Cremated

At Paris, Death stalked and trapped, after an operation,* His Highness Lieutenant General Mukhtar-ul-Mulk Azimul-Iktidar Rafiush Shan Wala Shikoh Mohtasham-i-Dauran Umdat-ul-Umara Maharajadhiraja Alijah Hisam-us-Saltanat Maharaja Sir Madho Rao Scindhia Bahadur Srinath Mansur-i-Za-an Fidvi-i-Hazrat-i-Malika-i-Muazzam-i-Rafi-ud-Darja-i-Inglistan, G. C. S. I., G. C. V. O., G. B. E.--otherwise the Maharaja of Gwalior and titles.

It was natural that this great and good friend of Britain should have a pucka (proper) Brahmin funeral. But attempts by the British Ambassador, Lord Crewe, to have his corpse burned on a funeral pyre in the open air met with numerous difficulties, and it was ultimately decided to have his remains cremated. His body, dressed in royal robes, wearing the royal jewels, was reduced to cinders in the furnace of a crematorium.

The Maharaja of Gwalior, educated at Oxford, was the lifelong friend of Britain. He ascended the throne of Gwalior, Indian state, when but 10 years of age, reigned for 39 1/2 years. He is succeeded by his son, George Jivaji Rao, aged 9.

At the beginning of the War, his immense wealth (his income last year was about $7,000,000) enabled him to fit out the hospital ship Loyalty and maintain it for the duration of the War. He also gave several airplanes and sums of money to the country, and his troops fought valiantly in France, Egypt, East Africa and Mesopotamia. At the Durbar of 1911, he was granted a salute of 21 guns; and, in 1917, his generosity was rewarded by making this salute (recognizing royal rank, a big factor in the life of an Indian Potentate) hereditary.

The Maharaja was a great sports man, a fact which made him particularly popular in England. He not only hunted big game in his native jungles, but shot grouse and partridge in Scot- land, played polo and was an enthusiastic cricketer.

Intellectually, he was above the average educated man. In History, Finance and Sociology he was well read, and he had a considerable knowledge of Engineering which he put to practical use in Gwalior by utilizing water power for electricity, by improving railways, irrigation and sanitation systems.

* Some despatches (unverified) stated that he refused to be operated upon, because his religion forbade it; died from septic poisoning, caused by a boil on his neck.