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in his old age when totally blind, he used occa-
sionally to invite me to have tea with him either
in his City Palace or in one of his gardens, Inder
Bagh or Karan Bagh. Such incidents remain
engraven on the heart and cannot be erased or
effaced by any device that can be made use of
by ' propaganda!' And in this, I think, lies the
true force of the claim of Hyderabad that it is
perhaps the only place in all India where there
has been true, that is, unsimulated cordiality
between Hindus and Muslims. May it last for
ever !
Another important fact worth mentioning
is the high rank and status, fully recognised by
Hyderabad, of the Rajas of Samasthans—such
as Wanparthy, Gadwal and others, whose domains
were like small principalities, self-governing and
self-contained—but owing fealty and allegiance
to the Nizam as their liege-lord. The ruling
Nizam, solicitous of their welfare, always safe-
guarded their rights and privileges.
I consider it a privilege to have been on terms
of friendship for a long period with the two Rajas
I have mentioned, and also with that gallant
sportsman, the ,Raja of Jatpole, who always
brought me latest photographs of the tigers he
shot ! Gadwal was a friendly young man, some-
what corpulent but not .ungainly, and had a face
that always wore a kindly smile. He died young
much to the regret of all his friends—mostly
Muslims.