey-headed barrister in judicial position at home, he became in some far-away province, the pro-consul of great sovereign company. He had no knowledge of law, either in its principle or its practice, yet he sat in judgement on the millions of mankind, and the Indian princes were his suitors. He knew little, if anything, of the principle of finance, yet he administered the finances as well as the judicial functions of his province. He was ignorant of the habits and customs of the people, and he had a bare smattering of their language, yet his fiat was practically without appeal in all cases, from a contest between two farmers to the confiscation of the possession of an ancient line of princes. He was irresponsible. No crime, however great, could ever be proved against him. In the history of the company there is scarcely an instance of a 'senior merchant' or a 'collector' having been publicly or privately dismissed from service.”
[Brahmin and Pariahs: P. 13]
But among the British residents of India there were
iv
