and the Godavari, the most
valuable salt deposits in the world in the Punjab, and deposits of iron,
the purest found anywhere, in many parts of the country, which, however,
are wrought only by native methods; native manufactures are being largely
superseded by European methods, and the young cotton-weaving industry
flourishes well; the country is well populated on the whole, with a
relative scarcity of big towns; the people belong to many different
races, and speak languages representing four distinct stocks; the vast
bulk of them are Brahmanists or Hindus; there are many Mohammedans,
Buddhists (in Burma), and Parsees (in Bombay); 21/4 millions are
Christians, and there are other religions; India has been subject to many
conquests; the Aryan, Greek, and Mussulman invasions swept from the NW.;
the Portuguese obtained a footing on the SW. coast in the 15th century;
the victories of Plassey 1757, and Seringapatam 1799, established British
rule throughout the whole peninsula, and the principle that native
princes where they retained their thrones were vassals; Sind was won in
1843 and the Punjab in 1849, and the powers of the East India Company
transferred to the Queen in 1857, who was proclaimed Empress in 1877; the
government is vested in a governor-general aided by an executive and a
legislative council, under control, however, of a Secretary of State for
India and council at home; there are governors and lieutenant-governors
of the presidencies of Madras and Bombay, and of the various provinces;
native States are all attached to and subject to the supervision of the
government of a province; there is a native army of 146,000 men, and
74,000 European troops are maintained in the country; British rule has
developed the resources of the country, advanced its civilisation, and
contributed to the welfare of the people; Indian finance is not yet
satisfactory; the currency is based on silver, the steady depreciation of
which metal has never ceased to hamper the national funds.

INDIA, (1) THE IMPERIAL ORDER OF THE CROWN OF, founded in 1878,
includes the Queen and certain royal princes, English and Indian, female
relatives of the Viceroy, of the governors of Bombay and Madras, and
others in high places in India; (2) THE MOST EXALTED ORDER OF THE STAR
OF, founded in 1861 and since enlarged, with the sovereign for head
and the viceroy as grand-master, and three different grades of knights,
designed severally G.C.S.I., K.C.S.I,