The Dominion of the Holy Raj (Factbook, Closed)

[The Holy Raj]

Official Factbook of the United Dominion

of the Holy Raj

A Public Letter from His Majesty, by the Grace of God, the White Maharajah, King-Emperor Victor-Ji IV, Khan-Sahib of the Dominon of the Holy Raj, Head of the the Church of the Dominion, Defender of the Faith.

Dear reader,
thank you for taking an interest in our glorious nation, and we hope that you will be both educated and interested by this state-sponsored information site. The Holy Raj is a geographically large nation, comprising the entire Indian Subcontinent, as well as some parts of the East Indies. It ranges from the icy mountainous regions in the north, home of the elite Gurkha troops, to the sweltering rainforests of the Burmese Protectorate, some areas of which remain unexplored. From the rocky deserts of the North-West Frontier to the cobbled streets of Chandrapore, it is a nation of many peoples, tongues, beliefs and cultures. Its population reflects this in its diversity, being made up of the Native Bengalis, Jats, Punjabis, Gurkhas, Sikhs, Kashmiris, Afghans, and of course, the British. To those who accuse our nation of racism, we would point out that this idea is a complete fallacy. The British are, of course, important to the government of the Raj, and were, once, seen as superior to the natives. However, those days are long gone, and even our Royal Family has intermarried with the Indian Princes, and the Raj is now a nation of complete racial and religious tolerance. We hope that the Raj's colourful history will not dominate its future. This History can be viewed in the first chapter of this Factbook. Once more, we hope it will prove an enjoyable read.
Heaven's Light Our Guide.

HM King-Emperor Victor-Ji IV, Khan Shaib of the Dominion of the Holy Raj.

[The Holy Raj]

History of the Raj

The Dominion of the Holy Raj was founded in 1878, when the British Isles were hit by a heavy and concentrated meteor shower that greatly devastated Western Europe, destroying London, and rendering much of Britain uninhabitable. The entire British Government, including Queen Victoria, was killed, and without law and order, the few survivors in Northern Scotland and Western Ireland fell into a state of anarchy. Starvation and disease were rife, and killed off many of the remaining inhabitants of the islands. There were even reports of cannibalism amongst the survivors, although these claims were never investigated.

The British Empire fell into disarray, with the majority of colonies rising up against their leaderless masters. The only colony which remained strong enough to function on its own was that of British India, under the iron leadership of Robert Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Earl of Lytton, the Viceroy at the time, and the board of the East India Trading Company. It was quickly realised that the British mainland and government were unable to function as the Raj's homeland, and East Indian Company, combined with the Colonial Service, decided to take the momentous decision to form their own government. Lord Robert Bulwer-Lytton, then Viceroy of India, was declared King William I, King-Emperor of the Holy Raj. There was an attempted mutiny by Indian troops in 1888, but it was brutally repressed by the British, using British, Gurkha and Sikh troops. The Capital of the British Empire was moved to Chandrapore in Northern India in 1881, and the government was formed from British colonial officers, as well as Indian noblemen. The East India Company, being responsible for keeping order in India before the disaster, essentially took over all the functions of government, and the company's army and navy were simply re-named.

The next 20 years were dominated by uprisings, rebellions and insurgency. The British were able to defeat them using the troops loyal to them, and also suceeded in re-capturing the areas of the Raj that had ceded during the internal turbulance, through a mixture of bribery, conquest and horrific war-crimes, some of the details of which remain classified to this day. This time also saw the import of thousands of British refugees from around the former empire, seeking safety in its last stronghold, the Holy Raj, particularly white South Africans, who were forced to flee after the native uprising caused by the lack of British leadership. However, the Anglo-Saxons remained vastly outnumbered by their Indian subjects, relying on the loyalty of certain native groups, and the backing of native princes.

