At 8 o’clock in the morning our special train rode into the station concourse of Howrah. There I was received by the vice king Lord Landsdowne, surrounded by adjutants and members of the government, by the lieutenant-governor of Bengal, Sir C. Elliot, and a large number of curious spectators. Both inside the brightly colored station and outside stood one honor guard company on each location, while the vice king’s life guard, all Indians over six feet tall mounted on gorgeous Australian horses, and a squadron of cavalry escorted us in our ceremonial carriage à la Daumont to Government House, Troops lined the way to there, namely the 6th and 16th Bengal infantry regiment, the English rifle brigade all in black, volunteer marines, as well as volunteers from Calcutta on horse and on foot as well as the young pupils of a military school.

First we crossed a large bridge over  Hooghly river, the western arm of the Ganges. The bridge is 506 m long; but the river is both upstream and downstream much broader while still part of the skyline of the city. The part of the Hoogly accessible to the largest ships has an average width of 230 m. On the left shore of the Hoogly, i.e. on the East, lies Calcutta proper while the suburbs of Howrah from where we just came is on the right shore. All ships find enough space to land, even warships with notable drafts can anchor within the city as the river has the required depth.

In front of Government House awaited multiple honor guard companies, among the volunteer marines. This building is a large palace covered by a central dome linked by galleries with four pavilions with outside staircases,  columned halls etc. everything in what generally is called Empire style. It dates from 1799 to1804 and has been built by Wellington’s brother, Marquis of Wellesley was governor-general of India from 1798 to1805 or more precisely at that time „governor-general of Fort William in Bengal“. An English palace, Kedleston Hall in Derbyshire, had served as the model for the building.

On the large open staircase I was awaited by the commander of India and commander of the troops in Bengal, General Lord Roberts, with all generals and regimental commanders, the heads of the government departments, the consuls and many rajas. My first visit was to Lady Landsdowne’s, after which I retired to my rooms to sort the mail and write my diary as well as receive a delegation of compatriots living in Calcutta which was led by consul Heilgers.

Towards evening I took a small trip around the city and visited the zoological garden. Surrounding Government House are large public buildings, the town hall), the secretary building, the legislative council office, the high court and many other governmental and private buildings — in ancient, medieval style or in none,  i.e. „modern style“ — whose proud facades have rightly given the name of „city of palaces“ to Calcutta.  As proud as these buildings may display their pediments and domes up in the air to Albion’s glory, not all of them stand on firm ground. During the last years, the high court, modeled after Ypres town hall and built on pillars,  has sagged noticeably in the sandy ground at the river shore. At the time of my visit, they were laboring to lift the palace up, a hard and dangerous work.

South from this complex containing the public buildings and East of the Hoogly river and nearly 2 km West of the brilliant mansion Chowringhee road is the Maidan or the esplanade. This is actually but a meadow but truly a meadow like our own Prater whose name can be traced to the Spanish word Prado for meadow and likewise a corso and place for recreation. The Maidan is located at the river shore from the charming garden of Eden and continuing on to the proud octagon of Fort William and occupies about 780 hectares.

Year after year, the grass of the Maidan is shining in a fresh green — a true refreshment in this latitudes — Groves of trees, ponds, pools, statues of British politicians and generals adorn the walking, riding and carriage pathways that criss-cross the area. All these paths are lined with trees which also enclose large meadows for sporting activities and the parade ground. They cover also the southern end of the Maidan where it merges into the racing track with its flat racing course. Some military forces have also pitched their tents in these meadows; it often serves as a camping ground for troops on the move that pass through the city. In the morning and evening hours there is plenty of life going on and in all places sport is rendered homage. Here Englishmen and natives are tirelessly playing polo on excellent ponies. There crickets are batted. Many golf plays are under way and joined by ladies who prefer to play this game. In between, there is a glittering colorful moving corso of carriages: In the most diverse carriages roll by the high life, civil servants, officers and so many rich native Indians. Numerous riders, ladies and gentlemen, ride by up and down. In Caclutta, one seems to undestand how to entertain oneself with pleasurable activities. Every day of the week has its special purpose: Soon there is a running event or a military sports show. general polo, Jours fixes and garden parties in which all society takes part.

My trip through the just described districts and the Maidan led me to the zoological garden which is separated by a small stream from the south end of the Maidan. The zoological garden is owned by a private company, receives subventions from the city ans is quite nice in its park-like environment.  The animals are housed in different small houses and there are ponds, groves and flower beds everywhere. The animal collection, its variety and rarty of species is outstanding. Only the animals could be kept better and namely more cleanly. The inspector apologized for this mischief by pointing to the financial situation of the enterprise which has given its best to transform within a short time a bare swampy terrain into a park and set up an expensive zoological garden.

In the monkey and ape cages was remarkably a gibbon from Java, also called „Wauwau“ (Hylobates leuciscus), who received us with terrible clamor; also an orang-Utan and a mean fully grown mandrill. In the carnivore house which contains a large number of tigers, lion, panthers and various other Indian wildcats I was shown a very old tiger, a man eater. The beast is said to have killed more than 100 humans. What concerns the Ornis,  there were to my pleasure many Indian species well represented, namely marsh birds, pigeons and cuckoo species. i found on this spot many species I had met during my hunting expeditions. Rich in numbers of animals is the house of reptiles in whose pool contains crocodiles which would not deign to eat the duck thrown at them. I was very surprised to see an Indian warden enter the cobra cage, catching the cobra with an expert grip and showing us its fangs. The man continued his daring act in the python and rattlesnake cages. He irritated the rattlesnake until it started to rattle and one could both see and hear the animal’s rage. He had, by the way, already had to pay for his daring as he had been bitten twice, one of which threatened his life when a cobra bit him.

The return drive saw the Corso at its maximum; all carriages were arranged around the music pavilion and the beautiful world was moving in the alleys and avenues. Alas —- life’s joy was not for all mortals: Thus there was a parade dinner in the evening at Government House with 80 guests and the usual toasts and a long reception. The presence of my charming host Lady Landsdowne, who assured me that her husband and she also are aware of more pleasant activities than a gala dinner,  made me really appreciate the necessity of such ceremonial festivities and see them from a new perspective.

Links

• Location: Calcutta, India
• ANNO – on 01.02.1893 in Austria’s newspapers. The British government has protested in Washington, D.C. against the American intervention in Hawaii. The Americans continued their activities without change. The correspondent sees a strain in their relations. The Panama scandal in France continues.
• The k.u.k. Hof-Burgtheater plays the tragedy „Arria und Messalina“, while the k.u.k. Hof-Opermtheater is used for a „redoute“, a charity ball with music under the direction of Eduard Strauss.

On the way from Gwalior to Calcutta we traveled through the English North-western provinces, the presidency of Bengal whose capital Calcutta lies in the  Ganges estuary, the most important river of the Indian subcontinent. We finally arrived at the gulf of Bengal as the distance between Calcutta and the sea is more than 160 km. From the plateau of Malwa  we descended to the plain of Yamuna and Ganges, both rivers uniting at Allahabad. Besides from an overview of the agriculture of this area and the administrative division of the North-eastern part of the Indian subcontinent, we had the fleeting opportunity to witness the agricultural richness of the territory we were crossing.

These are part, like the whole of the Indian subcontinent up to the Himalaya and to the Punjab, of the plant kingdom of the Indian savanna. In its North-western part  the most important characteristic agricultural plant is the bean, both the common bean and the small mung bean, in the South-east, i.e. the territory of the Ganges delta with large precipitations, they are bananas, sugar canes, rice and cotton. The cultivation of wheat is particularly intensive on the upper plateau of the Ganges and Yumana. This branch of the agricultural industry of India was of particular interest to me as today Indian wheat is competing on the London world market with European and American wheat. The number of Indians who subsist on wheat — this is the case mostly in the North-western provinces — allows for a comparison to the rice and maize eaters of Bengal and the coastal regions, and to the Indian consumers of barley and sorghum. This allows for a number of observations about the meaning of the saying: „Man is what he eats.“

Fruit plantations too, the half-brother of cropping, occupies an eminent position in a country where many are out of religious conviction vegetarians. I observed with pleasure this center of agriculture and the Indian rice plantation, the increasing number of trees, the great number of mango tree groves during the ride across Bengal, the most populous region of India. A much darker mood caused the numerous poppy fields whose product opium which poisons mind and body is both baneful and profitable, and plays a political role as demonstrated by the opium war between England and China.

The key points on the route from Gwalior to Calcutta, which we pass via Jhansi to Kanpur on the Indian Midland Railway and from Kanpur to Calcutta on the East Indian Railway, are Kanpur, also an important trading station for the military, Allahabad, Mirzapur and Patna. Allahabad, the „city of god“ at the confluence of Yamuna and Ganges, is a strategically and commercially very important but not attractive city. The unassuming native district, the modern English districts and the government buildings of this administrative center of the North-western provinces are the main points of interest in Allahabad. Of particular interest is the city during the time of the new year when a trade fair and the sanctuaries of this pilgrimage location hosts hundreds of thousands of merchants and pilgrims on the banks of the Ganges.  The railway crosses Yamuna on a large bridge which offers a view on the old fort situated at the confluence of the two rivers Yamuna and Ganges.

Mirsapur and Patna are both ancient Mughal cities. The former one due to a large carpet industry and the latter as the center of poppy cultivation in the northern district. Poppy cultivation is particularly strong in the Ganges lowlands. The production and distribution of opium is a monopoly of the British crown, that is why every poppy grower is under exact supervision and has to deliver all the opium produced to the government according to a license and at a fixed price, a relationship that looks similar to our tobacco monopoly regime. The merchant may in exchange for very high taxes and compliance with control measures which are particularly severe in the tributary states, buy the opium only in the government depots. Due to these regulations as well as the restriction of cultivating opium to certain parts of the country the growth of the poppy production is slow and the government can realize such an increase in the selling price of the finished goods that out of a poppy growing region of around 250.000 hectares in the year 1891 a profit of 65,791.170 fl. in Austrian currency is realized; a notable sum but gained out of a rather odious source.Incidentally the profit of the opium monopoly grows at the same pace as the increase of opium use in China.

