Date: 1 May 1929
Location: Nice
Speaker: Aga Khan III
Source: Speeches of Aga Khan III – K K Aziz
Full Text
Germany – Hindu-Muslim relations – solution to poverty in India – tribute to King George V. “What is the future of British rule in India, your highness?” I asked. “British rule at present is too centralised and too powerful,” replied the prince, weighing each phrase carefully. “Of course I do not know what will be found in the report which the Simon Commission will eventually draft, but unless the findings of the commission are based on an association or federation of Indian free States – which I shall explain to you in a moment – then, God help them! They will simply be reaping more Dead Sea fruit. “As you know, I recently returned from India, where I suc ceeded in uniting seventy million Moslems on a political basis. It was not a new Moslem party which I created, but rather a reuniting of the old party. “Our aims are purely political. The religious differences separa ting the various sects of Mohammedanism exist and will exist for all time as far as we can foresee. “The time has come for India to be organised on national lines. We want to see the creation of free Indian States within the framework of the British Empire – but an association which will be equal to the other units of the British Empire as it exists at present. “There would be between twenty and thirty Indian free States, each one with economic and military freedom – do you follow me? – but each of these States with a British Governor and with a British Viceroy directing the association or federation, whichever you like to call it. “I cannot do better to explain my meaning than to ask you to remember the German Empire as it was before the great war, when Bavaria, although part and parcel of that empire had perfect military and economic freedom. I know and realise that it will require a man of great courage and resource to bring about this change of government, and perhaps Edwin Montagu might have been able to do this had it not been for his untimely death. But even Montagu was scared by what happened in Bengal. “The majority of the Indian people wholeheartedly desire the change which I have outlined, but there is a certain amount of inertia in India which will have to be overcome. The present trouble in India between the Moslems and Hindus will eventually disappear if they, as well as other Indian nationals, are organised as nationalistic free States on historical and linguistic foun dations.” “What is the feeling in India towards Communist agitation, your highness?” “Communism only fishes in troubled waters. One must distin guish between legitimate agitation and that which is being sponsored by the Communists. We have very great poverty in India but this poverty cannot be overcome by charity, however well meant; nor by lord mayors’ funds, no matter how laudable their offering. But it can be overcome by the development of agricultural colleges and the assistance and encouragement of agriculture.”
H.H. the Prince Aga Khan is a realist in Indian affairs, and a most devoted friend of the British Empire. During and since the war I have had many conversations with him concerning Indian affairs, but I can remember no occasion when the prince has himself not brought into the conversation the name of the King.
This afternoon was no exception.
After stating how glad he was that the King had made such a splendid and wonderful recovery his highness said:”Do you know, I think the King is the most hard-working man in the British Empire. I have known scores of other rulers and the heads of big business concerns, but I know of no other man who regards his job with such attachment and devotion. “It should never be forgotten that the person of the British Sovereign is the bond of union not only between the ·great white Dominions and England, but between all the non-British races in the Empire and the white section. “Bismarck used to say that he could get through his job by working five minutes a day. Perhaps that was a boast, but King George reads every line and every word of every document brought to him for signature.”
Source: Daily Express, London, 3 May 1929.
The interviewer was Harry James Greenwall, who later wrote a biography of the Aga Khan (His Highness the Aga Khan: Imam of the Ismailis, Cresset Press, London, 1952, with a Foreword on Racing by the Aga Khan himself), and who was at this time a special correspondent of the Daily Express. The newspaper prefaced the report of his interview with the statement that the Aga Khan was “the greatest figure in the Moslem world”. The report of the interview was published on the front page under a three-column headline.