After this period, the Raj was finally pacified by the policies of King Victor I, whereby the British adopted many of the customs and traditions of the native Indians. Many began to wear native dress, married Indian women, and some even converted to Indian religions, Sihkism being a particular favourite for British officers. In return, the natives adopted some British traditions, most notably the English Language. In the modern Raj, even the Royal Family has a significant amount of European Blood in its veins.
In 1910, the Government of the Raj began to colonise the areas to its east, Singapore, Siam, Sarawak and the Austrailian mainland. The British Isles were cautiously re-captured in 1921, although the capital and seat of Government remained Chandrapore. There was, by this time, no racial discrimination in the Holy Raj, although some white officials (particularly those who had immigrated from South Africa) refused to interbreed with Indian women. However, the number of British women in the Raj was so small, that this policy was eventually unable to continue.

The Holy Raj has developed significantly in the 20th century, taking part in the rush for Africa, and being the centre of many scientific breakthroughs. It operated on a policy of isolation from European wars, but was involved in some minor colonial disputes with France between 1931 and 1943, a time renowned for its pacisfism in Europe. In 1979, Dominion troops repulsed a Communist invasion of its lands beyond the North-West Frontier, seen by many as a continuation of the Great Game, with the Socialist Russian Bear, which fell in 1991.

The Raj now consists of three main Areas. The Indian Empire, the political and economic centre of the Raj, which was only able to retain British rule through a combination of good organisation, strength, ruthlessness, and luck. The Cape Protectorate, consisting of Southern Africa, was able to sustain British rule due to the complete oppression of the native populace, a tradition which had long been present in South Africa, but which now has been dis-continued. The final, and smallest area of the Raj, is the Austrailasian Protectorate, which managed to sustain British rule due to its complete lack of an aggressive, organised native populace.

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Government (Sirkar)

The King-Emperor (Maharajah)
The King-Emperor, currently His Majesty Victor-Ji IV, is the Head of State and source of all government power in the Raj. He is technically entitled to make any and all official decisions of the Government, from the declaration of war all the way down to the granting of individual passports. However, this is obviously impossible, and as such, the Emperor needs ministers in order to enact his will. Before 1973, these ministers were simply appointed by the His Majesty, and often were simply friends or relatives of the King. However, since the introduction of democracy in 1973, the ministers are now elected by the people. However, despite the change from absolute to constitutional monarchy, the Maharajah retains all his former powers, but is no longer expected to use them. He is still involved in the day to day business of government, approving laws, formulating which direction for the government to take, and remains hugely important in Dominion politics, mainly through his personal influence rather than any formal powers. He is also the Commander in Chief of the Raj's Army, although he does not personally command them, as in most constitutional monarchies.

The Prime Minister
The Prime Minister, currently Sir Francis Casement, MP, KCIE is the leader of the Raj's largest party, and its Head of Government. He is the day to day leader of the Dominion, with relative autonomy and freedom from the decisions of the Emperor, although he may be overriden in certain cases. Before 1973, this office was almost entirely ceremonial, and was essentially an advisor to the Emperor, with no official power of its own. However, since the democratisation of the Raj, the office has taken on many powers of its own, and is easily the second most powerful position in the Dominion, after the King himself. He makes almost all major decisions on his own, after consulting the King, and can appoint other ministers and military officers. He is always a member of either the House of Commons, or of the Council of Princes, and as such is more representative of the people than the Monarch. He technically has no military rank, but through his formal office as the King's first minister, can exercise some commands under royal perogative. The Current PM is a Member of the House of Commons for New Sudbury (formerly Blimpapore), and leader of the Liberal Party (Whigs.)

Parliament
The Imperial Parliament is a bi-cameral legislature made up of representatives from all areas of the Raj, which are democratically elected in a first-past-the-post system. It consists of the House of Commons, which is elected from among the common people, and Members of Parliament directly represent their constituents, often holding surgeries to gauge local opinion. They are targets for lobbying groups, and corruption used to be rife, before the 1973 reforms. However, due to the tight controls on campaign funding and on lobbyist tactics, these has ceased to be a problem. The upper house, known as the Council of Princes, is made up of both Indian Princes and British Aristocracy. They are un-elected, but can be overruled by the Commons, ensuring that democracy is ensured for the Raj. The main function of the Princes is to scrutinise the work of the commons, and prevent a democratic tyranny. There are only two main parties, the Tories and the Whigs, which will be covered in more detail later in this guide. The current distribution of seats is 62% Whig, 36% Tory, 2% Independent (Dominion Fascist Party, the Anti-Monarchy League, Green Party.) The Parliament buiding in situated in the nations capital, Chandrapore.

