British civil servant

So after a brief attack, John felt that the atmosphere was almost over, and went directly to the topic, expressing that he was very willing to maintain the current relationship with the Portuguese, especially on the issue of the subcontinent.

"Here in South Asia, in fact, we, Britain and Portugal, have common interests. In the final analysis, we are a European country. The colonial empire in the world is not only the British Empire, more or less, in addition to Germany and Italy, many countries There are still many colonies, where will these colonies be in the future!" Allen Wilson tilted his head and looked at John, nodded, "This is a very important issue, and we also hope to maintain the current harmonious relationship."

"The British Empire has always adopted a tacit attitude towards Portuguese Goa, and has never paid Goa's attention, but if it were replaced by Indian politicians, they would not think so." John shrugged and spread his hands helplessly, "National University It is a well-known fact that the party means to want the suzerainty of the entire British India.”

"Another fact is that Portuguese Goa also seems to have a grassroots organization of the Congress Party." Alan Wilson said with a wry smile, "This will be more difficult. Right doesn't seem like a small issue."

"Goa is a part of Portugal, this is a well-known fact." Pedro's expression became solemn, and he frowned, "Goa has been a Portuguese territory for nearly 500 years. At that time, British India did not know where it was. Woolen cloth?"

Alan Wilson shook his hand, signaling to be calm, and said with regret, "This kind of rhetoric is useful to us gentlemen, but it is of limited use to nationalists. The real well-known thing is that the nation Nationalists are usually unreasonable, they only believe what is good for them, and they turn a deaf ear to objective and neutral facts, and based on my many years of working in India, this is especially true of Indian nationalists.”

While the two state commissioners and the representative of the Portuguese governor were chatting and laughing, the representatives of the state in another place also had a good chat.

For the major sub-continental states, the promises of the Congress Party did not have much appeal.These big land-states will not be attracted by petty profits. No matter how nice the National Congress Party says, how can the monarchs of these land-states be as good as they say?

There has always been an alliance between the states, which is like the relationship between the suzerain and the vassal states. The situation in the South Asian subcontinent is very similar to that of China in the Spring and Autumn Period. The hegemony led the small countries to jointly deal with everyone's problems.

These alliances are generally carried out in private, but it is extremely rare for most of the big states to appear this time.

But this time is different from the previous situation, because the representative of the Portuguese Governor's Palace appeared.

"Actually, I'm a little puzzled. What can Goa help the UK?" Pedro asked a little puzzled. "With the capabilities of the British Empire, we don't need our help."

"Some things may not be easy for us to do in the future." Alan Wilson said with a stylized smile, "If there is Goa in the hands of Portugal, things may be much easier. This is not just helping us , which is also good for Portugal."

The glory of Portugal's great voyage period has completely become history, replaced by backwardness and poverty.Although centuries of overseas trade and colonization brought countless wealth to Portugal, it did not translate into real development in the end.This concentration of wealth in the hands of the royal family, nobles and priests is similar to that of neighboring Spain, which broke out in a civil war and brought Franco to power.

Most of them are used for luxury consumption rather than production, so the actual living standards of the people have not improved much.To make matters worse, the inflow of wealth also led to inflation, making Portuguese products uncompetitive in the European market, resulting in a serious trade deficit, and Portugal became the most backward country in Europe.

The fact that the republicans came to power did not change this situation. Salazar took advantage of the momentum to step onto the stage of history and carried out difficult reforms through dictatorship. Portugal improved slightly, but it was still the most backward country in Europe.

But it depends on who is compared. Portugal's backwardness refers to the backwardness within Europe. Does the British India?The level is not as good as that of Portugal. British India is defined as a dumping ground for British industrial products. The first step is to kill India’s traditional textile industry. Most of the South Asian market is occupied by the United Kingdom. However, because of the relationship between Goa and Portugal, the total It is possible to share some benefits.

At present, Portugal is also a vested interest in the South Asian subcontinent. This is what Alan Wilson said, Portugal and the United Kingdom share common interests.

