The Viceroys Of India: Mark Bence-Jones

In 1858, as a result of the mutiny, the sovereignty of India passed from the East India Trading Company to the British Crown; and the then Governor-General, Lord Canning, was given the more romantic title of Viceroy. This book covers the Viceroys from 'Clemency' Canning to Mountbatten and is concerned with the men who held an office, which, in its combination of responsibility and splendor, is without parallel in modern history. There are figures as diverse as the craggy John Lawrence and the charming, urbane Dufferin; the dynamic Mayo and the wayward Lytton; the humble, high-minded Ripon and the brilliant, overbearing Curzon; the patrician Lansdowne and the self-made lawyer Reading. They are portrayed against the background of their times in India; much use being made of contemporary letters, many of them unpublished. There are also their wives, ranging from the beautiful and tragic Lady Canning to the redoubtable Lady Willingdon. It is by no means confined to matters of state, giving a lively and nostalgic picture of the ceremonial and social side of Viceregal life over a century, and the delights and discomforts of reigning in the Government Houses of Simla, Calcutta and Delhi, surrounded by a retinue of secretaries, body guards, ADCs and an army of servants; progresses by elephant, sedan-chair, houseboat, bullock cart and train and in general, an overall picture of a series of rulers who were, on the whole, suited to their office in which some achieved greatness and most were successful. Illustrated with black and white photographs.