I read this book long back but I recollect that it has described mainly the negative things the rulers did. It has not described in detail the positive things which those rulers did. I belong to Alwar state and know that the rulers of Alwar were basically good towards their subjects. They made several dams, roads, schools, hospitals and so on. The best part is that in the main town of Alwar or you can say Bajaja Bazar, there was a Masjid during the rule of last Maharaja of Alwar which was demolished during Congress rule just after independence. Judgement is personal but one should see all aspects. Everbody knows that rulers or the ruling class promote those writers and journalists who are favourable to them and write bad about their opponents. Even Ramayana, an epic about the glory of Lord Ram, has few good things about Ravan. If the epic about the glory of a king says good things about the opponent king then one should logically think that how good the other one was. Same thing applies about Diwan Jamanee Das and others. Avinash Haldia ----- Original Message ----- From: "Epicure" <shyamofindia@hotmail.com> To: <india-royalty@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, February 09, 2008 1:39 PM Subject: Re: [INDIA-ROYALTY] Diwan Jarmani Dass > Dear David Phillips, > I'd like to caution you, before you form opinions, after Dewan Jarmani > Das' > book. This book, as a few others, was written to meet a specific a purpose > and was sold in its first edition at a ridiculously low price of just Rs. > 10/-, which also proves that it was a sponsored product with a motive to > malign. > I have in my possession a few anecdotes which further my contention. > So, do not gobble utterly spiced narrations of Dewan Jermani Das as gospel > truth. Also admire the dignity that the concerned Royal families have > exhibited by not indulging in a mud slinging match with either the Dewan, > or > his publishers. > Best Wishes! > SHYAM > ----- Original Message ----- > From: <DPhillips@fbm.com> > To: <INDIA-ROYALTY@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Saturday, February 09, 2008 12:02 AM > Subject: [INDIA-ROYALTY] Diwan Jarmani Dass > > >>I am new to the group and this is my maiden e-mail. >> >> I am just now reading Diwan Jarmani Dass' book Maharaja, first issued in >> 1969 and just reprinted in 2007 in paperback in India. He was a >> minister in the princely government of Kapurthala in Punjab and the book >> (which I gather from its appearance in bibliographies) is well known, is >> full of the most scandalous stories about the princes of many states, >> especially Patiala. In fact it is almost nothing but scandalous >> stories. I wonder: how seriously should I take the stories in this >> book? Some of them seem pretty extreme. I'd be grateful for guidance. >> >> David Phillips >> San Francisco >> dphillips@fbm.com >> ___________________________________________________________________________ >> This e-mail message is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) >> and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized >> review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not >> the >> intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail and destroy >> all copies of the original message. Thank you. Farella Braun + Martel LLP >> >> ------------------------------- >> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >> INDIA-ROYALTY-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without >> the >> quotes in the subject and the body of the message >> > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > INDIA-ROYALTY-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message