The growing presence of the capital in the political affairs of the mofussil may be seen as the major factor of political change in the period which we are examining. Thus far, however, we have viewed this development in detail only from the position of the mofussil; we have seen how local politicians were brought into contact with the administrative and political institutions of Madras city and how they came to need, fear and use this connection. The emergent centre of the new political system itself has not come under our gaze except as a distant and vague mass of energy which outsiders could tap. Yet the material form which this energy took was very much to condition what the outsiders were able to do with it. The manner in which the power of the capital was organised determined both the lines along which it could be approached and the types of approach which were most likely to engage it. As the separate political institutions of the locality came together largely through the capital, these lines and types of approach influenced not only relations between the local politician and the capital but also relations between one local politician and another. They were the links in the provincial political system. Clearly, our next task must be to examine the political organisations and interests which were developing within and around Fort St George at this time.