Introduction
Throughout the nineteenth century, London was afraid that the Russian Empire would invade India through Afghanistan. Russian reassurances fell on deaf ears, leading to war in Afghanistan in 1838-42 and again in 1878-80. Lord Lytton, the Viceroy of India, issued a press crackdown, and Russophobia in the home press spiked.
LORD Salisbury* once remarked to General Ignatieff* that, unless rumour lied, Russia had many agents in India. “Thousands of agents,” coolly replied the ablest Russian in the diplomatic service — “we have literally thousands of most useful agents in India.”
“What do you mean?” asked Lord Salisbury, in some amazement at the cynical avowal.
“Our agents,” replied General Ignatieff, “are headed by your own Viceroy,* and they include almost every official in your service and every newspaper writer in India.* They occupy themselves constantly in doing, far more effectively than any one else could do it, the kind of work for which we are supposed to employ agents in other countries. They disquiet the minds of the well-disposed by spreading fears of a Russian advance; they encourage the hopes of the ill-disposed by simulating alarm at our approach.”
General Ignatieff was right. There is no room for Russian agents in Russian pay in India. The ground is covered, from the Himalayas to Ceylon,* with far more effective auxiliaries who draw British pay, but do the Russian’s work.
Robert Gascoyne Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury (1830-1903) was a Conservative statesman and Prime Minister from 1885-1886, 1886-92, and 1895-1902. See posts tagged Robert Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury (2).
Count Nikolay Pavlovich Ignatyev (1832-1908) was a Russian statesman and diplomat, who as ambassador to the Ottoman Empire in the 1870s laboured to free Bulgaria and other Orthodox Christian peoples from Turkish control. This endeared him to Stead, who strongly supported Bulgarian independence, but after Ignatyev was appointed Minister of the Interior by Alexander III in 1881, he proved harsh and repressive, especially towards Russia’s long-suffering Jewish population.
Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Earl of Lytton (1831–1891). On his perpetually heightened fear of Russian invasion, and Salisbury’s response to it, see ‘Never Trust Experts’.
Criticism of the Government was suppressed by Lytton’s widely unpopular Vernacular Press Law; the restrictions were lifted by Lord Ripon immediately on taking office in 1880. Ripon’s liberalism won him the support that Lytton had craved. See The Quiet Revolutionary.
Ceylon is now named Sri Lanka.
Précis
Around the time of the Second Afghan War, Lord Salisbury asked Russian diplomat Nikolai Ignatyev if rumours were true that St Petersburg had agents in India. He was amazed to hear Ignatyev admit to ‘thousands’ — though Ignatyev went on to say that these agents were the Russophobes in Indian government and media, whose hysteria was destabilising India all by itself. (60 / 60 words)
Around the time of the Second Afghan War, Lord Salisbury asked Russian diplomat Nikolai Ignatyev if rumours were true that St Petersburg had agents in India. He was amazed to hear Ignatyev admit to ‘thousands’ — though Ignatyev went on to say that these agents were the Russophobes in Indian government and media, whose hysteria was destabilising India all by itself.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 65 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 55 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: about, although, because, besides, despite, or, since, until.
Archive
Word Games
Sevens Based on this passage
Suggest answers to this question. See if you can limit one answer to exactly seven words.
Variations: 1.expand your answer to exactly fourteen words. 2.expand your answer further, to exactly twenty-one words. 3.include one of the following words in your answer: if, but, despite, because, (al)though, unless.
Jigsaws Based on this passage
Express the ideas below in a single sentence, using different words as much as possible. Do not be satisfied with the first answer you think of; think of several, and choose the best.
Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Head. Most. Use.
2 Country. Dispose. Ground.
3 Literal. Occupy. Rumor.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
Add Vowels Find in Think and Speak
Make words by adding vowels to each group of consonants below. You may add as many vowels as you like before, between or after the consonants, but you may not add any consonants or change the order of those you have been given. See if you can beat our target of common words.
fry (6)
fairy. fiery. foray. fray. fry. fury.
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