A critic, whose article proves that he knows India well, and whose eloquent appreciation has given me much encouragement, speaks of the work as a 'demi-official' one. I cannot let the revised sheets go home without guarding against the misconception to which such a statement might give rise. Government granted me free access to its Archives on a subject in which it was known I had long taken a deep interest, and with regard to which it seemed well thatthe whole facts should be placed before the public. But it made no attempt to influence my views, nor is it in any way responsible for my conclusions. All that this book does is to collect the documents hitherto isolated in the various Departments of the Government of India, and out of these scattered links to put together a trustworthy historical narrative.