Links

• Location: Patna, India
• ANNO – on 31.01.1893 in Austria’s newspapers. 30 January was the fourth anniversary of the double suicide of crown prince Rudolf in Mayerling. His widow dressed in black paid his remains a visit, all alone.
  • The k.u.k. Hof-Burgtheater plays the comedy „Ein Erfolg“, while the k.u.k. Hof-Operntheater  repeats its combination of „Cavalleria Rusticana“ and „Rouge et Noir“.

Two British officers, Captain Edwards and Lieutenant Coldgrave of the Central Indian Horse, a well known fine regiment, were currently assigned as instructors for officers and men of the native Maratha regiments,  and acted as consultants and guides  during maneuvers. They invited me and the men of my entourage to a pigsticking, hunting wild boars with lances on horses in the plains of Gwalior. Very eager to learn more about this sport new to me, though I had already heard much and was very curious, I accepted the invitation to participate with pleasure. I must confess that this hunting expedition did exceed my expectations; Pigsticking is an entertaining and exciting sport that requires much dexterity and endurance.

We drove 14 km into the countryside to a small hunting lodge of the Maratha, where horses, service horses supplied by in the Central Indian horse regiment, and mounted shikaris of Gwalior were waiting. Because of a throat infection I’ve been suffering from since the stay in Kalawewa, to my great chagrin and following the doctor’s advice, I had to abstain from joining the hunting party myself and had to settle with riding after them in the second party with Wurmbrand.

The hunting terrain was an extended plain, with a meter high burnt blady grass (Imperata cylindrica), of which only a few small areas remained free, so that galloping in this grass was not exactly pleasant, neither horse nor rider could see where the foot rests, and there are also countless little cracks in the earth of the savannas, and especially deep, hole-shaped burrows of porcupines.

After a short search a drove of pigs was discovered, the loud „Tallyho“ of the riders sounded and immediately they chased after them with couched lances at full pace. I rode a very enterprising horse that could not understand that I remained constrained by the doctor’s order to hold back and kept me fully occupied, which is why I only noticed that Wurmbrand was overthrown when his riderless horse rode past me. He was tripped by a burrow of a porcupine, but was luckily not injured. I followed the riders slowly. They first continued in a straight line, but then, when they had come close to the pigs and had separated out a boar, they went after him with great skill until it lay at our feet pierced by many hits of the lances. The English chased only male or old wild boars and manage to pick the appropriate target out of a drove in the high grass with amazing aplomb.

Soon a second boar was found in this game-rich area, so the hunting resumed. The run was over quickly, because one of the gentlemen scored an early hit the boar with his skillful lance. During this gallop Captain Edward fell pretty nastily on his head, continued to ride the next two runs, but then had to return home and could not attend the dinner in the evening.

Now, it was time to rest our tired horses, but they couldn’t rest for long, because I spotted a drove of black bucks in the distance and informed the gentleman about my find. Everyone was immediately in the saddle again. But now, I could no longer restrain my hunting and riding passion; the instruction and strict prohibitions of my physician were forgotten, I rode at a gallop towards the hunting party which was riding in my direction. I cut off the wild boar’s path. The wild boar stopped in its tracks. I used this moment to catch him with my lance. I looked at my own first trophy in the pigsticking with satisfaction.

Our tired horses, the great heat and the upcoming hunt in the afternoon made our leaders  decide to return home. We had barely covered a few hundred paces when multiple black bucks suddenly appeared. Naturally we couldn’t resist the temptation to pursue them. Our hunting party automatically split in two as the male boars in the drove escaped in different directions: Crawford and Coldgrave pursued one, my entourage, Fairholme and I the other. The run lasted longer as the horses were already spent. It concluded in a dramatic fight, a wild confusion raged. The boar stopped and stared at the horses and even slammed into the rear legs of Prónay’s white horse. Finally it came down to a jovial contest between me and Wurmbrand; we were the closest to the pig but had no stirrups to force the horses to engage our enemy. Thus our lances only hit the air time and again until we managed after a long struggle to kill the boar. It is hard to believe how difficult it is for a beginner to use a lance effectively against an escaping boar and how many times one has to miss to lance a single strike. The other group with Crawford was also lucky to bag their boar and thus we rode back with five bagged pieces to the hunting lodge where breakfast awaited us.

As I noticed some vultures in the air, I had one of the pigs be placed as bait next to the villa. Truly, it did not take ten minutes for the Egyptian vultures and in the end large white-rumped vultures (Gyps bengalensis) to approach. I bagged multiple specimens. Unfortunately, I missed an eagle which reminded me of our Eastern imperial eagle with an untested rifle.

In the afternoon we wanted to hunt black bucks and marsh game in the surrounding area and split into different groups. I tried my luck with Fairholme first seeking black bucks which we approached on a peasant wagon. The animals, however, had already been made timid by the commotions caused by the pigsticking so that despite all caution it was impossible to get close to them. We therefore rode to the ponds nearby to hunt waterfowl. The plain in whicch we were hunting is criss-crossed by numerous canals and contains many irrigation ponds that serves various waterfowl as habitat. In the first pond sat a flock of at least four tot five hundred different ducks of whom I bagged three. The shots flushed out various birds among them three particularly noticeable majestic sarus cranes (Grus antigone).

Close to this pond there was a second larger one which seemed to be very rich in game as a quick scan with the spyglass revealed I approached with cautious through the high reeds. On the water surface swam a row of beautiful brown ruddy shelducks and in between were various other ducks, from the small Eurasian teal to the large  red-crested pochard; in the reed I saw the lean necks and the carmine red heads of two sarus cranes; the sky was full of ducks, snipes, waders, fighting cocks and black-winged stilts. Despite all my precautions the game soon took notice of me so that I could only try a ball shot at the cranes which unfortunately missed.

Continuing at the edge of the pond I bagged a number of ducks and two common coots, multiple black-necked stilts  and a marsh harrier. All my efforts were set upon the majestic sarus cranes which I spotted in great distance in a wheat field. Fortunately, a winding stream in a deep cut was running next to the wheat field; on this I based my operational plan and let myself down the bank of the stream, wading in the stream to sneak as closely as possible so that I fired at both cranes with two shots. One lay dead,  the other was deeply hurt. A hunter, however, should never be greedy, a wise lesson that proved itself again here. As soon as I had shot at the two cranes I saw a large egret fly above my head and shot at it instead of taking care of the wounded crane. At this moment, the wounded crane took flight and departed never to be seen again while I had to see him go with an empty rifle. Thus I had to make do with a single specimen of this giant bird which with its neck extended reaches the height of a grown man.

A new approach on the black bucks proved as unsuccessful as the first one and thus I turned to bagging various ducks, among them Northern Shovelers (Anas clypeata) as well as some fighting cocks, and returned to the bungalow where I met the other gentlemen who had also made fine catches.

The beautiful shine of the moon accompanied our return drive to Gwalior. Here we said good-bye after the dinner to our hunting companions end entered the train to Calcutta.

Links

• Location: Gwalior, India
• ANNO – on 30.01.1893 in Austria’s newspapers.
• The k.u.k. Hof-Burgtheater is performing Ludwig Fulda’s play „Das verlorene Paradies“, while the k.u.k Hof-Operntheater is playing the opera „Hamlet“ based on music by Ambroise Thomas.

At 2 o’clock in the morning, I was torn out of my sleep by music. An overeager raja had deemed it important to welcome me in this way at a rather unexpected hour and have me sent fruits.

At 6 o’clock, we arrived in Gwalior — half frozen, chattering with cold. Hard to believe and unfortunately still true! The oldest people in Gwalior could not remember a time of such a low temperature that has to be attributed to the large snowfalls which have recently occurred according to the news in the Himalaya.  Despite two overcoats that I had put on before leaving the carriage I was bitterly cold. Colonel Pitcher and two richly decorated members of the state government council of Gwalior received me in the name of the Maratha and the British resident and accompanied us to the carriage which would take us to the ruler’s palace.

The ruler, a youth of sixteen years, under the well-considered custody of and educated by an Englishman, was absent, as he was visiting the British resident in Calcutta. The sudden death of his predecessor, an obstinate hereditary ruler who had caused the English much pain and trouble had elevated the Maratha into the government.

The palace honor guard which we inspected first seemed to be surprised by our early arrival. Still deep in sleep, twenty men finally assembled with their rifles, some still wearing their kind of nightgown, others in large hooded coats. A very old officer tried in vain to get the bunch into formation.

Similar to that in Hyderabad, the residence of the Maratha in Gwalior consists of multiple palaces of which three are particularly noteworthy. They are in a park which covers many square kilometers and which contains ponds and is criss-crossed by streams. The largest and most important palace has been built in honor of the presence of the Prince of Wales in Gwalior (1873) and catches the eye by its mixture of Indian and Italian style. When I asked about this, the riddle was solved: The architect came from Florence. Large open stairs lead to a most beautiful ceremonial hall closely built after a Florentine pattern, all in white and gold with huge glass candelabra. To the side of this hall are reception and dining rooms which are partly filled with  tasteless European objects. The private rooms of the Maratha have a rather uncomfortable even unfriendly look. The room where he spends most of the time of the day kneeling on rug is a hall with pillars whose capitals are ornamented with scenes from Indian mythology, mostly colorful illustrations of the God Shiva. Everywhere there is an almost unbelievable neglect and much dirt: Rats, pigeons and sparrows, it seems, have turned many of the antechambers  into their own quarters and the servants did not seem to be convinced of the necessity of airing and cleaning the rooms of the palace.

