Chapter 3, The World's Richest Person

This person's fame is global, as he was rated the world's richest man by the United States in 1937. Hyderabad is expected to become a starting point for Allen Wilson's future career, and he hopes for a smooth journey ahead

When leaving, Allen Wilson was still carrying a document bag. According to Sir Barron, it contained assessment questions for British Indian civil servants. This inevitably made Wilson sigh, wondering if he could ultimately avoid the examination

The course of the war has become quite evident, with the Axis powers already at the end of their rope. However, from the perspective of British India, the future remains uncertain. Will British India continue to remain under British rule, or will it achieve independence directly?

On the other hand, Sir Barren was persuading Governor Wavell regarding the matter of the Hyderabad Commissioner

In the late night, Allen Wilson was still answering questions. In the final paper of Sir Barron, he was asked about the supporters of British rule in India. After a long period of contemplation, he wrote, "The untouchable class, as well as the rulers of over 500 princely states, while the Indian National Congress and the Muslim League are two opponents, Nehru and Ali Jinnah are merely differing means."

Quite the opposite, Mr. Governor, the Hyderabad Commissioner is more suitable. There is a difference between being placed in a province and being placed in a princely state. The ruler of Hyderabad is a guest of honor in London. According to the agreement between us and the princely states, the power placed in Hyderabad cannot be too great, and we are currently unable to do so; British India already has enough civil servants busy with over 100,000. For a princely state as powerful as Hyderabad, we need to maintain the position of the Commissioner while not overstepping too much, as unilateral interference would also displease the ruler of Hyderabad. Therefore, Allen is the most appropriate choice. Sir Barren spoke eloquently, going around in circles, merely wanting to express one point: Allen Wilson is the most suitable person to be the Commissioner of Hyderabad, with no second choice.

Allen Wilson has his own understanding that British India is, in every aspect, the jewel in the crown of the Empire. It is more important than Canada, Australia, and even the earlier thirteen colonies in North America, as well as all other British colonies

In this uncertainty, Sir Barron himself cannot foresee the future, and the minor unreasonable arrangements are no longer significant

On the bus ride home, I opened the exam paper and could already discern some aspects of the current reality in British India from the text. The relationships between the Muslim League, the Indian National Congress, the British Indian provinces, and the princely states are all issues that the current Viceroy's office needs to address

This still takes into account the Anglo-German naval competition, the result of which is that the British at home are gritting their teeth and raising taxes. In peacetime, the financial revenue from British India is an indispensable part of the British Empire

However, things are different now. Allen Wilson understands that the jewel in the crown of the British Empire, British India, is about to break free from British control. He must now make the most of the little time left to accumulate experience and wealth as much as possible, which is no easy task

The Indian National Congress, represented by Nehru, sought to take over all rights of British India, while the Muslim League, led by Ali Jinnah, did not wish to coexist with Hindus in the same country. For the British Indian government, these two positions were largely similar, but for the peace-loving Muslims and Hindus, they were fundamentally different. This represents the conflict between the Muslim League and the Indian National Congress

During World War I, at the same time, the financial revenue of the British Indian government was 1 billion rupees, approximately 100 million pounds, which was about half of that of mainland Britain, roughly equal to that of the Japanese government, and far exceeded that of entities such as Canada, Australia, and South Africa

It was only now that Sir Barron realized how important it was to mentor the younger generation and to inject fresh blood into the civil service system of the British Empire, as this was also a consideration for political stability

Governor Wavell and Sir Barin certainly understood that distant London was also engaged in fierce debates over the issues concerning British India. In this matter, it was necessary to be wary not only of the Soviet Union but also of another ally, the United States, which, to some extent, posed an even greater danger than the Soviet Union.

Who is the enemy and who is the friend has always been a very important question

For the 100,000 civil servants of British India, the future remains uncertain, and even Governor Wavell and Lord Barren, the Governor of British India and the head of the civil servants in British India, cannot guarantee their influence in this matter

Regarding the location of Hyderabad, he silently prepared to accept it. Although it was a princely state under indirect British rule, it also had significant advantages. For instance, the ruler of Hyderabad, Mir Osman Ali Khan

Allen Wilson left the governor's office because Sir Barron had made it clear that he could recruit a few assistants himself, with the help of trusted individuals, making the work somewhat easier

Mir Osman Ali Khan, possessing one of the most powerful influences among the numerous Indian princely states, is also a pacifist, a minority throughout India, including in the princely state of Hyderabad. It is believed that Mir Osman Ali Khan is very willing to maintain amicable relations with London

If it were not 1945, Allen Wilson would have reason to believe that civil servants from the British mainland would undoubtedly travel across the ocean to work in India, as this is a colony where they would not have to endure the various checks and balances present in Britain, and working in the colony would allow them to enjoy a superior status.

The reason for this statement is that British India was of immense size, and even relying on its own area, resources, and population advantages, its total economic output and important economic indicators surpassed those of modernized Japan, making it the largest in Asia, far exceeding other imperial entities.

This has led to the extremely important status of British India; apart from the brief period of Napoleon, Britain invested considerable effort in Europe, and throughout almost the entire 19th century, British policies were formulated with the security of British India in mind, whether it was the offensive against Burma or the advance into Afghanistan, all were aimed at this purpose

As for any colonies currently under its jurisdiction, they cannot be compared to British India from any perspective; it is merely a self-deception of the British to have lost British India.

A child who can be considered a genius; had it not been for the outbreak of war, he might have been the youngest entrant to Oxford University in recent years. However, he is still somewhat too young. Governor Waverley furrowed his brow and retorted, Is it not a bit too smooth to let him become the Commissioner of Hyderabad

However, upon reconsideration, he felt a sense of relaxation, as this was already much smoother than he had previously anticipated. Securing the position of Commissioner in Hyderabad was already an unexpected delight, and he could not ask for more.

Thus, it can be said that Sir Barron indeed provided Allen Wilson with significant convenience; if we were to go back a few decades, it could even be said that he directly enabled him to achieve success in one step, saving him twenty years of hard work

Under British rule in India, the untouchables had certain rights, while the rulers of over five hundred princely states were content to maintain their current status and were, on the contrary, quite skeptical of both the Indian National Congress and the Muslim League. As for my upcoming mission to Hyderabad, it is to ensure that the ruler of Hyderabad becomes a pillar of support for British India