The article is based upon an archival file comprising the documents of Ram Singh, the Raja of Bharatpur, allegedly shooting dead his personal servant Kiddu. This criminal case, investigated by two British officers, provided the British colonial authorities with an opportunity to depose the Raja, thus rectifying their own mistake of enthroning him. The documents disclose an inefficient investigation and offer an insight into the British attitudes to Indian native states and policies concerning the succession and deposition of their rulers.
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