The second palace too which had been built after 1876 in a pure Indian style is entered by a majestic reception hall whose main decorations are a well executed painting of Shiva and green gilded furniture. On both narrow sides of the hall are windows with bars behind which the women can unseen watch the festivities and audiences. Very original are the rooms of the harem which we could visit too as no women were currently present. The whole site and content dates back to the deceased Maratha and has not yet been changed by the current ruler who has recently chosen a ten-year-old as his future bride. The room of the favorite wife is without any decoration, only a few worthless European color prints hang on the walls. The only piece of furniture in this room is a low divan in the middle of the room.  Just next to this room is a richly decorated room of the strict ruler which is decorated with valuable rugs and cloths and sumptuously decorated with gold, silver and gemstones. On its walls hang mirrors and sparkle colorful vases. The bed made out of heavy gold rests on skilfully designed feet and is covered by silk blankets while a baldachin made out of heavy silk overhangs the luxurious place of rest.

Next to this bedroom which is a gaudy and descriptive contrast to the design of the other rooms are those used by the ruler’s beauties during the day. In order that nobody unbidden may observe these holy places and listen in on the mighty one’s  amorous activities, these rooms have no windows but only a skylight supplies light via a direct shaft to the outside — a construction detail that at first looks strange.

A special mention is merited for the sandstone portals of the palaces. The park which contains the palaces is well maintained and filled with rare plants and trees between which numerous peacocks are strutting around. In contrast, the condition of the stable and its maintenance and treatment of the horses within are not at all uplifting.

In a chapel, owned by the very small Roman Catholic community of Gwalior, we attended mass, as it was Sunday. As in the other Indian cities I have already visited the drive through the streets offer many exciting scenes: a colorful mix of a pushing and shoving crowd as well as vivid activity in the shops and bazaars. Characteristic for Gwalior are, besides the huts and small houses of the poorer classes of the population, buildings of huge dimensions and rich stone decorations. These decorations are applied partly on verandas above the windows and doors partly inlaid into the walls.

Our quarters were a newly built palace of the Maratha reserved for guests and located at the city’s periphery. The palpable cold in the numerous large rooms of this palace was so intense that I could not remove the coat even in the rooms and only felt a comfortable warmth in the room where we took our meals thanks to a flickering fire in the fireplace,

Towards noon, a delegation of the Maratha presented itself and offered on 66 large dishes a most diverse mix of local fruits as a tribute. The members of the delegation created an improvised exhibition of the local agricultural products on the palace’s veranda. They looked and were so tasty that I felt very sorry of being unable to take it home as a souvenir. After the departure of the delegation, the fruit thus was handed over to the always hungry Indian servants.

After the dinner, the Maratha’s equerry, a native, presented some horses from the stable — Indian thoroughbreds remarkable by their gentleness and beautiful form, noble animals in rich decoration and expensive saddles. Each of the four most valuable horses carried jewelry of a value of more than 100.000 guilders: each had one agraffe with gemstones on its head and a similar headband; five long strings hanged with golden rupees (Mohür); on the neck two gorge straps with square coins made out of pure gold; on both front legs bracelets and below the right knee a thick silver clasp. The saddle was covered with rectangular silk blankets and brocade shot through with gold, the tail belt studded with large, golden filigree ball buttons. Golden stirrups and belts completed the precious equipment, a testament to the Oriental love for lavish displays of pomposity. The equerry and some black grooms, dressed in their national costumes, rode the sharply tethered horses in circles in the manner of their country. While they tortured the animals badly, they also made them perform the smallest pirouettes and force one into a piaff despite the horse being hindered by clasps and bracelets. Thus the frothing and gnashing animals in their rich colorful attire made a incorrect from an equestrian point of view but  picturesquely highly effective impression.

The rest of the day was devoted to the visit of the fortress of Gwalior. Gwalior is located on a boulder filled hill limited in the North by the Tschambal and in the South of the Sindh river. What is called Gwalior, actually consists of three closely different parts: the fortress, the old town situated at the Northern foot and the new city or Lashkar in the South. The Prince of Gwalior and the total urban population used to live in the rayon of the fortress itself, which is witnessed by the presence of palaces and ruined temples. After the incursions of the great Mughals, the Muslim old town, now half ruined and deserted but still containing beautiful mosques and mausolea, was established in the Northern valley below the fortress

The new city Lash Kar („the tent city“), finally,with the old Barah palace and the „modern palace“ of Maratha Sindhia, with English buildings and the vibrant merchant quarter Sarafa emerged from the old camping ground which had been pitched at the beginning of the 19th century by Daulat Rao Sindhia in the South of the fortress. These parts of Gwalior tower over the fortress, which, about 2.5 km long, 0.3 km wide, stands isolated on a sandstone hill which drops steeply on all sides, proudly looks down on the built-up and inhabited land about 100 m below.

The main interest of fleeting visitors to Gwalior is concentrated in, of course, on what the ancient fortress offers, because the parts of city  in the plain only contain as important places the tomb of Mohammed Gaus, located across the river.

A fortified way leads up to the fortress with crenelated walls along the whole length. Borne by two elephants, we pass two defensive gates. Then it continues steeply uphill. At the first turn stands the oldest monument of the whole area, the Vishnu temple  carved out of the rock, Tschatr Bhodsch Mandir, whose creation has been backdated in one of the inscriptions to the year 876 AD. We marvel about the fact that  the history of Gwalior reports that this fortress has been assaulted countless times. During a period of almost a thousand years, the fortress has always been the bone of contention among India’s rulers. Thus the sight of a sanctuary which is preserved from that period, must fill us really with pious awe.

The rocky walls besides the road are often covered by chiseled statues of gods and votive images, often of a very realistic nature. At considerable height the rock has natural grottoes and caves in which fakirs are said to be living. Unfortunately I didn’t see any of these hermits and could thus not take note of their way of life which seems to be similar to that of the hermits in the rock caves at Mar Saba near Jericho.

After an ascent of a quarter of an hour one reaches the giant gate which is ornamented with colorful enamel tiles and split stone reliefs and enters through pillar galleries onto the plateau of the fortress and here the inner part of the rayon. This gate is flanked by two mighty round towers surrounded by pillar galleries and towers covered by domes. On the right of the entrance next to the gate and building part of the exterior wall of the fortress stands a palace built by Man Singh (1486 to 1516), the most important prince of Gwalior from the Tomara dynasty — a marvelous building. It constitutes a rectangle which includes two courts (100 m : 50 m), that is 33 m long and 20 m high; the North and West side above the ground floor as well as the two floors below are nearly completely destroyed. Only it seems that the building’s attraction consists in the contrast of the ruined parts to the conserved splendid fronts.

The long eastern side includes five towers which are, as the windowless exterior walls of the main building, at half their height split by a band. Otherwise they are without decoration, only to explode higher up in the most attractive and diverse architecture. Ornamented with truly oriental fantasy, inlaid or projecting,  decorated with bays, plinths and wall pillars, the towers constitute the cylindrical foundation on which stand open, high domes carried by pillars. The walls are interrupted at a height by pilasters and capstones and crenelated terminating in square balconies covered by domes. The eastern side of the palace contains a similar but less ornamented structure with fragile plinths. There only three towers are included in the wall.

To the charms of the lines, the profile and the masonry of the two fronts one has to add the magic of the colors that ornament the king’s building justly called Tschit Mandir, painted palace. The exterior areas of all walls, towers and ledges on both fronts are covered with enameled tiles, between them sprawl ornaments formed out of white plaster but now quite weather-beaten. Representing all kinds of decorations, tendrils, flowers and stylized animal figures, the glaze of the tiles is glittering in a light blue, green and gold, adding to the elegant play of forms of the towers, ledges, balconies by the splendor of their colors that pour over the building in a colorful rhythm in a subtly perceived shading and thus created an as artistic as sensual impression.

Glowing in the red light of the setting sun turns the view of Man Singh’s palace, one of the architectural jewels of India,  into an extraordinary unforgettable experience. One believes to live in old times where mighty kings lived here, surrounded by their glittering court entourage and thousands of slaves; where riders and colorful processions ascended the hill and royal feasts were filled with plenty of the sounds of war.

Like the exterior so too is the interior of the palace very artistically turned out in all its details. All interior walls are decorated with outstanding split stone inlays and colorful enamel glazing. Naturally, the palace is uninhabited and also in its current state uninhabitable.

I was very surprised to find somebody like the old Indian colonel Sita Ram who serves as our Cicerone, a white raven among his compatriots, and who was interested not in the destruction but on the contrary in the conservation of this historic art works. Everywhere one recognizes his caring hand: As here and there, is set a new stone, a crumbling wall stabilized and this and that relief restored.

Besides Man Singh’s palace, the castle hill of Gwalior carries five more partly very plain palaces. Only Gudschari palace deserves recognition, only it is a vast and impressive building made out of building stones, as well as Karan palace with its large hall covered by its original Hindu dome.

Our deepest interest, however, was attracted by the ancient temples still visited by Hindu pilgrims both in terms of their construction style as well as their sculptures. The fortress contains eleven of such Hindu temples among which two are especially noteworthy: Teli-ka Mandir and the two Säs Bahu temples.

Teli-ka Mandir, i.e. „the temple of the oil merchant“, was built over a thousand years ago and has lost its dome during the years. Today it has the form of a blunted sugar cone, a form that can be explained by its modern height of 25 m  according to its construction plans and whose niches in the facade are lived up by overhanging bays that converge at the top in a sharp angle.

Even more does the square tower-like temple become narrower and narrower by its upper part which once carried the dome and now has also lost much of its architectural decoration. The exterior temple walls are covered by very interesting sandstone reliefs. On the south side they are well conserved at considerable height, but in the East above the mighty entrance gate covered by trees there is mostly only debris even at half the height. Originally dedicated to Vishnu, Teli-ka Mandir was later converted to worship Shiva. Around the temple stand in a sort of small open air museum a number of the most beautiful reliefs, statues and images, all remains from the temple.

The different statues of the gods, among which are Ganesha, Hanuman and Shiva. With great effort the old colonel  had collected these pieces of former splendor at this place and assured us that one had only to dig in the fortress to find all kinds of things; because the whole space must have once been covered with temples and palaces. I was very pleased when he gave me three of the most beautiful reliefs as a present,  one of which was really artistically executed.

