Advice to the Indian Aristocracy/Chapter 8
SPORTS AND GAMES.
I use the word "sports" in the sense of out-door games. They may be divided into two classes, namely, manly and ordinary. There is nothing in the world that gives more enjoyment than sports, especially manly sports. But at the same time there is a great deal of danger in them. Manly sports are shooting, hunting, pig-sticking, polo, hurdle-racing, and so forth. As there is a great deal of danger in them, you should not engage in them recklessly, but with great care and caution, and after careful practice. Generally Europeans are more reckless in sports than Indians. But you are not an ordinary person; on your safety depends the welfare of many thousands of people. Therefore, in big game shooting, you should always have an extra rifle or two with you in the hands of one who can be depended on as a good shot and for resolute courage. His duty is to hand the spare rifle quickly to you after you have fired off both the barrels of your rifle, to reload it promptly and to hand it to you again by the time you have discharged the second rifle. You should also have another trustworthy man with you with a spear or dagger to be utilized at close quarters. But never keep more than three persons with you. Of course in stalking you should have one or two shikaries with you. In tiger-shooting it is always a safe thing to shoot from a munchan. In the north, people shoot tigers from the backs of elephants. There the country is quite different from the southern parts of India. It is covered with long grass, and almost bare of trees. People ride on elephants, and surround the spot where the beast is tracked to. The technical term is "ringing the tiger." In ordinary jungles also, it is a usual thing to shoot tigers from the backs of elephants. The elephant must be well trained for tiger-shooting; otherwise it is safer to shoot on foot than from that huge animal. If you take your position on foot you should be well covered with green branches of bushy trees and plants. If you wound a tiger or a panther, never follow him up if you have lost sight of him. It is always safer to wait for a while and listen for his movements. When there is no sound from him heard, send some sharp shikaries with stones to climb some neighbouring trees, and to throw stones in the direction the beast went; and they must also look for him from the trees. A still safer thing to do is to get a herd of buffaloes or a flock of sheep or goats driven in the same direction. But never follow a wounded tiger or panther in a rash manner. Some well-known sportsmen say "never trust a tiger." Tiger-shooting is always very dangerous unless you know well his "ways and habits." As I said before, your safety is the chief thing in manly sports; I advise you never to follow a wounded tiger, panther, cheeta, bear, or hyaena, under any circumstances. If a sportsman shows any amount of courage and presence of mind in following and killing a wounded beast, people take very little notice of the adventure. If, on the other hand, he loses his life, though under unavoidable circumstances, people say he was a rash and careless fellow. Therefore you must be very careful and cautious in shooting wild animals. If the shikari or any other ordinary sportsman that accompanies you happens to lose his life in following a wounded beast, you will surely protect his family. If, on the other hand, anything were to happen to you, several hundreds of families would be deprived of their protector. It is said that if a man shoots twenty-one tigers he is called "tiger-slayer." My younger brother, the present Rajah of Jetprole, has shot sixty tigers up to the present day. It is said in the Hindu Sastras that if a man shoots a hundred tigers he is considered to be quite equal to the one who has performed the great sacrifice called the Rajasuya. I hope that my brother will be able to reach that number in course of time. But neither he nor any other sportsman should be subject to an uncontrollable desire to complete the number, one hundred or twenty-one.
As regards other game, such as deer, pigs, etc., one should be more humane to them. As far as possible, you should not shoot hinds nor a sow when it is followed by its farrow. Of whatever kind the game may be, a tiger or a deer, you should put an end to its life when it is badly wounded and cannot get away from the sportsman. It is very uukind of the sportsman to see such an animal suffer from its wounds or to play with it for his own fanciful amusement.
To a man of our position big game shooting is essential, because it teaches us how to be patient, to become courageous, to grow accustomed to fatigue, to become quick and good shots, and it gives us plenty of exercise and makes us watchful. But you must not devote too much of your time to Shikaree. Hunting, pig-sticking, paper- chasing, etc., make good riders ; but you should not be reckless in riding. Nearly the same is the case with polo, and hurdle-racing. If I were you, I would not go in for polo and hurdle-racing, as many a distinguished person has lost his life in these games. If you want to play polo, you had better play for fun and exercise in riding on well- trained ponies, but never play in a match or never go in for hurdle-racing. Racing may be beneficial to professional men, but it ruins many others. Several Maharajahs and rich people have ruined themselves by going in for racing. One may go and see the fun or he may even lose a few rupees in betting; but it is not at all advisable to take to it.
There is a great deal of exercise, though of a solitary kind, in riding. There the game is between the man and the horse, for the horse is a sort of companion. All the Gymkhana sports on horse-back are excellent exercise both for body and to mind.
All games of skill requiring activity, such as polo and cricket, teach us fairness. As no one is allowed to dispute with the umpire, he must subordinate his opinion to that of the umpire. Again the chief merit. of the games is that they teach us to keep our temper. Western people say cricket is the best of games for discipline as it has 'a captain of the eleven' to whom the rest of the side owe implicit obedience. There are several similar games in our country guided by a captain. But we have no prescribed rules for them, and therefore they are apt to encourage cheating, to cause the players to quarrel, and thus to deprive the game of pleasure.
Nearly all sports and active games give strength to the body, and teach us courage, calmness, self-reliance and many other excellent qualities calculated to help us much in dealing with the ordinary affairs of life.