how did the king rescue the state from the british ??
The effects of colonization and the servile behaviour of natives becomes evident in the episode where a high-ranking British officer visits Pratibandapuram. The officer was fond of hunting tigers and getting photographed with the ones he had shot. As usual he wished to hunt tigers in Pratibandapuram. But the Maharaja was firm in his resolve and he refused permission. The durai sent a message through the dewan that the Maharaja could do the actual killing so that the durai could photograph himself with the dead animal, holding the gun and standing over the tiger's carcass. But the Maharaja would not even agree to this proposal thinking that if he allowed one British officer, rest would also have to be accommodated and that would ruin his plans. However, a telegram arrived in the meantime threatening him with the loss of his kingdom because the Maharaja had refused to let a British officer hunt for sport. In order to appease the incensed officer, the Maharaja despatched a telegram to a famous British company of jewellers in Calcutta and asked them to send samples of expensive diamond rings of different designs. Fifty rings arrived and the Maharaja had the whole lot sent to the British officer's good lady. The king and his minister had expected the duraisani to choose one or two rings but the latter had kept all of them. A bill of three lakh rupees was settled by the Maharaja because he had managed to retain his kingdom by bribing an unimportant British officer.