The Sahasra Bahu sanctuary is dedicated to the God Vishnu and dates from the 12th century, It consists of two temples built by Raja Mahipal. The large Sas Bahu temple is about 30 m long and 20 m wide. Once over 30 m tall, its current height is about 20 m as the dome has crashed down. The uppermost of its three floors is almost fully ruined, so that its current peak resembles a blunted irregular pyramid. In the interior are four large massive chiseled stone pillars. Those carry the pyramidal rising ceiling, a strange mixture of alternating round and square stone bands which end in a square at their highest point.  The base of the just mentioned stone pillars consists of massive stone blocks: Pillars and walls are once again decorated with sculptures of the gods. The whole looks like a giant had formed it out of decorative paper, but still does the temple, a tasteful product of ancient art and technology create no other feelings than admiration.

The small Sas Bahu temple, in the form of a cross and open to all four sides is not as much but still with much taste decorated.

Apart from these two outstanding temples there are nine smaller temples of which each is remarkable in its own way and still different from the others, even if the equalizing hand of the occupation is highly visible. Enumerating all those marvels would take up too much space.

In the vertically rising rocks of the hills that carry the fortress Gwalior are chiseled in the reliefs of Urwahi famous both in number and size. These high reliefs which show gods from the Indian sagas of the Jaina cult remind me about Egyptian reliefs and are here cut out of the space of the sandstone walls. Some groups of these sculptures stand in natural or artificial grottoes, caves and niches over whose upper end the rock cliff rises partly vertically and partly overhang. Some of these stone images represent gods in twenty-fold magnification compared to human scale. The provenience of these sculptures from the Jaina is not difficult to see for the expert as this sect shows its gods always without clothes and in much more raw completion than the gods of the other Hindu sects. The figures are framed by all kinds of ornaments and demi-reliefs which show animals and genre images from the Jainese lives of the gods. The Jainas are a sect that split from Hinduism at around the time of the creation of Buddhism. Regular hermit life removed from the world within the sanctuaries or stone caves, like here in Gwalior, is characteristic for the Jaina. This communal lifestyle combined with their deep religiosity of the Jainas turned building originally used only for housing purposes into sanctuaries of the gods, whose ornamentation y reliefs cut out of stone in hard work and the result of many years of tiring labor. These reliefs of Urwahi, however, have not been made like that but are the result of an order of two rulers from  Gwalior of the Tomara dynasty. Under Dimgar Singh (1425) these works started, under Kirti Singh (1454)  they were already completed. The majority of the reliefs were destroyed only a few decades later (1527) out of religious fanaticism of the Grand Mughal  Babur.

From the fortress‘ glacis one can enjoy a panorama view across the countryside as none of the surrounding hills is as high as Gwalior’s castle hill.  Barren and brown it lies there unless the rainy season awakens the hills and plains with fresh green. Basalt cones, raw sandstone blocks, endless mountain ranges rise before us and at our feet lies the bare old town, the colorful new city Laschkar as well as the plain which stretches towards the south up to the horizon. The city buildings, the glittering white palaces of the Rajas, the villages in the plains bring life into a view whose attraction is increased by the strange color effects of a setting sun.

The architectural physiognomy of the fortress is somewhat impacted by the long officer and soldier barracks built by the the English occupiers. Still these stones are talking too! Countless times have warlike storms raged around this rock fortress since Gwalior, more than one and a half thousand years old on this sandstone cliff, is thought to be holy by the believer and precious by the warrior. Finally in the year 1779,  the hotly contested fortress fell into the hands of the English. Reconquered by the Maharajas it was taken again in the year 1803 and reconquered again out of English hands. In the year 1844, after hard fights it came into British possession again.

In the great East-Indian rebellion of 1857 to 1859, Gwalior played an important role. In June1858 was the fortress of Gwalior stormed after a desperate fight with swords in their hands by Sir Hugh Rose and remained occupied by British forces until the year 1886. To see the British occupation tower over his own residence and in control of the key of the country was probably a cause that made  Maharaja Sindhia the most combative of all English vassal princes and in having strained relations with the representatives of the Empress of India. After Sindhia’s death in 1886, the fortress was handed back to its rightful owner, the English occupation forces were moved elsewhere an the empty barracks and batteries occupied by the Maharaja’s troops.

When we left the fortress very satisfied from the things we had seen and looked back from the foot of the hill, the moon stood high in the sky and sent its full light upon the audacious silhouette of the castle hill, on its towers and the battlements of Man Singh palace whose marvellous enamel walls reflected the light.

Links

• Location: Gwalior, India
• ANNO – on 29.01.1893 in Austria’s newspapers. The Neue Freie Presse informs about a revolution in Hawaii. The United States has sent marines to restore order, help in the overthrow of the monarchy and eventually annexed the island. In 1993, President Clinton  apologized on behalf of the United States for its involvement in the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii.
• The k.u.k. Hof-Burgtheater is performing in the afternoon Grillparzer’s tragedy „Die Jüdin von Toledo“ and in the evening the comedy „Der letzte Brief“ by Sardon, while the k.u.k Hof-Operntheater is playing Jules Massenet’s opera „Manon“.

From Sikandarabad station to Daund we used the same route we used to get from Bombay to Hyderabad. From Daund we took the Daund-Manmar State Railway, which connects at Manmar station into the North-eastern Great Indian Peninsula Railway.  From the crossing at Manmar, the railway continues in a North-eastern direction up to Itarsi; There the line to Bhopal turns towards the North-west.

We left the „South“, Dekhan, and entered Central India. Shortly after the crossing at Bhusawal, where the direct line via Nagpur leads to Calcutta, we crossed Tapti river over a large bridge. The central part of that river runs through a strange hill formation with narrow valleys and characterized by basalt. Continuing through cut, wild and game rich terrain, we reached Khandwa and crossed at Harda, the wheat growing plain south of the Narbadaf river. Turning North-west at Itarsi on the Indian Midland Railway tracks, it crosses the narrow and rocky river bed of Narbada — flowing north along the Vindhya mountain range — and arrives on the Malwa plateau at a height of 500 m, having crossed the Vindhya mountain range. On this plateau are the stations Dhip and Bhopal.

As interesting the geological profile, its fauna and flora of the region we are passing through is, a railway traveler can only see hilly countryside alternating with thick jungle of teak woods. Here are traces of regular forestry, as teak is formidable lumber.  Planted offshoots can be seen everywhere and in all stations are large stocks of logs ready for export.

The railway cuts across a fertile plain in Malwa: the now completely refilled bed of that huge water pond that once had been made by the dam constructed during the rule of Raja Bhoja of Ujjain. This dam Bhoja-pal — dam is „pal“ in Hindi, its constructor being Bhoja — has given the city of Bhopal its name.

Bhopal, the next station, is the capital of the state of the same name. This is one of eight native states on the Malwa plateau and is ruled —  female emancipation on the throne — by the Duchess Sultan_Shah_Jahan Begum,  the daughter and since 1868 successor of the active Sikandar Begum (1847 to 1868). The duchess is described as a smart and clever woman. She lives in an extended palace  at a distance of 5 km from the railway station,

From Bhopal the railway continues via Bhilsa,  known for the »Bhilsa topes« — artificial semi-spherical Buddhist grave domes at Sanchi. The largest of these domes built out of bricks and stones has a diameter of of 36 m and a height of 14 m.

At Jhansi crossing station we enter the territory of Bundelkhand, famous for its richness in diamonds and even more for its century-long struggles for the territory’s rule and which only ended in 1858 by the British conquest of the Jhansi rock fortress.

Links

• Location: Jhansi, India
• ANNO – on 27.01.1893 and 28.01.1893 in Austria’s newspapers. Empress Elisabeth has departed Spain from Cadiz in direction to Gibraltar on board of a steam ship. Her stay in Spain has been reported as „pleasurable“. The wedding gift for Franz Ferdinand’s sister from the city of Vienna has been a silver miniature copy of  Vienna’s Donner fountain. The crisis in France continues to fill the pages. The anniversary of the German Kaiser on the 27th was honored by the Austrian Emperor dining with the German ambassador and guests.
• The k.u.k. Hof-Burgtheater is performing the play  „Der verarmte Edelmann“ on the 27th and the tragedy „Narciss“ on the 28th, while the k.u.k Hof-Operntheater is playing Mozart’s opera „Magic Flute“ on the 27th and on the 28th once again „Cavalleria Rusticana“ as a replacement for „Othello“ cancelled due to hoarseness of a Mr Sommer.

After the numerous festivities of the previous days, today’s morning was devoted to hunting. At dawn we left Bashir Bagh lead by Major Alfsar Dschang in a large coach to the plains surrounding Hyderabad, the Nizam’s hunting grounds.

The first catch I made that day already on the way were some flying squirrels which we saw hanging in the trees in their thousands in front of the palace of the English resident. Consul general Stockinger undertook the mission of informing the occupants of the palace about the shots in order not to scare them and believe in the start of a revolution. I shot four squirrels which made the rest of them come alive. They rose and cried fluttering around like ghosts above our heads.

At the hunting ground, — near Sarur Nagar — about 10 km distant from the city our hunting cheetahs were expecting us, as well as many falcon hunters and our riding horses. After a prolonged discussion and much shouting it was decided to hunt first with falcons. In want of other game to hunt which would have required time to track down, a recently captured stork was liberated and after some time, the falcon was launched into the air. We galloped after it and saw after a few minutes how the falcon attacked the stork and fell with him to the ground. All this happened in a glance. A second stork did not want to lift off, wild herons did not show themselves and so the bird hunt had to be terminated.