Political Parties

The Liberal Party (Whigs)
The Whig Party is the largest party, in terms of actual membership and funding, and has been instrumental in the formation of the Raj as we know it, especially during the 1973 reforms. It is currently the largest party in Parliament, which means that it's leader, Sir Francis Casement, is also the current Prime Minister. The party's social views are generally libertarian , which reflects the general movement in the Raj, although they do focus more on the well being of the poor, and historically this divide has been more pronounced, the Whigs being responsible not only for the implementation of democracy, but also the legalisation of homosexuality in 1994 and the abolition of Slavery in 1893. Economically, the Whigs are in favour of the Free-Market, and will do almost anything to remove barriers to trade, but also work towards a larger welfare state to provide for the working classes.

The Conservative Party (Tories)
The Tory Party is the older of the two parties, and historically has had more support, although this has waned in recent years. They are in favour of a rigourous crackdown on crime, welfare benefits, and immigration. The party is more socially conservative than the Whigs, being in favour of a strong Monarchy, the Death Penalty, and further Imperial Expansion of the Raj. They have become more socially liberal over time however, and now has limited the age that the death penalty can be passed down at to 18+. Most of the historical expansion of the Raj was done under Tory governments, and the first Prime Minister was also a Tory. They support a protectionist economic policy, in an attempt to protect the Raj's business' and this continues to be the main point of contention between the two main parties.

Minor Parties
The Dominion Fascist Party
A White Supremacist Party advocating the return to white minority rule, the abolition of democracy, and the replacement of the PM with a Chancellor, a dictator in all but name. Saw some minor success in the last elections due to disillusionment in the public with the liberal policies of the former-whig government.
The Anti-Monarchy League
Essentially a Democratic Communist Party which advocates the abolition of the Monarchy, the granting of independence to all colonies of the Raj, and a distribution of wealth equally amongst the peasantry. Has performed consistantly poorly ever since its creation in the 1950's, and generally considered a joke by all serious commentators.
The Green Party
Formed as an off-shoot of the Anti-Monarchy League, generally left-wing in outlook, best described as a Socialist party which is highly concerned with the state of the environment and eco-affairs. The newest party, it is not considered to garner much support due to the lack of concern of the general populace as to the environment, mainly consists of students and hippies.

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Geography

The Dominion of the Holy Raj
The Raj is made up of three major Areas. First, and largest, is the Indian Empire, centre of the Raj, and the largest and most populace area. Second, the Protectorate of the African Cape, based in Southern Africa, which is a deeply conservative area, which managed to remain loyal to the Empire due to its large white population, and their advanced weaponry. Lastly, and with the smallest population, is the Protectorate of the Austrailasian Colonies, comprising Austrailia, New Zealand, Fiji and Papua New Guinea. It is a relatively Liberal area, made up mostly of desert, which remained loyal due to its lack of native resistance.

The Indian Empire
The Holy Raj is based in and around the Indian Subcontinent, and comprises the Provinces of Hindustan (India), Pakistan, Bangladesh (Bengal), Nepal, Burma (Myanmar), Ceylon (Sri Lanka), the Maldives, and Singapore. It is home to the capital of the entire Empire, Chandrapore, in Northern India. Its population is currently around 200 million, mostly Hindu native Indians, comprising 47% of the populace. A more thorough list of ethnic groups is given below. The climate of the Raj varies from the almost Arctic conditions of the Nepalese Mountains, to the baking rocky desert of the North-West Frontier. The Burmese Province is comprised of thick Jungle, some of which remains unexplored. Most of the major cities are located in central India, including Dehli, Hyderabad and Allahabad. Peshawar is the largest city in Pakistan, guarding the Kyber Pass, the passage into the wilderness that lies beyond the borders of the Raj.

