Lt Col John Briggs, who spent long years in India in the 18th & 19th C, studied Maratha history, documents and formed opinions about Indians of the time. In one of his statements he writes 'I have generally found the people intelligent in a very high degree.. 1/n
..They are usually liberal in their opinions; & the Hindus especially are tolerant on the subject of religion: for tho tenacious of interference in the exercise of their own, they oppose no worship or custom which does not affect themselves. 2/n
..Among their domestic virtues, I should class affection & tenderness to their relatives; kindness to their domestics, integrity in their dealings with each other, hospitality to strangers and charity to the distressed and poor. Among the upper classes, I have found refined 3/n
..notions of delicacy of conduct & manners, and amongst statesmen and financiers, I have occasionally met with enlarged views of policy, & a knowledge of the principles of sttistics & political economy, that would not disgrace the ministers of any government. I believe that.. 4/n
.at this moment, India contains natives who would do honour to any country: men who are capable of rendering themselves eminently useful to our government not only by their intelligence & information, but by the weight which their influence would bring into our administration 5/n
They deserve to be more highly estimated, to be treated with more confidence, to be better rewarded & to receive higher distinctions & consideration than they usually meet with from us'.
The English in 1829 had dealt with the Maratha govt, & wrote what they experienced then. 6/6
The English in 1829 had dealt with the Maratha govt, & wrote what they experienced then. 6/6
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