Now it was the cheetah’s turn. Two of them with bound eyes were on a small ox-drawn cart. We rode behind the cart until a herd of black bucks was discovered. with two strong bucks among them. We riders kept ourselves a bit back while the shikaris with the cheetahs drove in a diagonal direction towards the unsuspectingly grazing antelopes.Then at a distance of around 100 paces, the does fled but the two bucks can still be approached more closely. Finally, the cart had come to within about 80 paces of them, when they started to flee too. At the same time, the shikaris removed the covers from the cheetah’s eyes and released them. In a giant leap does it jump from the cart and pursues with the tail held high one of the black bucks that had separated itself from his colleague. The pursued aware of the danger is in full but futile flight. After only a few jumps the cheetah is on the buck’s back, forces it down and bites it in the neck in one moment, so that when we came running the animal had already died. Greedily, the cheetah was tasting the ample blood and did not want to relinquish its prey. Only with much effort did the shikaris manage to control the cheetah again.

So we learned about this interesting new method of hunting and decided to use the remaining time to hunt black bucks. We split into three parties and each tried its luck in a different direction. I went towards north with Alfsar Dschang and Kinsky.  The hunting location was a plain with only some small hills and undulating ground on which were palm groves, thorny jungle as well as moors covered for the most part with withered yellow grass. This is the favorite spot of the black bucks.

Soon I had tracked two large herds which were grazing in the high grass and approached them by a small crack in the earth up to 120 paces from the next herd which counted among 100 animals. United stood — a beautiful picture — strong bucks with their long winding horns, old females and many young animals. At this moment one of the females got wind of me and fled with a number of younger animals — it was time to start shooting. I aimed at the strongest buck and fired; The shot wounded it hard like a piece of big game touched but it still fled with the rest of the herd. In this moment I shot a second moving capital buck. A third one shocked by the fall of the second ran towards me. I quickly pushed a  new round into the barrel and had good luck of hitting it in full flight. The bagged bucks with their dark brown and snow white fur, their racious heads and feet as well as their beautiful horns were quickly given over to the masterful hands of Hodek. As soon as the herd was within sight it kept fleeing without interruption until it disappeared into a thick jungle.

I now rode towards a higher ridge looking for new game. I thought to be successful in such terrain and indeed discovered a herd behind a rock. The herd was very timid, however, and fled quickly despite my careful approach so that I only managed to bag a female goat.

In the high grass jumped many hares which are similar to ours but smaller and with longer and more transparent ears. There were partridges and quails in great number. After striving for quite some time, I found another herd close to the border of the Nizam’s hunting grounds. Of the large number of bucks  I shot one.

The sun was burning hot upon us and the shikaris showed signs of being tired. Thus we rested an hour under a large tree.

After we resumed the hunt, I decided to revisit the herd we shot at in the morning and after we searched for half an hour, we found it in a bare moor. I tried to sneak up on them as near as possible but had to fire from so far away that I only struck a buck in the flank. Now I wanted to bag him under any condition as he seemed very strong. I only succeeded with quite some effort spent and after having shot another healthy buck during the pursuit.

It had not been a delusion: The wounded buck had been extremely old and had gray and sparse hair and two worn broken horns. The difficulty of bagging such a badly wounded animal which always escapes out of shooting distance in such an open space under time pressure while seeing its pain and having no dogs around  can only be appreciated by a hunter who is capable of solving a similar task in a similarly difficult situation.

It was time to return to the country house of the minister in Sarur Nagar, where we were expected to change our clothes for a sporting event in the afternoon. On the way I shot two more, a buck and a goat, and galloped to the country house  were an opulent breakfast was awaiting us. This house is the favorite summer retreat of the minister which resembles Bashir Bagh palace very much, and serves as the domicile of the minister’s five year old son which he presented to my as a proud father.

In the courtyard five one year old tiger were kept in chains which the minister had captured the year before after having killed their mother. They look very nice, rather large and play just like cats. We could pet them which was a real joy. With my great pleasure I learned that the kind owner presented me two as gifts which I intend to bring home alive and healthy.

As Kinsky was again struck down by a fever attack, he had to return home with Mr. Stevens. We drove with a gorgeous team of six white horses which was driven by the Nizam’s outstanding equerry from the coachman’s seat to the sporting event in Malakpett, an open space about 3 km out of Hyderabad with all kinds of sportive activities such as running, tent pegging, shooting on glass balls etc. A spacious decorated tent and a large tribune had been erected for the large audience consisting mostly of Englishmen and Nawabs. Infantry and cavalry stood in ranks beside the road.

The first event was tent pegging which I had already learned about in Parel, picking up wooden pegs rammed into the ground with lances with the riders approaching at full speed and the goal of picking up all pegs without missing or dropping a single one.  Both natives and Englishmen performed in this difficult activity which an Indian officer won.

Very funny was the elephant race, in which eight of the thick-skins started and ran the distance at an incredibly fast trot incited in a friendly way by their driver with shouts, hits and pricks. Not less original was a camel race.

New like these two numbers was the horses‘ fight. Two groups of ten riders of native cavalry regiments on naked horses rode at the signal of the starter towards each other and attempted to draw their opponents from the horse. The riders only wore a shirt and trousers and wore different sashes. The horses only had bridles. With monkey-like agility the riders managed to stay on their horses, some of the larger riders closed their feet under their horse’s belly and were safe from being dislodged even when two or three opponents tried to unhorse them. One man had already been pushed off the back of the horse but held on the horse head for many more minutes until the horse stumbled over. One must admit that all these people display great endurance and bravery.

At another event, riders were tasked to cover a certain distance and ride around a flag first in gallop and then ride through a paper wall with the horse. The first one who breached the paper wall was declared the winner. Unfortunately, this competition could not take place as the strong wind tore the paper wall in two. From the equestrian point of view, it would have been interesting to observe how long it would take for a pony to decide to run through the wall.

As a replacement of this number, a footrace among soldiers and a race of ponies were organized. The latter one was won by the adjutant of the resident.  For the prize shooting competition, they wanted to wait for the arrival of the Nizam as he is used to participate in this sport. But hour upon hour passed so that they finally started it without the Nizam,

The prize shooting competition opened with a shot on thrown bottles in which many  Nawabs, the Nizam’s adjutant and an English officer participated. I too was asked to compete but I shot badly as I did not find the necessary quietness for a shooter which always happens in front of a large audience. In any case, worse than the day before as I was second in the shot on bottles and third in the shot on clay balls.

When the two competitions had been decided, the Nizam appeared and participated too in the shooting. It was not difficult for him to win. I had an exceedingly bad day. In the match of shooting rupees, the Nizam beat all competition.

The final was composed by a new kind of shooting at a swinging bottle on a string. I tried this feat for the first time; the Nizam, however, seemed to have been well practised in such shooting, as he expressed his pleasure with the program and offered directions with words and gestures about the distances and the rules. He let me shoot first; with four of six shots I hit the bottle. The Nizam achieved the same result so that we had to decide the issue. We shot the bottle five times in a row. During the sixth shot I was disturbed by the loud applause and shouts, so I failed while the Nizam scored and won.

During the distribution of the prizes I became my duty as a guest to hand the prizes over to the winners where the Nizam was especially proud to receive his. The sun had already set when we left the scene of the festivities to undertake the journey of 14-5 km lto North Trimulgherry to where we had been invited to a dinner with the officers of the 21st Hussars regiment. The moon was shining but the drive across the plain did not offer many enchanting views as we were also covered in thick clouds of dust.

In front of the officers‘ barracks was lined up a mounted squadron. There we were expected by Colonel Martin with his corps of officers, the Nizam, his ministers and the adjutants, the resident, Mr. Trevor C. Plowden, and all higher commanders of the garrison. The officer corps wore a fancy so called mess dress, some sort of dinner costume. Due to illness and vacations of many of its members only about 20 gentlemen were present.

The mess had been practically located for a hot climate and consisted of two large and high ventilated parlor-like rooms, one of which served as a reception and smoking room while the other serves as a dining hall. The walls of both rooms are covered with paintings about the regiment’s history, decorated with battle pictures and hunting trophies among them capital buffalo skulls.  At the topside of the dining room hangs the portrait of the Duke of Wellington who commanded the regiment which can look back on a history of more than 120 years in the year 1797 during the Indian fights against Tippu Sahib, the Maharattas and the French.

Black and yellow bands, our colors chosen in our honor, decorated the table between flowers while valuable silver and gold cups that the regiment had won in various sports such as running, polo, cricket or had received from departing officers served as fixtures. On my right sat Colonel Martin, a charming man with whom I talked much about cavalry which he offered special tribute. On my left sat Lieutenant Pirie, a brother of my hunting companion in Kalawewa on Ceylon. The dinner passed in a vivid and relaxed atmosphere. After toasts to the Queen, is Majesty, me and the Nizam, all officers sang the song „He is a jolly good fellow“. After the dinner we went to the veranda where the regimental band played and offered a few more „wild“ toasts to our army as well as every individual of my entourage. Later the festivity turned into a musical production where everyone gifted with a voice or not had to offer his best in song. We too had to sing the „Prinz Eugen Lied“ and the „Liechtensteinische Lied“ and many other soldier and rider song.

When the hilarity was at its highest point, the English officers jumped upon me and my entourage and carried us under large applause on their shoulders across the room. The Nizam watched this in silence. His astonishment knew no bounds, however, when suddenly some Hussar officers grabbed him too and carried him around in triumph. Such an adulation had never been given to him before but he took it in good strides even though we feared he might not do so. The resident had watched the proceedings not without concerns but was satisfied to see that the Nizam thanked for the ovation with a bow.

This funny symposium constituted the end of the festivities and the stay in Hyderabad territories. At the advanced hour the Nizam and I took leave from each other and our entourages. The Nizam kindly presented me with a golden inkstand  and a gorgeous blanket laced with gold as a souvenir. One of my gentlemen took the inkstand into their care and put it into a bag. The minister of the Nizam who had observed this immediately notified Wurmbrand of this action and insisted that the inkstand had already disappeared in a stranger’s bag — apparently misapplying his oriental experience to our customs, a forgiveable mistake.