Racial Make-up of the Indian Empire
Native Hindus(All Castes)=32%
Native Muslims(Pakistanis and Bengalis)=22%
Anglo-Indians (Eurasians)=22%
Anglo-Saxons (British)=15%
Nepalese Tribesmen (Gurkhas)=4%
Afghan Tribesmen (Pushtuns)=3%
Burmese Tribesmen=2%

The Protectorate of the African Cape
The African Cape, based in Cape Town, South Africa, consists of the colonies of South Africa, Southern Rhodesia (Zimbawe), Botswana and Nyasaland (Malawi), as well as several others, of lesser importance. It managed to remain loyal to the King-Emperor due to its large white population, its violent oppression of its native population, and its advanced weaponry. It is a deeply conservative area, and although Apartheid has been overruled by central government in Chandrapore, there is still a lot of racism in the colony, and the races are greatly seperated. It is mostly made up of Desert, as well as a large mountaineous area, the largest of which being table mountain. In the north, there is an area of deep jungle. The south's economy was made up of the great diamond and gold mines of the veldt, and there is also a booming tourism industry running hunting and safari holidays for rich tourists. The current Governor-General is Joseph van der Veldt, MP .

The Protectorate of the Australasian Colonies
The Australasian Colonies, based in Victoria, consists of the colonies of Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Papua New Guinea. It remained loyal to the British Crown due to the lack of a organised aggressive native force. Without opposition, and without effective leadership from within the colony, it had no choice but to remain part of the Raj. It is the most liberal area of the Raj, mostly due to its anarchic founders, and is a stronghold of the Whig party. It consists of a large central desert, which remains largely unsettled, and jungled area in the north. The colony of New Zealand has become a lot more populated recently, as its climate reminds refugees from the crippled Britain of home. Much of its economy is based on agriculture and mining. It often clashes with the Cape in Parliament over social issues, although both have similar economic-control policies. The current Governor-General is Sir Roger O'Keefe.

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Military of the Holy Raj

The Dominion Army
The Army of the Holy Raj is a relatively small force in comparison to the Imperial Navy. This is largely due to historical concerns over the loyalty of Indian troops, as a naval force cannot influence domestic politics in the same way as an army. For this reason, membership of the army is highly regulated, and a certain ratio of certain racial groups is always maintained, simply as a safeguard against a third mutiny. Its membership is generally made up of old British military families, the Hindu military caste, and certain groups of more war-like Muslims and smaller groups, such as Gurkhas and Sikhs. The tactics of the army have often been decried by other nations as archaic and backward, but this is a fallacy put about by barbaric and "foreign" nations. The Army is divided into three distinct groups.

The Imperial Militia
The Imperial Militia is the force into which the youth of the Raj are conscripted for two years. It is used as a police and anti-riot force, as well as a garrison for the frontiers of the Raj. It cannot be sent overseas during peace, and conscripts must volunteer for overseas service during war-time. It is relatively poorly trained, and its weapons consist of the outdated weapons of the main force. The Militia is now almost never used in policing or riot operations, as the involvement of poorly trained but heavily armed young men in peace-keeping often resulted in a number of civilian casualties. Its main function in the modern world is simply as a training force for the young men conscripted into it, and as a part-time force for weekend volunteers.

The Dominion Army (Redcoats)
The Dominion Army is the main land-force of the Raj, and is made up of volunteers only. This means that its officer corps generally consists of the British Military families, as well as the Hindu Military Caste, whilst its men are generally a mixture of Muslims and lower caste Hindus. In the past, they were organised into race/religion specific regiments, but this has been discontinued with relatively few tensions. It has the nickname "Redcoats" due to the scarlet ceremonial uniform, which has remained the same since Victorian times. However, its combat uniform is of the highest quality, and equipped with all the modern advancements in infantry based technology. Its cavalry regiments are all trained in the use of actual horses, not only for ceremonial purposes, but also to generally patrol in the mountaineous areas where armour would be unable to reach. However, it uses armoured cars and battle tanks for the most part, as horses are obviously useless in most situations.

