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to the opinion of the Austrian War Minister, who, after the battle of Sadowa, re-organised the army and brought it to its present state of efficiency.

So long ago as 1858 Field-Marshal-Lieutenant Baron Kuhn von Kuhnenfeld predicted that Russia would in future probably try to satisfy her craving for an open sea-board by operating through Asia.

But

"She will not," says this distinguished authority, "reach the shores of the Persian Gulf in one stride, or by means of one great war. taking advantage of continental complications, when the attention and energy of European States are engaged in contests more nearly concerning them, she will endeavour to reach the Persian Gulf step by step, by annexing separate districts of Armenia.

"Whatever the commercial value of the Suez Canal to Central Europe, there is no doubt that it is secondary in importance to the Euphrates Railway, which affords the only means of stemming Russian advances in Central Asia, and which directly covers the Suez Canal.'"*

At this moment when great events in Europe are being watched by our distant fellow-subjects in India and by the tribes and nations which

Vide Appendix E. 368.

dwell between us; when the first Mahomedan power in the world is held in the deadly grasp of the Czar; when England, this time not "the unready" is slowly but resolutely putting her native legions in motion, and their dusky brothers in India are hurrying to arms at the call of their common sovereign; at this moment some account of the past and present history of India and Her Neighbours may not be deemed inopportune.

Among the more important considerations presented to the reader of this volume, the following appear to merit special remark—

That England is not only a great Eastern Power, but that she possesses more Mahomedan subjects than the Sultan and the Shah together;

That the standing armies of the feudatory princes of India number over 300,000 men with more than 5,000 guns;

And that it is urgent to have improved and additional means of communication between England and India.

In order further to interest the general reader I have made prominent as central figures, the heroes and heroines of Indian history, surrounded by the dramatic incidents of their careers, leaving in shadow the minor actors, and

passing over altogether, or but briefly alluding to, events of secondary importance; giving, in short, a series of word-pictures of the more remarkable characters, occurrences, and places.

I have to thank kind friends for valuable advice and assistance, and to Mr. Edwyn Sandys Dawes I am specially indebted for that which relates to commerce and finance.

W. P. A.

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