Special presents were not necessary from the Nizam’s part, as an enduring and thankful memory of him and his country is assured. The days in Hyderabad were transformed by the hospitable Nizam’s gesture into a wonderland of an Indian fairy tale with unexpected luxurious magnificence out of the deep sleep to be displayed before me in enchanting glory and linked to my lifespan by magic!

The Nizam returned to Hyderabad;  for us the snorting iron horse of the special train was expecting us with impatience since one hour. We said good-bye near midnight also to our comrades of the 21st Hussars regiments, in whose midst we spent a happy evening reminding of home, and entered the train.  The younger officers offered a tribute by removing the horse team of my carriage and drawing the carriage themselves for a certain distance. After three rounds of hurrah, drawn by fast horses we flew to the railway station in Sikandarabad, towards the place of prose, which made fairy tales flee ….

Links

• Location: Hyderabad, India
• ANNO – on 26.01.1893 in Austria’s newspapers, The Tsarevich is abroad too, attending his youngest sister’s wedding in Berlin.
• The k.u.k. Hof-Burgtheater is performing Shakespeare’s „Much ado about nothing“, while the k.u.k Hof-Operntheater is playing the opera „Der Vasall von Szigeth“.

Thick fog covered the city and its surroundings when we drove after 6 o’clock in the morning in a four horse mail coach to the parade ground of Sikandarabad on which a grand parade of the whole garrison of Sikandarabad and Bolaram was planned to happen. In time the sun split the fog and we enjoyed the view on the large pond, the mountain ranges and the suburbs of Hyderabad during the ride.

During our arrival to the parade ground, a battery fired the salute of 21 cannon shots. Then I and my entourage mounted horses. The troop commander, Colonel H. S. Elton, rode towards me, stopped 40 paces away and lowered his sable, which made all troops perform a salute as well and the music bands play our anthem. I rode to the right flank and inspected that front. The first unit was a battery of English mounted artillery, 88 men, 94 horses and 6 guns, then followed the complete 21st Hussars regiment, 4 squadron of 442 riders in total, at its side a regiment of Madras Uhlans, 410 riders, native regular cavalry, beautiful dark-skinned people many of which with martial bearded faces. The uniform consists of pike gray frock coats, dark-blue trousers and very practical yellow lace-up boots, the head is covered with a tall blue turban and as weapons the riders carry a short lance, a carbine attached to a long fixture on the saddle and some kind of Turkish scimitar. The horses, partly of native partly of Persian stock are fine but smaller than those of our hussars. Then followed the 4th Uhlans regiment of the Hyderabad contingent with 347 riders, composed also out of natives but officered by Englishmen. The cut of the uniforms is the same as that of the Madras Uhlans, only the color is dark-blue with brick-red lapels and a turban of the same color. The three cavalry regiments and the mounted battery constitute the 21st brigade which was followed by the artillery brigade consisting of two English field batteries with six guns each, a native battery of the Hyderabad contingent with four guns and the elephant battery with 6 guns.

Upon the artillery followed two infantry brigades whose first was composed of the 2nd English Suffolk regiment of 840 men with its well known red coats, white helmets and white straps. the 15th Madras infantry regiment of 588 men, composed of natives, with  madder coats, black lapels and black baggy pants. Finally the 2nd regiment of the Hyderabad contingent of 515 men, dark-green with tall turbans. The last two regiments were equipped with Henry Martini rifles. The English regiment already was equipped with the new Lee Metford magazine rifles.

The second brigade is composed of the English 2nd Welsh regiment of 512 men, the Hyderabad volunteers, the 16th and 20th Madras infantry regiments with 511 and 319 men respectively, At the rear stood a company of sappers and miners of 147 men, a unit composed of men from the lowest caste of Madras. It has distinguished itself in all campaigns and expeditions by its bravery and endurance,  In almost every occasion, both in India and the Sudan, these sappers and miners have proved their valor and nearly every man is decorated with a medal or two. They wear scarlet coats with blue trousers, high black caps in the manner of the Parsi.

After the inspection of the front, the whole corps formed itself to march past in the same order in which the troops stood from the right flank. The artillery marched by battery, the cavalry with squadrons in line and the infantry in companies. The march was performed very precisely and all units, the native ones too, looked splendid and had excellent posture. The highlight of the cavalry was naturally the Hussars regiment but, apart from the horses of lesser quality, the native Uhlans regiments were not far behind the Hussars. Among the artillery it was the mounted artillery with its splendid appearance and its outstanding Australian horses that was notable. I was, however, most interested in something completely new for me, the elephant battery in which every one of the 40 pounder muzzle-loading guns was drawn by two elephants whose harness consisted of large leather blankets, iron chains and rope. On the head of each huge animal sat a guide. The animals marched in a nice and tight formation. The ammunition wagons are drawn by eight zebu oxen each which were conspicuous by their fast and apt movements. The infantry marched past twice more, first in battalion masses as it is common in Germany with shoulder arms and fixed bayonets, then in brigade masses, both brigades one behind the other. To see a brigade in such a compact formation creates quite an impression. The cavalry and the mounted battery then rode past at a trot and then at a very fast gallop which came close to full speed. The mounted battery and the 21st Hussars galloped past beautifully while the speed of the native regiments escalated nearly into a wild chase.

The Nizam who had arrived too late only appeared to the second part of the parade and did not seem very interested in the military spectacle.

A huge crowd, among them many English ladies and gentlemen, on horses and in large coaches attended the parade. At the end of the parade, upon my request, the elephant battery performed a few exercises. Its commander, Major Leach, deployed the battery, made it ready to fire and mount up again. The maneuvers were executed at fast speed as the elephants were very familiar with all the steps and even fell into a trot to arrive faster at the guns when it was time to mount them up. Only under enemy fire, the elephants can’t be used and have to be kept away from that zone as they can’t stand rifle fire and will run away.

The Nizam’s corpulent court photographer had convinced us to meet with me again to take some photographic pictures. Therefore we rode straight after the parade, escorted by a shouting  and crying crowd of natives to his studio. The untiring artist owns a beautiful house and seems to occupy an important position at the Nizam’s court, as he is always present and the Nizam often goes to him to have numerous pictures taken. The unavoidable necessity to serve at any moment as an object for a  photographer seems to be a highly contagious Indian plague.

After countless photographic takes, we could finally say good-bye to the Nizam and return to Bashir Bagh where a formal bazaar had been set up on the veranda as I had ordered some weapon dealers to present ancient Indian weapons. After much dealing and haggling, an Oriental custom that can not be avoided by any traveler, I bought a large number of the beautifully made and often fantastically decorated swords, daggers, pistols, shields as well as lances and added some very old mail shirts to my collection, among them one made with so called fish scales and another which had verses of the Koran inscribed in every ring.

For two o’clock, a dejeuner was announced at the British residency. The residency is a tall tasteless building with many endless halls enclosed by a wall and surrounded by a large park.

The resident, Mr. Trevor C. Plowden, a very nice and intelligent gentleman who seemed to be interested in everything and knew very much about my country had had the great misfortune to see his wife die of cholera just a few weeks ago, At the dejeuner almost all important persons from the English colony were present.

We had to wait nearly three quarters of an hour for the Nizam to appear. He finally came in his yellow gala carriage and excused himself deeply. Behind the gala carriage followed at some distance a completely enclosed smaller carriage which took about the form of our Viennese postal package wagons. My repeated questions were given the answer that within this vehicle are ladies from the harem as well as champaign cooled with ice. His Highness seems to be fond of women and wine, and could not abstain from them as embellishments of his life as the ominous wagon also accompanied the Nizam on our drive in the afternoon to Golkonda.

During the breakfast I was asked by a lady tedious questions about the musical events in Vienna, about Beethoven’s and Wagner’s music, about the opera about instrumental and vocal music. The lady was astonished to hear that I preferred entertaining music and especially love the waltz which is conquering the world.

The next number on today’s program was a visit of the fortress of Golkonda. On the drive there we passed through the suburbs of Hyderabad which are inhabited solely by natives as well as Indian Muslims and are in part  ruins and primitive. Next to houses with notably beautiful carvings stood clay huts or even only leaf covers under which whole families are living. Noteworthy is the great number of architecturally charming mosques with their lean minarets, their galleries and their stone linings. On the way to Golkona we passed more than a hundred mosques and viewed from the road thousands upon thousands of graves between the houses and the mosques. The graves are richly ornamented in various forms. The graves of famous fakirs worshipped by the people as well as those of saints are covered with precious blankets, flowers and small flags.

In front of us appeared the hill of the fortress and the gray building of the once strong but now half decayed Golkonda known since the 14th century and which used to be the capital of the kingdom of Kutab Schahi between 1512 and 1687. During the latter year it was conquered by the men of the Grand Mughal Aurengzeb and partly razed. An impressive view of the enclosed fortress partly situated on a dominant hill can be best seen from the river side where the Muti reaches the outer ring wall.

A giant gate made out of massive blocks leads into the city. The doors of the gate have been built out of massive plank as thick as a shoe-thick and are covered with long iron spikes whose purpose has been to safeguard the doors against the onrushing elephants which have been used for just this purpose in earlier wars and thus opening access to the fortress for the besiegers. In total the fortress has eight of these giant gates of which four are currently still used.  Their names are Fateh, Mekka, Dschamali and the just described Bandschara gate.

The history of construction of Golkonda can be divided into three periods. The oldest part, built it is said by the Raja of Warungul. is Balar hissar citadel on the top of the about 100 m high hill. Here once stood the king’s palace whose ruins are still there. To the second period belong that part of the city which leads from the citadel to the outer wall with its broad but half buried ditch of the lower fortress. A large number of decayed buildings, small palaces, mosques, schools and houses stand nearby. From the youngest period date the Eastern fortifications which continue almost up to the royal graves and have been built by the first ruler among the Nizams. The crenelated courtines of the main wall are proof of the strength of the fortress. The circumference of the main wal with its 87 bastions made out of granite blocks is about 48 km. Among the edges of the bastions lie beautiful but useless guns from the time of Kutab Schahis which have been spiked and demolished after the conquest of Golkonda by Aurengzeb.