Special Forces
The Special Forces of the Raj are a small group of elite units. The best known of these groups are the Gurkha Rifles, the Sikh Brigade and the Peshawar Lancers. The Gurkha Rifles are made up of the Nepalese tribesmen of the frozen north, although they are trained in all climates, including the South African desert and the Burmese jungle. They are famed both for their marksmanship and their aptitude with a blade, their Kukhris,as well as their ability to live off the land. The Sikh Brigade are specialists in shock tactics, often being used in conjunction with normal troops as a hammer blow. They are demolitions experts, but continue to carry their ceremonial Tulwar swords into battle. The final special force is a cavalry regiment, the Peshawar Lancers, made up of a disproportionate number of British and Muslim troops. Its purpose was originally to guard the North-West Frontier, but it has since grown in size, and as such can be deployed anywhere. It is famed for its Blitzkrieg style hit and run attacks.


The Imperial Navy
The Imperial Navy is the most important and largest of the Raj's military forces, and is seen as the most prestigeous service to be a member or especially an officer of. The Navy is the sword and shield of the Raj, a steel wall protecting its citizens from the turbulence of overseas wars. Its current flagship is the HMIS Albion, one of 16 Bahadur class Aircraft Carriers. It also operates 55 Khan class Nuclear Submarines which act as the Raj's Nuclear deterrant, and six of these ships are constantly at sea at any one time. The make up of the Navy is mainly Hindu and Muslim, although some British families with a naval tradition still maintain a member in the officer corps. The Raj is very proud of its naval tradition, and has consistantly trusted the Imperial Navy over the Dominion Army, due to the fact that Naval dictatorships do not exist. This means that the Navy cannot influence and militarise domestic policies in anywhere near the same way as Armies. Despite this, the Navy does have a large Imperial Marine detatchment, meaning that often it can operate overseas without any co-operation between it and the Army. The Naval Air Corps also means that the Navy need not rely on the RFC, and as such can generally operate completely independently from the two other services. This often causes arrogance on behalf of naval officers, and there is a lot of inter-service rivalry, especially between Marines and Army Infantry.

The Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps is the newest service, and has become a medium sized force, with good funding. It was founded in 1921, as part of the Army, but gained service status in 1929. The Imperial Navy retained its own Naval Air Corps, with which the RFC maintains a professional rivalry. The Airforce is generally made up of Lower Caste Hindus, working class Britons, and a good dose of Islamic Tribesmen. This is generally due to the fact that the RFC is a newer service, and as such lacks the class divide and pomp of the other services, giving the lower classes a chance to rise to officer status. This, as well as the high funding recieved by the RFC, is a reason for the Army and Navy's general disdain for the RFC. It currently uses the Hellfire fighter, as well as the Indus fighter-bomber and the Sutlej helicopter. The RFC has several bases, both within the Indian Empire, and the other areas of the Raj, specifically southern Africa, which enables them to strike almost anywhere in the world.

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Law Enforcement and Intelligence in the Raj

The Dominion Police
The police of the Raj is a relatively new force, having only been founded in 1916. Before this date, the policing of the Raj was generally done by military police forces, in the tradition of the pre-Raj India. However, in the early 20th Century it became obvious that the military was no longer large enough to both fight the Raj's external enemies at the same time as policing domestically. In the early days of its service there was wide-spread corruption and police brutality was common-place. However, it is now respected across the empire as a firm but fair guardian of the public good. The police are generally armed, although those in areas of lower crime may choose to go unarmed in order to promote trust in the local populace. The Dominion Police are the standard, uniformed policemen of the Raj, and carry out all the day-to-day duties that would be expected e.g Issuing speeding tickets, arresting drunkards, investigating distress calls, and policing demonstrations. The current head of the Dominion Police is Commissioner Sir Sardar Patel.

The Special Investigation Branch (SIB)
The SIB is the plain clothes, detective force of the Raj, and although technically part of the Dominion Police, are given relative autonomy from the uniformed forces. They are used as undercover officers, as well as investigating major crimes. They also help in the fight against organised crime, terrorism, and are sometimes involved in counter-espionage activities. Their ranks are the same as the Dominion Police, but with the pre-fix "Detective." They are generally unarmed, but can be provided with weapons when being sent into dangerous environments.