It is not a bad thing to think of a certain degree of cooperation between Portugal in India and the United Kingdom.

"Honestly, do you value the Portuguese? How much can Portugal's national strength help us?" John asked his own question after Pedro went to the Tubang representative. Obviously, he was not as calm as he appeared on the surface.

"Portugal is a country with strongman politics, while we are a British-style democracy. Democracy is discussed and discussed, and it is too late to come up with any opinions." Alan Wilson asked with a smile, "Do you think this makes sense? Ah is in our hands, Britain is in the position of the Portuguese, what should we do if the Indians attack us?"

Chapter 22 Tier [-] Tactics

"Is this?" John pondered for a while, thinking about the political structure of the UK, he seemed to have no reaction time, and smiled wryly, "I can't just throw Goa away without saying a word."

"That's not possible! We always have to explain to the people how to lose Goa." Alan Wilson shook his head with a smile.

John shook the wine glass in his hand, and said with a look of willingness to hear more, "How do you explain it?"

"Stage one, we say nothing happened; stage two, we say maybe something happened, but we shouldn't act; stage three, we say maybe we should act, but we can't do anything about it." Alan Wilson They said as if they understood each other, "In the fourth stage, maybe we could do something at the beginning, but it's too late now."

"Will the public believe this explanation? It would be too stupid to believe it." John picked up his glass with some amusement and said, "But then again, the British have not been so smart since ancient times."

"Of course, my friend, stupid people are easier to deal with, especially for us. Otherwise, the Governor's Mansion had abolished the caste system at the beginning, and then discovered the benefits of this system and began to strengthen it. Even if Aren’t the experienced governors also learning?” Alan Wilson took the wine glass handed over by John and continued, “If the Portuguese can be on our side, even if India becomes independent, we still have a way of."

Bang...John nodded when he heard the words, held a glass and clinked a glass with the Hyderabad commissioner beside him, thanking him for his hospitality. As for Ali Khan, the sovereign of Hyderabad, the two were not very familiar with each other.

"India independence is the worst outcome you said. Given our current position, it is not too much to imagine the worst outcome." John nodded in agreement, "but for now, this is only good for us , you can get the benefits of the two states, but once India becomes independent, it may be more chaotic than Ali Jinnah's partition plan. I am really a little bit sorry, my moral sense makes me feel a little guilty. "

"Maybe you should go to the church and donate one-tenth of the proceeds to the church. Maybe God will forgive you." Alan Wilson curled his lips and said insincerely, "Then you can retire early and enjoy life gone."

"The tithe tax is a bit too expensive, and it doesn't conform to the tradition of the Anglican Church in the British Empire. It is because of the corrupt Holy See that our king cut off ties with Rome." John rejected Alan Wilson's kindness very simply.

If he had a million pounds, he would give a tenth of it, because he didn't.But you can't donate a tenth of the number regardless of the number. Even if there is only ten pounds, you have to donate one piece. It's too bad.

uh-huh!Alan Wilson didn't answer, and some things can't be seen through.In terms of morality, both of them are equal, otherwise he would not have made a proposal, and immediately got John's cooperation in Junagadh.

For Ali Khan himself, this kind of extravagant banquet is absolutely incompatible with his own life.But despite his simple life, as Alan Wilson judged, Ali Khan is very clear that the wealth he now owns is firmly linked to the monarch of Hyderabad, and everything is not for nothing.

In order to stabilize one's own independent kingdom, some occasions that conflict with personal habits are not completely unacceptable.

While Ali Khan was in a daze alone, Alan Wilson came to the interior of the palace and greeted him friendly, "Dear Majesty, things are going well so far, and I just talked to the Portuguese, and the effect is very good .”

After finishing speaking, Allen Wilson talked about the communication with the Portuguese. Ali Khan frowned and said, "If you British are about to evacuate, what can the Portuguese help me?"

"You can't say that. Portugal is a strongman politics, and the speed of making decisions is faster than London. I believe you understand this. If the Portuguese can respond immediately and give London a time to make a decision, Doesn’t the benefit to you appear like this?” Alan Wilson said with a smile, “This is the reason for having a good relationship with the Portuguese, and as far as Goa’s status is concerned, there is every reason to do so.”

