Sahibs and Coolies

The Maharajah’s palace (one of at least four he had) is definitely the way to go. Monkeys cavorting on the roof and terrace out the window, coolies doing your every whim . I actually heard a senior servant address a younger one as coolie. I looked it up and it turns out that the Kuli are an aboriginal tribe of Western India (I am IN Western India, who – among others – were employed to work In the tropics at wages former African slaves shunned, after the abolition of slavery in the Empre in 1833. The name became current all over the world for cheap, Asian labor, such as the Chinese, who built the western part of our railroads.

Well, one quickly gets used to living in Jewel in the Crown luxury. It is remarkable how one can come to regard all the pampering as an entitlement, even though no one has called me Sahib, as yet. I see that the fresh hibiscus blossom on my foyer table is looking aa bit wilted. I shall have to give that lazy Doansingh a good caning!

Here are some sacred cows (bulls,actually):