The Committee of Imperial Defence (CID)
The CID has both internal and external departments, both dedicated to the protection of the Raj by any means neccessary. The External force of the CID gathers intelligence on other nations, carries out assassinations in foreign countries, and generally performs any actions abroad requested of it by the government. The Internal force of the CID is generally concerned with counter-espionage, as well as fighting terrorism in the Raj, and occassionally takes actions against the larger organised crime agencies, sometimes in conjunction with SIB officers. The CID is not part of the military, and its officers technically have no "rank" simply a hierachy, similar to the civil service. However, field officers are permitted to carry weapons.

Judicial System
The Judicial System of the Holy Raj is very similar to that of the colony it developed from. It is based on the English common-law system of Solicitors, Barristers and Judges. They do not use a jury to decide guilt, as this would involve uneducated individuals to make life changing decisions. As such, the verdict is decided by the Judge, and then the jury vote on two alternate punishments. The death penalty is still active in the Raj, and is generally carried out by way of hanging. It is reserved for those convicted of First Degree Murder, High Treason, Aggravated Rape and Peadophilia. In the military, it is carried out by firing squad, and as well as the standard crimes, can also be imposed for Mutiny and Desertion, although generally deserters are more often discharged than shot. The appeals process allows only one appeal, to be made to the Attorney-General or the Minister of Justice. This will prompt a full review of their case, but should this fail they will face the gallows almost immediately. This prevents the lengthy appeals process of some other nations. Prisons in the Raj are renowned for their poor conditions and violence, as well as the long sentances prescribed. This is designed to strike fear into the hearts of all would-be criminals throughout the Raj. Most executions are no longer carried out in public, since the reforms of the 70's, although exceptions are made for some high-profile offenders. Recently, Hard Labour or "Community Service" has been introduced as a form of punishment, and is widely used for major non-violent crimes, such as Burgulary or Fraud.

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Society in the Raj

Class and Caste
The British class system of the Victorian age was highly restrictive, and based almost entirely on the bloodline and name of a few noble families. The few exceptions were the occasional merchant or soldier, who by either accumulating money or glory, could reach the level of the lower ranks of aristocracy. The Indian Caste system was an even more restrictive way of ordering society, based in the Hindu religion. It served, to all intents and purposes as a highly regimented class system. In the Holy Raj, the two systems have been combined, in a highly complex system which will be briefly outlined below.

The Brahmins, the Heaven Born.
The Highest Caste, this is made up of priests and scholars, as well as the Raj's Civil Service officers. They are responsible for the both the idealism, and the day to day running of the Raj, and the native Indians fought long and hard before the RCS would allow native membership, meaning that the RCS is more highly respected than civil servants in other countries. Also, they have the power to make a lot of arbitrary decisions, making them more powerful than the average beaureacrats.

The Kshatriyas, the Warrior Caste
The Warrior class contains the Rajputs of Northern India, as well as the other martial peoples of the Raj, even those without hindu religion. This includes Sikhs, Gurkhas and Afghans. It also includes the ancient military families of Britain, some of whos service goes back to medieval times. Finally, the descendants of the Highland regiments are also part of this class.

The Vaishyas, the Merchant class
Whilst these are often looked down upon by the two higher classes, they are integral to the Raj's success, and the backbone of her economy. Her largest company, the IBC, depends almost entirely on the work of the Vaishyas, and without them the country would be thrust back into the dark ages. However, these people are occasionally discriminated against by the upper classes, and may find it difficult to gain entry to some of the more elitist clubs in Chandrapore. It is made up of both native Indian merchants, as well as the descendants of East India Company clerks.

The Shudras, the Peasant class
The lowest class, labourers, working classes, the unemployed. They live in the squalor of large slums, and disease and crime are rife amongst them. They also make up the enlisted men of the army, and most of the police force. They also work as servants, and are generally discriminated against by all the higher classes. However, it has become easier and easier for people to move upwards in the class system, since the government now makes social mobility one of its main priorities. The caste system is now slowly being dismantled, much to the delight of the Shudras.

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The Ministry of Space Research and Exploration

The Ministry of Space Research and Exploration (MOSRE) was founded in 1961, and is responsible for the Raj's space programme. It has achieved great strides in space technology since its creation, and has famously managed to land 4 of the Raj's Astronauts on the moon. The first of these was Sir Makkarham Khan DFC, a Royal Flying Corps officer who was accepted due to his incredible results and responses during a test simulation. It is currently working on developing a permanant Space Station.