India took back Goa because it fought a battle with the Portuguese. It was through this battle that Nehru felt that the so-called old-style imperialism was nothing more than that. On the road to stepping into a great power with confidence, he finally bumped into the Himalayas.

If possible, Alan Wilson certainly wants to help the Portuguese. At least the suzerainty of British India must not be handed over to the Congress Party. Even before handing over power to the Congress Party, he should find an opportunity to sign a treaty with the Portuguese and officially Declares that Portuguese Goa is not part of British India.

That's what he and Pedro had just imagined. If Allen Wilson was Sir Barron's position, there would be no need to think about it, and he would immediately prepare to sign a treaty with the Portuguese.

But he was only the commissioner of the Hyderabad state, and the proposal to New Delhi was too ambitious, so he called Pedro and asked the Portuguese Governor's Office to make suggestions to the British Indian Governor's Office at the diplomatic level.

As long as this matter is discussed by the Governor-General of British India, the first step has been successfully completed. With this request, there is a need for discussion. Anyway, if the British Empire leaves the subcontinent, it should not mind giving the Portuguese Be a sympathetic one.

After listening to the Hyderabad commissioner's explanation, the monarch of Hyderabad also understood the key point. Ali Khan thought for a while and said to himself, "That is to say, the Portuguese attach great importance to the existence of Goa and will never give up that port. ?”

"This is the same situation as the Hyderabad state. When facing Nehru, the Maharaja may get a little help from the Portuguese." Alan Wilson nodded, appearing full of confidence.

If it is really impossible to keep British India, he certainly hopes that British India will appear as a negative example of the British evacuation, so that it can set an example for other colonies that have not yet become independent and play a deterrent role.

With this goal as the direction of efforts, Indians must not live too well. As for other ideas, Alan Wilson does not have no ideas, but currently he does not have the opportunity and status to operate. He can only do things within the scope of the state first. .

As for whether British India later fell into a huge internal conflict, and how many huge casualties were caused by it?

This has nothing to do with him, the commissioner of Hyderabad, the dead is an Indian, he is a British.At that time, I will start again in another department and continue my official career.

Chapter 23 Andaman Islands

Even if it is based on the overall situation, in order to maintain India's stronger foundation than Pakistan, there are still quite a few places where the knife can be used. It is not possible to create a bunch of small countries that cannot catch up with Pakistan. It is still possible to cut off some corners.

After bidding farewell to Ali Khan, Alan Wilson took John and the Portuguese representative Pedro back to the residence of the British. Similar gatherings could not be completed in one day, and they could not stay in Ali Khan's palace all the time.

"Commissioner, why don't you drink a cup of black tea? I made it!" Alyssa brought a cup of black tea to Alan Wilson, who was a little drunk, and followed the commissioner for a long time. The taste of milk tea is different from that of ordinary British people, but tea.

"Oh, thank you, Alisa, you've worked hard." Alan Wilson, with straight eyes, thanked with a smile, "I'm a student of the Oriental College, and I lived in Xiangjiang. My eating habits are somewhat oriental, thanks to you remembering."

"You are my boss, I don't dare to forget." Alisa sat down with her thighs together, looking very ladylike, and smiled at some superior bosses, "Actually, you don't have to run back and forth like lightning at all, listen Some old staff of the Commissioner said that the previous Commissioner was not so desperate."

"It also depends on the time. The time we are in now does not allow us to enjoy life. Oh yes!" Alan Wilson seemed to remember something, took out the briefcase under his feet, and took it out from it. gift for him.

As soon as he took it out, Alisa's eyes were straightened, and it turned out to be small gold nuggets. Although his family background was good, he had never seen so much gold.

This is not as good as his boss. Alan Wilson has seen a lot of gold, so he looks very plain, "Go and call Andy and the others, divide up the gold, and come to South India from New Delhi. Is it for the sake of the general public?" To contribute to the people of South Asia? Anyway, this is not my purpose, we want to think about our own lives and avoid living in poverty in the future, so that is the purpose of our work.”