Used only as a military depot and guarded by a single post, the whole fortress which once housed 10.000 humans is silent and bare. Taking the steep and raw 258 steps one reaches Golkonda’s, highest point, the citadel Balar hissar. Here one can enjoy the view from a terrace formed into casemates upon the land of Hyderabad with its gardens and towers, its reflecting ponds in the foreground, its nearby famous royal graves, the debris of the city and the walls,the glacis, ditches and bastions at the feet of the viewer. It is a dark field of ruins upon which we look down but one can still trace the individual lines of the fortress and its defenses, especially in the east, the newest part of the fortress where much has survived. Of the bastions, many are glued to the rock like swallow nests. Other fortifications too have incorporated the terrain into the granite blocks. The strong walls and the stone works executed with few technical help give testimony to the skill of the builders of centuries past.

The scenery is strange: as around Golkonda granite rocks rise up chaotically in a wild order as the legend has it Debris which the builder of the universe has left here after the construction of the mountains of the earth.

The majority of the royal graves has been destroyed during the siege of Golkonda by Aurengzeb, still the mausoleum of the kings of the Kutab Schahi dynasty offer a very fascinating picture with their minarets, glazed pillars, domes, terraces, their rich decorations. Sir Salar Dschang Bahadur, a recently deceased minister of the Nizam who had been well known for his excellent administration of the state of Hyderabad, had part of the graves restored with care and surrounded them with fruit trees and shade giving gardens. Notable among these graves is especially the mausoleum of Shah Mohammed Kuli Kutab (died 1625), the founder of the state of Hyderabad, which was rich in decoration and height (51 m)  and had a building with a 18 m high dome.

The Nizam took great pleasure to accompany us everywhere had mounted the citadel with us and proposed there to shoot with rifles on thrown bottles and clay balls whereas one shot with smoothbore balls. I had a hard time making a decision as the Nizam is well known as India’s best shooter and excels especially at shooting with smoothbore balls. Only after a long intervention by the gentlemen of my entourage I dared to enter the contest.

First, many bottles were set up 30 paces away and on their necks were places clay balls as large as small apples. The shooter was tasked to hit the balls without touching the bottle. The Nizam shot first but missed four clay balls. I followed and hit three out of four clay balls which made the Nizam’s entourage applaud and he personally offered loud congratulations. At the side of the bottles and balls intended for the match stood a further 16 bottles. Emboldened ,I dared to shot on all 16 balls one after the other. I managed to hit 15 of them which astonished the Nizam greatly. We then shot at bottles thrown into the air and achieved the same result. Each of us shot four times and hit a bottle every time. The same repeated itself with thrown clay balls.

Then followed the most difficult experiment, namely shooting rupees thrown in the air which are about the same size as our silver guilders. Eight shots were given to each shooter. The Nizam scored once, I had the special fortune to score three times even though I had up to now never had the opportunity nor the interest to perform such artistic deeds, so it was a real sporty endeavor to hit such small flying targets. The Nizam was a good sport to the mean game in which he was for the first time beaten and proposed to return home. I admit being proud like a lion internally.

We returned home under majestic moon shine whose lights illuminated the towers, mosques and graves magically, where after a short rest we received a gala dinner in Bashir Bagh palace by our host, minister Asman Dshah.

In an annex to the house, a wooden theater, stood the long table laid out for 150 persons on whose top I sat between the Nizam and an English lady. Here too the feast was arranged in oriental splendor but the large number of servants who came in with dishes in their hands advancing from the stage like an avalanche created a comical impression. The Nizam sat joyfully on his seat and smiling friendly he looked at the number of his guests, developing a phenomenal appetite at the same time, A Hindu music band provided the ear-shattering table music.

Links

• Location: Hyderabad, India
• ANNO – on 25.01.1893 in Austria’s newspapers, The Wiener Salonblatt’s upcoming issue No.5 of 29 January 1893 is filled with everything you wanted to know about Franz Ferdinand’s sister Margarete Sophie’s marriage to Duke Albrecht von Württemberg. The Neue Freie Presse informs about Franz Ferdinand’s arrival in Hyderabad.
• The k.u.k. Hof-Burgtheater is performing Schiller’s „Don Carlos“, while the k.u.k Hof-Operntheater repeats again „Die Rantzau“.

Today is my sister’s wedding day! With feelings of innermost love I thought about her who is taking the most decisive step in her life, moving out of her parent’s home into a new one, in a new country. May this step lead her to a new, pure, clear good fortune! Heaven shall bless and guide her! The glittering and dazzling festivities in Hyderabad could not prevent my thoughts from flying away from the Nizam’s court towards home to be reunited in spirit with my loved ones when in a last embrace by the parents and the siblings the band of love to a daughter and sister is tied anew and stronger.

At the same time I wanted to justify my stay abroad on this day to myself, repeated all the reasons that made it impossible to start the journey only after the wedding. I am already looking forward — God willing — to meet my sister again in Stuttgart as the first family member on the way home.

Because of yesterday’s dispositions we set the time for departure from the hunting camp at half past 5 o’clock: In spite of this, it took a full hour before our coach with 13 passengers started to move. The faithful artillerymen drove over every stone within sight so that near to Tandur a spring of the coach broke and the rest of the journey had to be completed at walking speed. The vicar ul-Umra, a man who had won my heart by saying the we Austrians are very jovial people who know how to hunt and ride and thus to his liking, had ridden to Tandur in advance and was expecting us at the station where we took our special train to Hyderabad.

Truly strange are the rocky ridges and stone hills visible on the approach to Hyderabad. They consist of large round boulders which sit there motionless in piles of three or four one on top of the other. Often one can not understand how these lopsided interposed and seemingly hanging colossi can keep their balance. On the way into Hyderabad, the glance of the eye is caught first by a pond glittering in blue which supplies water to the whole city while palaces and mosques were taking a peek from between the trees.

On Hyderabad’s station platform stood, surrounded by dignitaries and adjutants brimming over in gold, the Nizam and the English resident Mr. Trevor C. Plowden. The Nizam, still the first in rank and power among the tributary princes of India, stood under British protectorate as the numerous British troops in the fortified camp of Secunderabad outside of the gates of Hyderabad showed. This kept any tendency of any selfish activities against England’s interests at bay. The ruler of Hyderabad carries the title Nizam ul-Mulk (marshal of the state) which had been awarded by Aurengzeb,  Grand-Mughal of Delhi (1658 to 1707), to one of the Nizam’s ancestors. The Nizam’s family is of Arab origin. He and the leaders of the kingdom are Muslims while the largest part of the rural population are Hindu. The Nizam is 28 years of age, of small and thin stature, carries a sparse black beard and long hair that reaches his shoulders. His complexion is yellowish, the small eyes sparkle smartly.

In contact with Europeans he is very guarded even really timid and very silent. Towards his own people, however, it is said that he could present himself quite energetically. He always wears European dress, most of the times he is in a black frock coat and the only native piece preserved in his costume is a turban-like cap made out of yellow cloth with a golden tassel. He never takes off this headdress, Similar to his preference for European dress he also seems to love European customs and has adopted them according to his own style even though he doesn’t like Europeans in general all too well, something one can not hold against him considering the experiences he had had.

Asman Dshah, first minister of the Nizam and at the same time his brother-in-law unites almost all portfolios in his hands; he is an intelligent man with a smart face and is important at court because he acts as an intermediary between on the one hand the English and the native government and on the other hand the Nizam and the local administration. Asman Dshah possesses impressive incomes as he has an annual income from his own land and property of 1,000.000 fl. in Austrian currency and draws also a salary of 230.000 fl. in Austrian currency. The minister owns in the city of Hyderabad and also in the country many luxurious palaces such as Bashir Bägh palace which served as our accommodation during our stay.

The worthies of the kingdom, Nawäbs or Nabobs, usually relatives of the Nisam, occupy the most important posts in the administration and are notable for their wealth, especially large land holdings. Some of them are always living in the city of Hyderabad and appear at the Nisam’s side on all court events. Nawäb means „representative“ and has originally been the title of administrators in the empire of the Mughals, then the title of noblemen of lesser power as English vassals until finally the title of Nawäb oder Nabob became common for people in East India who had made a big fortune. Usually this title is given in Hindustan to any honorable man similar to „Eccellenza“ in Italy.

After the introduction of the dignitaries and higher officers present and after the inspection of the honor guard, the Nizam, I and two adjutants entered into a yellow spring mounted carriage drawn by four gorgeous white horses in the Daumont manner.

In front of the railway station stood the English 21st Hussars regiment which escorted our carriage with two squadrons each in front and behind. This regiment made a very favorable impression. The uniform consists of a black Attila, black pants with rich laces, yellow for the soldiers and golden for the officers, as well as white helmets. The horses, all from Australian stock, are very tall compared to our service horses and beautiful and were in fine condition despite their having just completed a maneuver, A remount’s price is 720 fl. in Austrian currency.

From the station to our quarters, Bashir Bagh palace, soldiers stood on the sides of the road. They were from the mounted African life guard of the Nizam, two regiments of uhlans, three infantry regiments and the infantry brigade from Golkonda which consists of the Golkonda and Myseram regiments.

Bashir Bägh palace usually serves to accommodate guests as well as to hold great festivities  which the minister tends to organize annually. The building is rather big and located in the middle of a bare, unattractive garden and equipped with a small private mosque out of which the muezzin sends out his uniform song. The interior design of the palace is of European origin but not harmonious even put together like a conglomerate. Partly it is decorative equipment of the strangest kind: a glass billiard, tables covered with mechanical gadgets, color prints with fish and game motives of the kind one finds in our fairs and hunting lodges, Japanese rugs, a number of different objects made out of gold, silver and other metals, in between wax statues of Amor, colorful papers, numerous mirrors — all this creates an unsettled almost dizzying impression. The owner of the palace seems to be particularly fond of clocks as in every room the no fewer than ten clocks of different types struck the hour completely independent from each other, Bashir Bagh would not work well for rheumatic persons, as not a single window and not a single door could be closed fully, so that in the rather cold night, the draft became rather noticeable.