It has also managed to place several satellites in space over the span of its existance, including military satellites for espionage, communications satellites, and of course, the vast network of IBC satellites necessary for it to broadcast to the people of the whole world. It is a point of great pride in the Raj that the Imperial Broadcasting Corporation is the largest international news syndicate in the world, and broadcasts the news of Billion's, 24/7. None of this would be possible without MOSRE.

The final function of MOSRE is its search for extra-terrestrial life. A constant message is broadcast deep into space by the Raj's satellites, on behalf of all humanity, attempting to contact friendly alien life-forms.

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Notable Personalities.-Under Construction

The Lord Rotheringham of Waziristan, General of the 4th Imperial Army
Lord Charles Rotheringham of Waziristan was born in Chandrapore in 1968, the son of Roger Rotherigham, the previous holder of the title. The Rotherigham family came to India before the fall, and as such are deeply entrenched in Indian society, despite keeping themselves aloof from the "natives" and interbreeding as little as possible. They made their money as members of the East India Company's board, and upon its nationalisation, joined the Raj's military. They were already a well respected military family from Britain, and had served with the Company's army, and as such were firmly ensconsed in the Military Caste.
Much of Charles Rotheringham's early life was one of routine, as he was sent to a private military school from an early age, and spent much of his early career as a Lieutenant with the King's Royal Borderers, guarding the North-East Frontier against incursions from Burmese Tribesmen, as well as Chinese Barbarians and criminals. His father paid for his commission, and he was promoted quickly due to his important family's influence. He could have easily become, like so many, a spoilt, armchair general with no grasp on his profession, but for one thing. His love of strategy.
He had done nothing outstanding as a field officer, but as a staff officer he quickly showed aptitude for command, defeating the rebels and tribesmen in several major battles. He has distinguished himself again and again in command, and since his promotion to General of the 4th Imperial Army, has become the commander of choice for foreign excursions. He recently commanded during the victorious war-games against New Pyyrhus in the African Cape, and is now being considered for Command of the Churchillian Expeditionary Force, replacing Lord Williams. He was also the Commander of the Velgreadian Expeditionary Force, the small armoured and naval detatchement sent to Velgrea to support the Velgreadian Monarchy, and that of their colonial masters, Reformed Britannia. Despite several friendly fire issues, the monarchy was preserved, and the Dominion of Velgrea upheld, despite its name change to the Commonwealth of Velgrea.

Major "Tiger" Jack Moran, VC, DSO, KCIE
"Tiger" Jack Moran was born into an Irish Immigrant family in Barrackpore, a town in southern India. His family retains it's Catholic faith, although has interbred with the local populace to a certain extent, giving him a tanned complexion, and dark hair, despite his caucasian appearance. He is famous for his wild black whiskers, and his military feats. Legend says that he killed his first tiger with a knife aged only 16 months, when one attacked him in his bed, and it was impaled on his fathers hunting knife. This earned him the nickname "Tiger" which he has retained ever since.
He started his career in the elite Peshawar Lancers, as a Lieutenant. He had to earn his commission through a scholarship at his college, as his family could not afford to buy one in the time honoured fashion. He spent several years fighting the bandits of the North-West Frontier, as well as putting down various uprsings, but remained an unremarkable character.
He first rose to prominence in the Churchilland intervention against the Fascists, in which he was the only survivor of an ill fated bayonet attack against heavily entrenched enemy forces. He stayed behind enemy lines as they advanced, feeding the Raj's army important information about enemy movements. His next expedition with the lancers was the short successful intervention in the Velgreadian Civil War, in which he led the defence of Britannia City, using 250 Peshawar Tanks, and 20,000 troops of the Dominion of Velgea. This war resulted in the preservation of the Britannian Monarchy, and the formation of the Commonwealth of Velgrea. Recently he was integral to the defeat of the Forces of New Pyyrhus in the Raj-Pyyrhus Wargames, during which he defended the last machine gun post not taken by the enemy, and planted the explosives that forced them to make their suicidal bid for victory, resulting in their massacre at the hands of the 17th King's Native Infantry (Rajput) Brigade. He was commended for this, and remains a high profile war hero.

