British public schools and universities attracted several young princes to England in the colonial period. The post of political aide-de-camp was devised by the government of India in 1872 to act as a channel of communication between the Secretary of State for India and Indian princes visiting Britain. It was not until 1897, however, that the post became formalised and records were kept.

A British Library file on the matter reveals that the issue of religious education for princes in England had come to the attention of the government of India in 1914. They were concerned that few of the chiefs sending their children to Britain had made provision for religious instruction.

R. E. Holland, Deputy Secretary to the government of India, felt that it was the responsibility of the Indian government to see that religious education was not neglected. The issue was brought to prominence when the political aide-de-camp reported that two minor princes from Indore, Malhor Rao Holkar and Bhau Sahib Holkar, had been attending Chapel and Bible Study at Rugby public school.

When one of the boys asked for a bible, the political ADC Mr Tudor-Owen became concerned and fearful that the Indian press would claim that the princes were undergoing conversion to Christianity in an English public school. However, the princes had informed their father, the Maharaja of Indore, who had no objections.

The government of India discussed the possibility of providing a religious instructor, but the idea was rejected, firstly on the grounds that Hinduism was impossible to define and, consequently, difficult to teach as there was no single doctrine or tradition, and secondly because of the lack of interest shown by parents.

The point was made that once a Hindu prince entered a British public school he lost caste, consequently parents of such boys were clearly not overly concerned with maintaining religious worship.

Why were the British so concerned about the issue of religious education? The government of India believed that without religious education there was the possibility that Indian princes would embrace Christianity, rendering them unfit to rule as they would no longer be able to count on the support of their subjects.

In the words of one British official: 'A Christian chief is necessarily out of sympathy with his people, therefore it is in the public interest that no chief should be a Christian.' As important allies the government of India were keen to maintain the stability of native rulers.

Read the whole file on the education of native princes which gives a detailed insight into the government of India's attitudes on the matter. It also touches on official views of Indian religion, particularly Hinduism, as well as containing letters from the schools attended by the princes. Clearly India Office officials dealing with the subject in London would have preferred the young princes remain in India, a sentiment exemplified by the following hand-written exclamation: 'If only the Government of India would keep these children at Home!'