The gold that Alan Wilson took out was a small gold bar of ten tolas, and a tola is a unit of weight in India.One tuola is equivalent to 110 grams, and ten tuolas are [-] seven grams.

Of course, this is not all the benefit money that Ali Khan gave him, but he just took it out and distributed it to his assistants.Ali Khan's gold is all transported by truck, and this gold is completely worthless compared to his huge wealth.

Soon the other nine assistants came to Alan Wilson's office. Everyone's eyes seemed to be equipped with radar, and they saw the gold on the table instantly, and they couldn't move away.

"They're all here, take a piece for each person and keep it well. This thing is much more useful than rupees, and it's hard currency everywhere." Alan Wilson immediately gave his assistants a surprise, letting them share that they came to work in Hyderabad joy.

As for his own share, he didn't need his assistants to bother, and it was really not much. He was busy organizing the alliance of Tubang, and even called the Portuguese to attend the party. How can a small reward be enough to impress Yes, if you want to let him, the commissioner of the British Empire, do things, you have to pay more!

"Commissioner, you are so kind to us." Andy was overjoyed holding a small gold bar. "It is definitely a right decision to come to work in Hyderabad."

"Oh, is that so? Then don't whine behind your back, what is Lightning Allen?" Allen Wilson scolded with a smile, and then turned serious, "Compared with local civil servants, we have a certain number of people in British India." degree of freedom, but it is still up to you whether you can return home with a full load. Well, let’s go and rest, we still have to work for a few days.”

The Commissioner of Hyderabad, who just won the title of Lightning Allen, is not tired, but because he drank a little wine, his mind is very active. At this time, Hyderabad is in darkness except for a few places. In this era, Except for a few places in the big cities of South India, most of the areas are not powered.

Under the light, the tireless Alan Wilson opened a map of British India to pass the time, and rested when the sleepiness hit, "It would be a pity if the Andaman Islands became independent with India. It can't be cheap for Nehru." .”

Decades later, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands were an overseas joint dependency of the Federation of India, located south of Myanmar, between the Bay of Bengal and the Burma Sea, and [-] kilometers away from the Indian mainland.An island group in the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar, India, in the southeastern Bay of Bengal.

In fact, whether the Andaman and Nicobar Islands belong to Myanmar or become part of Bangladesh, it makes sense.But it belongs to India, which is undoubtedly a certain legacy of the British Empire.

The most important thing is that the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are just on the westward route of the Strait of Malacca. As long as the ship comes out of the Strait of Malacca, it can be monitored by the military facilities of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Because of the strong productivity that broke out in the United States during the war, in terms of naval size, the US Navy is undoubtedly the world's number one, surpassing the world's number one Royal Navy before World War II.But the current strength of the British Royal Navy is also the only second in the world.

The British Royal Navy is not an opponent of the US Navy, but it also surpasses the naval power of other countries.The Japanese navy is only close to the British Royal Navy in terms of strength, but the main force of the Royal Navy is not in Asia. After all, in the eyes of the British, Malacca is close at hand; in the eyes of the Japanese, Gibraltar is far away.

The world's No. [-] colonial empire is so tyrannical. Now that Alan Wilson is looking at the location of the Andaman-Nicobar Islands, his desire to cut it off from British India is getting stronger and stronger.

At least right after World War II, when the strength of the British Royal Navy was still there, the status of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands was very important, far from being reflected in that little land area.

The Andaman-Nicobar Islands were chosen because Alan Wilson thought it was easier, because India just became independent and would definitely not vigorously build a navy, and it does not necessarily have such an understanding.It is not difficult to cut off an archipelago that is isolated overseas!

Furthermore, it is also persuasive to London. Although the independence of British India is likely to be a certainty, the British colonies are not only British India, but also British Malaya.The Strait of Malacca is still under the control of the British Empire, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, which happen to block the route of the Strait of Malacca, should of course remain in the British Empire.