Lord Williams of Ajmir, Admiral of the Raj's Churchillian Expeditionary Force

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Ideology of the Raj.

Of course, with the Raj being a democratic country, there is no one ideology of the nation, as it changes depending on who is in power. However, if we study the Dominion's history, we can easily see several common themes in the customary behaviour of the successive governments of the Raj, whatever their political affiliation. These traditional standpoints shall be briefly outlined here.

Imperialism
Imperialism has long been one of the pillars of the Raj's foreign policy and is still at work in the modern world. The Raj has several colonies and protectorates scattered around the globe, from the baking heat of the Australian desert, to the freezing wastes of the Empire of New Pyrrhus, the Raj maintains a significant number of naval and military personnel all over the world, to aid in power projection, and allowing the Dominion to strike quickly at any percieved threat. As well as the military benefits, the Raj also recieves a considerable economic boost from these nations, specifically New Pyrrhus, which has just signed a preferential trade deal with the Holy Raj. Imperialism is seen as a vital part of what it means to be a Rajput, and as such, even governments with a less expansionist agenda have often been pushed into foreign adventures by public opinion.

Paternalism
Paternalism walks hand in hand with Imperialism, and explains some deal about the mentality of the Raj. The Imperialist policies of the Dominion are based, not on greed, or hate, but on Paternalism. It is widely felt that were the people of the African Cape independent, they would fall into complete disarray, some sort of apartheid system would be imposed, and the country would be rocked by civil strife. It is for the good of the natives that the benevolent rule of the Raj has been imposed, providing education, health care, and most of all, order. The Raj is the most liberal government ever to control the cape, and the inhabitants are lucky to belong to such an enlightened empire, as opposed to some of the more authoritarian brands of Imperialism around.

Lassaiz-Faire Economic Policies
This has become more of a live issue in the modern world, as the Liberal party moves more and more towards a Keynesian model of economic regulation, but traditionally at least, the Raj has been a beacon of Free-Market values. This has something to do, no doubt, with being partly being founded by the East India Trading Company. It was originally developed from Classical Liberalism, but as the Liberal Party has moved into a more New Liberal stance, the mantle of keeping the market free falls to the Conservatives, who might be more accurately described as Neo-Liberals. There have been some regulations placed on business activities recently, but the Raj remains one of the Freest Free Markets anywhere in the world.

Anti-Communism
The Dominion, as a Monarchy, is irrevocably opposed to Communism, and the more extreme end of Socialism, in all its forms. Of course, being a democracy, there is a Communist Party, and it is not illegal to become a Communist, but it is viewed with derision, bordering on hatred, and would be social suicide for anyone of high-birth. The poor view Communism as something intrinsically foreign, although know almost nothing of what it preaches, as the spread of Communism is prevented fairly well by not teaching it in schools, and spreading vicious propaganda about it. In the mind of some, it is equivalent to Nazism, in the minds of others, Anarchy. It is always portrayed as the most negative thing that the viewer could imagine, even if this is actually an untruth. Through this, the government prevents any support of Communism from spreading. The Raj has launched several wars to combat Communism, and has even allied with Fascist against the greater evil of International Communism.

Libertarianism
Libertarianism is greatly tied in to the Free-Market Liberalism of the nations mood, and is integral to almost all of the other points. The Raj is opposed to Communism because it impedes the rights of the individual. It is Imperialist partly to spread the freedom caused by Libertarianism to the opressed peoples in the darker corners of the globe. Libertarianism is seen by the people as a way of having the greatest freedom for the individual, without risking the percieved weakness of all out Liberalism. It also allows the Free-Market to flourish, and opens up new avenues of trade, for example, Opium and Laudnum are legal within the Raj, and do a roaring trade, as does prostitution. These industries are an integral part of the essential truth of Libertarianism, which is, in short, "do as you please, but don't come crying to me afterwards." The liberty entailed has always been an important part of Rajput life, with one of the rejected mottos for the nation being "Libertas, et Imperium", or Liberty and Empire, summing up the aims of the Raj overall.