Until India gained its independence from Britain in 1947, one third of the country was ruled by a lazy, pampered group of 565 maharajahs, or princes. They led hedonistic lives with scores of wives and concubines, palaces and jewels, and spent much of their time playing polo and tiger hunting. The late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi taxed the maharajahs almost out of existence, and few physical traces of their former glory remain. However, a new breed of commercial princes has sprung up in their place. This title provides a picture of this powerful elite, who, together with some non-resident Indians (NRIs), control many of the sub-continent's most powerful conglomerates including petrochemical giant Reliance, the huge Aditya Birla Group, the Thapar empire and the vast Hinduja group, stakeholders in Ashok Leyland, commercial vehicle manufacturers. Some Pakistani family companies, such as those run by the Dawoods, Dewans, Farooques and Abdullahs, are also included.