Chapter 24 Recalling the Governor General's Palace

Although the British Empire is not as good as the US and the Soviet Union after the war, it has a big enough plate and still has many places to operate. In addition to British India, there are also British Malaya, British Middle East, British Africa and other places.

Alan Wilson didn't know when he was sleepy, he simply packed his things and fell on the bedside.

In the Hyderabad state, the initial communication about the state alliance and the Portuguese making white gloves is still going on, and it has been almost done after a few days.

On this day, Ali Khan called Alan Wilson to the palace. His thin face was a little serious, and he revealed a piece of news that was enough for a thunderbolt, "Maybe in a few days, New Delhi will find you back again."

"I just came back!" Alan Wilson was taken aback, feeling that something was unusual. If the British Indian Governor's Office called him back, he could just send a telegram.

Moreover, there seems to be nothing important about his work recently. His work in Hyderabad is still quite far from the work in British India, so it doesn't have much influence.

A glimmer of gloom flashed across Ali Khan's face, and he said in a cold voice, "It seems that the representative of your native state came to Hyderabad this time, and the Congress Party noticed that it was Nehru who put pressure on the Governor's Palace."

"He really knows how to pick the time." Alan Wilson muttered angrily when he heard it. It seemed that he had suffered from his age. He was thinking too simple when doing things, which attracted the attention of the Congress Party.

It has to be said that it is a good opportunity to exert pressure at this time. The better the situation is, the more the Governor-General of British India does not want to lose the chain, hoping that British India will maintain stability and end the world war.

Because of the Hyderabad Tubang gathering, Nehru's attention was drawn, do you want to make an example of others?However, this possibility cannot be ruled out, and Allen Wilson's mood suddenly became extremely bad.

"Alan, I have contacted Sir Barron, and I appreciate your experience in Hyderabad Commissioner very much. Judging from the tone of the telegram, the matter is not serious, and you may need to prepare some remarks." Ali Khan saw Seeing that Alan Wilson was a little worried, he said in relief, "And I have also prepared some gifts for Sir Barron. You can take them with you when you return to New Delhi. It shouldn't be difficult to pass the customs."

Alan Wilson was a little surprised that Ali Khan was able to do this. Sure enough, some true temperament could also be bred in the ignorance that existed widely in British India.

When the words came to his lips, Alan Wilson seemed to remember something, and expressed his thoughts in a communicative tone, "Dear Majesty, there is actually a person who should not be out of your sight."

"Who?" Ali Khan was taken aback, and quickly recalled important political figures in British India in his mind, but he was not sure who Alan Wilson was talking about?

"General Mountbatten." Alan Wilson said decisively, "I don't know what the result of returning to New Delhi this time will be. Will the Governor's Palace transfer me because of Nehru's pressure, although from you and Judging from Sir Baron's telegram, the tone is quite gentle, but I have to think more, Maharaja, I am still the Commissioner of Hyderabad, and I want to communicate with you very sincerely and fulfill my responsibilities."

Allen Wilson said this with sincerity. In a sense, he is still far from being a real old servant, and when he came to Hyderabad to take up his post, he did so with sincerity.

So when dealing with Ali Khan, he, the Hyderabad commissioner, really thought about the monarch of Hyderabad.Help Ali Khan find ways to maintain the status of an independent kingdom as much as possible, even if he knows in his heart that the possibility of success is slim.

"Mountbatten?" Ali Khan chanted the name. Of course he knew that the owner of this name was the current commander of the Southeast Asia theater and the supreme commander of the British-Indian Army.But that's all, the opponent is a royal family member, commanding the legion to fight during the war can be understood as being a member of the royal family and setting an example.

But as a soldier, what effect does it have on the current political situation in British India?The interference of royal family members in politics has long since disappeared in the UK, right?