The Nizam accompanied me up to the parlor with a visibly awkward expression and seemed very relieved when I permitted him to shorten his visit and retire again. We now made ourselves comfortable in our rooms and prepared for the official visit of the Nizam whose appearance was announced for half past one o’clock, The visit proceeded according to a secret and highly detailed but naturally uncommon protocol.

Clam and Crawford drove at one o’clock to the Nizam’s residence to get the prince. When he arrived in the company of a galloping squadron of his life guards I stood expecting him in gala uniform with all its decorative stars next to the portal of Bashir Bagh near a rug as even this detail had been predetermined. After the Nizam and I had entered the palace we sat down on two throne-like chairs set side by side. At the right of the Nizam stood his entourage while to my left my entourage took its place so that it ended up with a half circle of people. I and Kinsky kept up the conversation in talking about our agreeable stay in Tandur, about Hyderabad and its army but never managing to get the Nisam to break his silence as he only uttered a few times „Yes“. After the conversation had died completely and the situation had become rather uncomfortable, the resident helped out by presenting the member of the entourage of both sides. Following his protocol, the Nizam presented „attar“ and „pan“ (rose water and betel nut leaves) out of a large cup which were given by a servant to the dignitaries. Then everybody stood up, the ceremony came to a end. Saluted by a gun battery which had fired its guns all day the Nisam returned to his own palace.

Two hours later I returned the visit of the Nizam at his residence, Tschaumahala palace. A four horse team of gorgeous foxes guided by an equerry fetched me. Two squadrons of English hussars and two squadrons of native Madras cavalry escorted the carriage through the district which we had seen already when we entered the city of Hyderabad and so we moved past the English resident’s fortress-like palace and over the river to the city of the natives. This area conserves the highly original character of the old Indian cities which must have existed for a very long time; narrow streets full of humans, small dirty one story buildings with numerous wooden ornaments, shops and bazaars. At the crossing of the four main streets enclosed at their end with tall stone gates stands a square building „Tschar Minar“ with its famous four minarets. Everywhere there stood saluting guards and soldiers behind them the pushing crowd.

On a street enclosed by two high walls we finally reached the gate of the palace, a conglomerate of numerous but low buildings which had the appearance of a defensive place. At the entrance were posted many guards. At the foot of the main stairs I was received by the Nisam and the dignitaries of the kingdom in whose company we walked through a small winding corridor until we suddenly entered a gorgeous square courtyard. On two sides were two large reception halls or more precisely palaces with large pillars, with valuable furniture, mirrors and rugs while on the other two sides were luxurious guest chambers in front of which stood colonnades. He courtyard is decorated with a garden kept at a low height and a high placed pond extending for about 100 meters.

The Nizam’s palace enclosed by walls covers with its labyrinth of houses, pavilions and annexes, harems and parks an area of over 1000 hectares and takes up a quarter of the area of Hyderabad. The inhabitants of the palace are said to be 7000 persons according to a good source; there are more than 3500 ladies whom the Nizam has to support, among them almost 3000 wives and relatives of the previous Nizam while the rest of the female inhabitants oft he residence is composed of the women and slaves of the ruling Nizam as well as a corps of a hundred Amazons who serve as palace guard of the harem. These Amazons can not be seen by strangers but they are said to be extremely ugly according to an English lady who had met this elite guard. If the Nizam enters the Zenana, which the harem is called in all of India, the main guard of the Amazons will present arms and salutes. To my eternal disappointment, we could not take a glimpse of this spectacle.

In the large reception hall stood two throne chairs under a richly embroidered baldachin on which the Nizam and I took our seats. Then the protocol which we had experienced in Bashir Bagh was repeated with the difference that the official reception was even quieter as the Nizam did barely or not at all talk and that the betel nut leaves were offered to us in beautifully made silver vases of which I asked to keep one as a souvenir.

After the gala we had changed into comfortable civilian dress and a picture of us was taken by the Nizam’s own photographer. Then a elephant ride through the city was on the program. We thus mounted with our entourage a number of elephants that were all decorated with rich yellow silk blankets, the favorite color of the Nizam. This ride will forever live in my memory. It offered the most colorful and moving picture one’s rich fantasy could imagine of piece of ancient Indian life still untouched by civilization, an expression of archaic pleasure for luxurious exhibitions and parades. From my considerable height of my court elephant I could observe it from almost a bird eye’s perspective: In the long streets that led from the palace through the city stood head to head a huge compact crowd which was pushed back step by step by policemen who beat the men without mercy. The numerous turbans and the gaudy colors of the native costumes, mostly red, yellow and white, created a picturesque scene.

The ride was led by the irregular African life guards oft he Nizam which sang without interruption and performed wild war dances and wielded its weapons. It seems customary for both the Nizam as well as all higher Nawabs to have African life guards, a rabble composed out of numerous different African tribes, namely Somalis, whose rowdiness caused much rampage and many fights in Hyderabad. One could detect many thieves and devils among this life guard whose members did not wear uniforms but their own clothes and also carried their own weapons, mostly long East-African or Arabian rifles inset with decorations. They carry broad waist-belts with the various different powder horns, pistols and knives.

Just in front of the elephants marched the uniformed life guards and rode the adjutants in their local costume. This advance guard kept up the public order while some squadrons of cavalry made up the rear. Without interruption and despite the daytime hour, rockets were sent up into the air, without stop, the batteries on the surrounding hills thundered out their salutes. All windows and all roofs were full with curious people. Even from the women’s quarters curious faces looked out. Finally our parade, a colorful Tohuwabohu, arrived at the end of the capital: The life guards in front of us forced the people into the side streets and I and the Nisam descended from the Hâuda.

Accompanied by the 21st Hussar regiment which was expecting me here, I returned to Bashir Bagh.

Unfortunately Kinsky had another fever attack and could not attend the Nizam’s gala dinner that was set for 8 o’clock. When we approached the palace, the walls that surround it and the park were shining, especially the entrance portal was illuminated by lights in a star formation. I believed to have been transported into the splendor of an Indian fairy tale world when I entered the courtyard illuminated by 40.000 lights, bright as daylight; every step, every cornice, every pillar, every tree, every bush carried an attached firefly, hundreds of lamps. In between were installed large bows with lights tightly set. In a marble pond swam  bright sparks as if it mirrored the stars, a sea of red, green, blue and white lights which combined themselves into an enchanting symphony of light effects.

In the inner large reception hall the Nizam and I were expected by the guests among them also many English ladies. After a short circle, every one of us offered our arm to one of the ladies and we marched into the dining room. With great astonishment I noticed that we came to another reception hall in the second courtyard which was as large as the first one and, if this possible, even more brightly illuminated, aflame, seemingly glowing in colorful fire. Onto the gravel paths were laid rugs and we marched into the dining room behind an escort of adjutants. The dining room is open to one side with a view on the fairy tale like radiance of the illuminated courtyard. 85 persons participated in the parade dinner.

A strange view, those many local dignitaries in sumptuous golden dresses beside our and the British uniforms and the dresses of the English ladies as well as the costumes of the native officers. The table was truly opulently decorated with gorgeous golden trappings, colorful flowers and huge candy boxes.

A regimental band of the Nizam’s regular troops provided the music to the dinner which did not match the surrounding opulence at all. I had made the observation that European music is rather neglected at Indian feasts as most Indians seem to have little understanding of it but display a preference for false clarinet and flute cants. Furthermore, a feeling for rhythm was missing, at least a few of our music goblins were in advance of their colleagues by a number of bars without seeming to be bothered in their mind about this at all.

During the outstanding dinner enriched by much wine I toasted to the health of the Queen of England which was answered by the Nizam’s toast to Her Majesty the Emperor and to my own health answered in turn by my toast to our host. Every toast was accompanied by the respective anthems but our glorious „Gott erhalte“ was barely recognizable. I felt pity and compassion for my neighbor, the Nizam. The requirement of toasting seemed not to be pleasant for him. Just after the soup, he took a long paper with his text out of his dress and memorized it with trembling hands during the whole dinner. With my own rather tiny predilection for the custom of toasting, the fear and discomfort of my neighbor provided some relief as I now had a fellow-sufferer who experienced even greater pain, if this was possible, for this thing.

At the end of the dinner every guest was served cake and when we cut it open, a flock of tiny colorful birds emerged which soon spread themselves out all over the hall — an oriental joke appreciated especially by the English ladies. The black dress the Nizam had on for the dinner had tremendously large diamonds in place of buttons which made me express my admiration of it to the Nizam who smiled back nicely.

Cigarettes and coffee were served at court where we had settled on divans in gold and silver. Then a colossal firework with three fronts was started from the roof of the opposite building. The volleys of rockets, missiles, suns and parachutes went up into the sky. Large burning ships with their rigging aflame appeared and at the end the whole front was illuminated in the most colorful light with the text: „Welcome to His Imperial and Royal Highness the Archduke Francis Ferdinand of Austria-Este“.

This concluded the oriental wizard feast. With many words of thanks I recommended myself to the Nizam and returned with my African guard to my palace.

Links

• Location: Hyderabad, India
• ANNO – on 24.01.1893 in Austria’s newspapers, The newspapers are filled with information about all aspects of Franz Ferdinand’s sister Margarete Sophie’s marriage to Duke Albrecht von Württemberg. Up to the marriage, Margarete Sophie had served as an abbess. She died early at 32 after giving birth to seven children. Her husband never remarried and later served ably as a commander on the Western front in the First World War.
• The k.u.k. Hof-Burgtheater is performing two comedies „Fräulein Frau“ and „Der sechste Sinn“, while the k.u.k Hof-Operntheater has Wagner’s „Die Walküre“ on the agenda but performed Verdi’s „Aida“ due to another indisposition.