(

150

generally, however, they may be grouped under four
heads, namely, those which are—

(1) actually independent;
(2) termed independent;
(3) tributary to, in subordinate alliance with,
or controlled by the British government;
(4) tributary or subordinate to larger states,
which themselves fall under head (3),
but whose integrity is guaranteed by the
British government; sometimes these
have been termed mediatized states.

The states which may be regarded as actually
independent, are those which stand on an altogether
equal footing with the British government, and in
this sense the Chinese empire on our northern boundary
 and Afghanistan exhaust the list.
The most independent of the remaining states
are those of Nipal and Siam, and after these come the
leading protected states.
The general characteristics of all the protected
states are, that their foreign relations are altogether
controlled by the British government, while they are
left to manage their own home administration ; the
individual rulers are liable to removal for gross misgovernment
 or misconduct, but the integrity of the
state is maintained, and a successor is selected from
the family ; and the dissolution of the reigning line is
prevented by the recognition of the power of adoption.
The minor states are not allowed to inflict capital