If it hadn't been for the First World War that dealt a heavy blow to the British aristocracy, how could it have disappeared so easily?Seeing Ali Khan's expression, Alan Wilson knew that the other party didn't care much, and emphasized, "Majesty, I am very serious in suggesting that General Mountbatten plays an important role in the royal family. The relationship between Prime Minister Churchill and General Mountbatten very good!"

Hearing the name of Prime Minister Churchill, Ali Khan put on a solemn look. For the British colonies all over the world, the name of Prime Minister Churchill is still very popular. People in these colonies still do not feel the United States and the Soviet Union outside. It has already set off the British Empire very embarrassingly.

But Alan Wilson knew that in the war, Mountbatten was much more powerful than Churchill, who was like a bullfight.After serving as the commander of the Southeast Asia theater, he has maintained good relations with allied forces on all fronts.

During the Battle of Burma, the armies of the Allied countries did not cooperate with each other, looked down on each other, and were defeated by the Japanese army one by one, putting British India in danger. Mountbatten solved this problem as soon as he took office, coordinating the troops of various countries to fight.

The most important thing is that Mountbatten will be appointed as the governor of British India immediately after the war. The future of India is decided in the hands of Mountbatten. Partition.

Soon the telegram from New Delhi arrived in Hyderabad. It was indeed in a peaceful tone as Ali Khan said, but Alan Wilson, who had entered the primary stage of speech skills, did not believe the contents of the telegram. Mandarin does not only exist in certain countries.

This time when Alan Wilson returned to New Delhi, Ali Khan gave Alan Wilson a bag of gold as a gift and asked Alan Wilson to take it to the event. Alan Wilson, who had only been in office for three months, had to return to the heart of British India for the second time to accept Uncertain fate.

The assistants who came to Hyderabad came to see him off, thinking that his boss's return was just a routine matter.

At this time, the Rhine defense line in the direction of Europe had been completely broken through, and the offensive in British Burma was also in full swing. The Japanese army entrenched in Burma had initially had a sad omen of its end.

The weather in New Delhi was fine, and the sun shone in through the windows of the Governor's Mansion. Sir Baron hesitated to speak, and finally said helplessly, "Why did you organize a Tubang party and invited the Portuguese? Do you know that the current Burmese The offensive still requires the support of British India's manpower and material resources. You should know something about the Congress Party's proposition?"

Chapter 25 Still looking for Mountbatten

"Although I don't know everything, but I know some. But Ali Khan is not an ordinary monarch. In London's high society, Ali Khan has also received full courtesy. Now the monarch of Hyderabad wants to do this, I have no reason Oppose." Alan Wilson was helpless, and he shirked his responsibility completely by opening his mouth.

Since Ali Khan is a registered figure in the eyes of the royal family of the British Empire, it is more appropriate for Ali Khan himself to bear the blame for colluding with Tubang, and the other party also has this ability.

Although the British Empire is a monarchy country, it is at least the source of a capitalist country. Therefore, it respects Ali Khan's title of monarch and values ​​Ali Khan's huge wealth. Combining the two, the value of Ali Khan is very important in London.

"Although you are not very old, you learn this quickly." Sir Barron smiled and pointed out Alan Wilson's words of shirking responsibility, and took a deep breath. "However, at this critical time, I always Nehru's pressure cannot be ignored, the stability of British India is more important than anything else at present, let me think about what to do. You must never go to General Mountbatten, he is very vigilant towards you!"

I just sent a file!Allen Wilson breathed a sigh of relief, and had no choice but to leave Sir Barron's office, and went straight to General Mountbatten's villa as soon as he went out. Sir Barron's subtext was to find General Mountbatten to find a solution immediately.

After some inquiries, after confirming that General Mountbatten was at the headquarters, he knocked directly on the door of the villa.In order to solve the current crisis, he couldn't care less.

"If you can't handle me this time, the death toll after India's independence will at least double." Greeting Nehru, Alan Wilson secretly felt ruthless in his heart. He just wanted to strengthen the power of the state, and contacted The Portuguese, ready for some benefits for themselves.

What's wrong with this?Isn't India still independent?Is this British India still a colony of the British Empire?What's wrong with him doing this on his own colony!