Do We Need Native States? An Acrimonious Debate between State Officials and Visitors from Bombay What nature has disjoined in one way, wisdom may unite in another.  —Edmund Burke Mallaraj had taken a deliberate decision to align with British rule. This fiercely independent ruler had to swallow many bitter pills, but until his last day, he neither regretted his decision nor saw it as a mistake. He had not been able to explain the logic of his decision to anyone. Both Samant and Muluraj had remained unconvinced of this decision. Mallaraj had not received any English education, but he had given English education to his son Maniraj and had appointed Vidya Chatura as his tutor and later as a minister. He had also trained Vidya Chatura in the principles of his own statecraft. Mallaraj believed that this inheritance was a thousand-fold superior than all the wealth and riches of the state. The fortunate people of Ratnanagari derived the fruits of his deeds. After Mallaraj’s death, Ratnanagari had Maniraj as ruler, trained in virtue and statecraft by his father. It was as if one flower withered but from its manifold layers, a new bud emerged. Vidya Chatura took Jarashankar’s place. It is the duty of a ruler to ensure that the state is never bereft of able leadership, and he must train and cultivate leaders at all levels of administration. The new king and his minister not only nurtured the seeds sown by Mallaraj, they gave them fertile ground to flourish. Ideas which had remained mere intentions were experimented upon and proven ideas were put into practice. Mallaraj had espoused a principle that just as the bride must come from outside the circle of incest, the minister of the state should not be a hereditary position and he should preferably be an outsider. He believed that the right of primogeniture and royal lineage were beneficial to the state; but the same principle, when applied to the post of the minister, sapped the state of creative potential and could become the cause of rot in the state. Despite this belief, Mallaraj had taken a calculated risk and appointed Jarashankar’s nephew Vidya Chatura to succeed him as minister. He acted with caution as foreign rule was sweeping across the country. He felt that any new experiment should be avoided. Vidya Chatura knew well the forces which had worked in his favour and got him the ministership. He did not want to fail his young king. He wanted Maniraj to have a choice in the appointment of the next minister, preferably unrelated to him and not a native of Ratnanagari. He had appointed some able outsiders to subordinate positions. This arrangement, he hoped, would enable him and his king to test their abilities and choose the most appropriate person as the minister when necessary. These men were all intelligent and had the experience of working in other states. Vidya Chatura generous, unselfish and conscious of his duty towards the state, never hesitated to