Why educating successors was part of an officer's job

Katari's command of a river steamer with two inexperienced reserve sub-lieutenants introduces his reputation as a patient teacher. Accounts of his career describe an officer inclined to explain what others needed to learn. The suggestion that he would try another explanation when the first failed is an illustration of that reputation, rather than a documented exchange with these trainees. Preparing successors becomes a substantial part of an officer's responsibility as the officer gains experience and authority. The same emphasis on education helped a growing Indian Navy develop its own leaders. Effective foreign naval practices could be studied and adapted to Indian needs, with unsuccessful practices offering lessons about what to avoid.