Chapter 5, Daily Brawls in India

Leaving New Delhi and boarding the train, Allen Wilson officially embarked on his civil service career. Even before reaching Hyderabad, he had already memorized the information about the local ruler, Mir Osman Ali Khan.

In ordinary times, the Commissioner of Hyderabad was hardly distinguishable from a mere appointee, easily disregarded in the presence of the monarch of Hyderabad, and London would not express dissatisfaction over the neglect of a commissioner, regardless of the current powerful princely state rulers in British India. However, the situation is different now, at least according to Allen Wilson.

After the first harsh reality check faced by these university students who have just stepped out of campus and into society, Allen Wilson continued, "Since our entry into South Asia, the Hyderabad princely state has consistently appeared as an ally of Britain. As early as when Hyderabad was still called Nizam, it assisted us in defeating the Maratha Empire. During the three Maratha Wars, Hyderabad sent troops to help the expeditionary forces achieve decisive victories, and the same was true in the four Mysore Wars. Even during the Indian Rebellion of 1857, our relationship with Hyderabad remained harmonious up to the present day.

The Central Province and the United Province are among the most densely populated areas in South Asia. "Sir Barren replied in confusion, 'Allen, why are you asking about this? Hyderabad is in South India.'"

Some individuals, despite their immense wealth, do not exhibit a strong affection for riches. Allen Wilson is not implying anything about anyone; one can dislike money yet have an appreciation for other things. From the experiences that followed Ali Khan, he understood that this ruler of Hyderabad was quite aware that all wealth is built upon power, and he sought various means to ensure Hyderabad maintained its independent status

After the Indian Rebellion, British India no longer aimed at gradual annexation. It can be said that the Indian princes at that time, to some extent, achieved their objectives through the rebellion. Of course, the greatest beneficiary was the princely state of Hyderabad, which had consistently appeared as an ally of the British. After the powerful local forces of the Marathas and Mysore were eliminated, Hyderabad became the strongest remaining princely state in India.

Ali Khan has a slender physique and a gaunt build, and in every respect, he does not resemble a wealthy man. His reputation for "frugality" is well-known far and wide. Throughout his life, he has only worn one fez hat, and he typically dresses in tattered loose-fitting trousers

Unfortunately, until Allen Wilson set off, he still had not found the scenery he desired upstream on the Ganges River. Fortunately, with two years remaining, Allen was not particularly anxious.

This is also in consideration of the British Empire. Although he was unaware of the public opinion in Britain during the independence process of British India, it stands to reason that, on the surface, the United Kingdom, as one of the three major powers in the world, would certainly face public backlash for allowing India's independence.

Every time he eats, he licks the plate clean. His bedroom can hardly be called a bedroom, as it is filled with waste paper baskets and covered with a mat in the middle. Yet, this is a person who is so miserly with himself, yet he is the undisputed richest man in the world

Before arriving in Hyderabad, while still in North India, Allen Wilson and his companions had to stay at a train station for a day. After inquiring, they learned that local pacifists and Hindus were engaged in a violent conflict.

With only a few days left before taking office in Hyderabad, Allen Wilson, the newly appointed Commissioner of Hyderabad, did not show the respect he claimed to have for the vast population of British India, but instead immediately set about planning a route.

It is now 1945, and Allen Wilson does not have any brilliant plans to help British India continue to exist. It is not that he has never thought about it, but those thoughts only come to him in his dreams

Ultimately, he could not surpass the leader of the Indian National Congress, Nehru. The aspirations for independence were ultimately crushed. At the core, Mir Osman Ali Khan was a pacifist; had his princely state exchanged with Kashmir, the outcome would have been much better

Sir Barron was momentarily taken aback by Allen Wilson's question, wondering why this young man was not in a hurry to assume his post in Hyderabad, yet posed such a disjointed question.

It is not that Britain is lacking in strength, but rather that India is like a mud wall that cannot be propped up. Britain truly cannot continue to waste time in that cesspool, and this provides a psychological comfort to the people in Britain, making it morally easier to accept India's independence.

From the perspective of cultural attack, a series of photographs depicting corpses floating in the Ganges River almost tramples the dignity of the entire Indian populace. Coupled with the significant status of the Ganges in Hinduism, this has nearly brought about a tremendous negative impact on the nation of India

"Sir Barren, I am merely calculating which route would be suitable," Allen Wilson replied with a light laugh. In truth, this was merely a personal desire of his; he wished to witness the true landscape of the Ganges River, to see if it was indeed as unapproachable as later generations described, and to ascertain whether it contained various pollutants and even corpses.

This method is very similar to the policy of returning land to the central authority during the Ming and Qing dynasties, both aimed at bringing the lands of these local principalities under the management of the East India Company. After the Indian Rebellion, the policy effectively ceased, resulting in the current configuration of over 500 principalities in South Asia

If he were to eliminate this backlash of public opinion, Allen indeed had a rather underhanded tactic in mind. He recalled the infamous images of corpses floating in the Ganges, which were not only well-known in China but had also circulated widely across various countries around the world

Along with the years of fermentation of India's strong | scandal, and the topic of toilets, the entire India has been nailed to the pillar of shame

Even his own cheap father, due to a slight change in history, became someone who directly faced the operations of the Bengal famine. In this aspect, where the situation of the Indians was exacerbated, no matter how hard Allen Wilson tried, it would not make much difference

The city along the banks of the Ganges River has a dense population and certain industrial facilities

At this sensitive juncture, the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from South Asia is an inevitable trend. He believes that there are still many things he can do, whether from the perspective of personal interests or to play a positive role on a larger scale. As for the minor sacrifices that may occur during this process, it requires the great Indian people to be more understanding.

The British indeed considered themselves superior in British India, yet depending on whom one is facing, the boundaries of class and ethnicity are not entirely insurmountable

After losing control in British India, Allen Wilson could use the collected information to make public opinion in Britain more acceptable, thereby winning this battle of public opinion

Before that, the operations of the East India Company involved creating troubles for these princely states under various pretexts, such as confiscating their lands on the grounds of lack of heirs, or finding other excuses to continuously annex the lands of these states for direct administration

Before leaving, Allen Wilson, who had just entered the British civil service system and was still a novice, conducted a profound ideological education for his assistants, who were even more inexperienced than he was. In a certain sense, the Hyderabad Commissioner could be considered an advisor, and in front of Mir Osman Ali Khan, he was not qualified to act like a celestial being.