imposed his authority upon the province, the Hindoos submitted because they had no power to resist, and soon found by his exactions and oppressions, as well as by interference with their religious observances, that a fanatical Mahomedan rule would be unendurable, and they hailed the re-establishment of the English Government with unfeigned rejoicings. All Rajpootana was tranquil and well affected; and the substantial aid rendered by the Sikh chiefs west of the Sutlej, formed a memorable and gratifying proof of their entire loyalty. Counting the number of actual rebels in Central India, the Ranee of Jhansy, the Nawabs of Banda and Futtehgurh, the Rajah of Bánpoor, and a few other minor chiefs and persons; and comparing them with the loyal princes, Sindia, Holkar, the Máhárajahs of Jeypoor, Joudhpoor, Alwur, and Oodypoor, the Rajahs of Rewah, Bhurtpoor, and Kóta, the Bégum of Bhopal, the Nawab of Rampoora, and others whose independent territories almost cover Central India, the preponderance on the side of attachment to the British Govern

ment was enormous.

Southern

As will have been seen by the narrative of events, neither the Condition of rulers nor the people south of the Nerbudda took any Western and part in the disaffection. The Gaikwar of Baroda; the India. people of the lately annexed provinces of Sattara and Berar; the Nizam, and the whole of his populous dominions; the great Mahratta families who possess independent territories; the Mahratta people at large, who might have been stirred to action by a new Péshwah and the memories of their plunder of India; with those of Mysore, and the whole of the south-were loyal and tranquil during the excitement of the period, and never seem to have entertained a doubt of the ultimate triumph of the English, over an outbreak as sudden as it was fearful. The only element of apprehension was the Mahomedans, who were most affected by fanaticism; and without doubt there were many of the southern Mahomedans of Arcot and Vellore, the descendants of the old Moghul and Patán soldiers and colonists, who, never perfectly reconciled to Christian domination, looked eagerly and anxiously to news of success at Dehly, and were ready to make a diversion in the king's favour, should there be opportunity. As for the Hindoos, as soon as the first excitement had passed away, they relapsed into their usual condition of passive obedience. The weird prophecy in regard to Sumbut 1914 had indeed been fulfilled: but war and tumult had passed away without affecting them.

Position of

Triumphantly, then, had England come out of the ordeal; and with renewed confidence. The test which many had the English. dreaded, had been suddenly and fiercely applied; and never was disaffection in possession of such powerful auxiliaries

as a disciplined army of 150,000 men, with ample material of war, and a general excitement of the people from other causes; yet no one rose except a few disaffected nobles and State officials, who, without territory or subjects, were supported only by the lawless scum of the districts in which they lived-hereditary robbers and marauders, whom a powerful government had been able to restrain, but who returned at once to ancient evil ways directly its authority ceased, temporarily, to exist. If the loyal classes of the convulsed districts needed any confirmation of motives of attachment to the British Government, it was furnished to them in the insecurity which prevailed as long as its functions were suspended, and the security which accompanied their re-establish

ment.

It has not been possible to follow the course of events in the minor presidencies; and indeed there is little to record, Minor after the first shock of the mutiny had been endured. presidencies. Lord Harris at Madras, and Lord Elphinstone at Bombay, proved invaluable coadjutors to the governor-general; and the manner in which troops were forwarded to Calcutta, and the Madras and Bombay columns despatched for service in Central India, is entitled to the highest praise. Bombay had indeed the largest share in those operations, and endured the most keen alarm ; but Lord Elphinstone's prompt and decisive action against the first demonstration of the Nána's intrigues, and Mahomedan fanaticism, prevented any chance of their further development. Exhausted, however, by the climate, and by anxiety, he went to England in 1860, only to die. So also the chivalrous James Outram, who, with his constitution thoroughly impaired, was unable to retain his seat in Council, and retired, also only to die. Sir John Lawrence, too, equally suffering, was saved by a speedy retirement to England, where he was appointed to the Council of India, and was succeeded in the Punjab by Mr., now Sir Robert, Montgomery, from Oudh.

reforms.

In 1860 and 1861, reforms of the administration of justice were carried out in the amalgamation of the Supreme or Judicial Queen's and the Sudder or Company Courts, under one chief justice, with assistant judges, some practising barristers, some civilians of not less than ten years' standing. Natives were also eligible for appointment to the latter offices. The courts of the assistant judges formed courts of appeal from others beneath them, and their jurisdiction extended to criminal as well as civil cases and suits. The penal code, now improved by trial and extension, also became law, and was made applicable to all localities in India. In this year also, the first Indian minister of Mr. Wilson's finance, Mr. Wilson, took his place in the General income-tax.

Deaths of

Lord Elphin

stone and of

Sir James

Outram.

Sir Charles

protest.

Council of India, and the most material of his proposed measures was an income-tax, applicable at large to natives as well as Europeans. Against so fair an impost, and against the taxation at all of sections of the community on which, under native administrations, heavy burthens had been laid, Sir Charles Trevelyan's Trevelyan, then governor of Madras, protested vebemently, and to an extent for which, as it amounted to positive insubordination, he was superseded in his government. Unfortunately Mr. Wilson died before his financial measures could be matured, and was succeeded by Mr. Laing, whose principal reform was the establishment to some extent of a paper currency. The redemption of the land revenue for money payments was also determined by the governor-general in council, as well as the sale of waste lands; but it does not appear that in either case any material progress has been experienced.

Resumption of public works;

No sooner had war ceased, than the great public works of India, which had been suspended during its existence, were resumed with spirit. The North-Western Railway details. progressed rapidly towards Dehly; the Great Indian Peninsular Railway had advanced to Sholapoor, in the Deccan, and very materially towards Jubbulpoor. The Sinde Railway from Kurrachee, along the line of the Indus, the Madras Railway to connect the eastern with the western coasts, were also in cours of completion. Along with railways, canals were making great progress: the great Ganges Canal was extended in several branches: the Báree Dooáb Canal in the Punjâb was under completion. The noble works on the Krishna and Godavery rivers were in active operation in the Madras Presidency, and a canal for irrigation and traffic from the Toombuddra river to Madras had been projected, The metalled trunk and has since been partially executed. road which reaches from Calcutta to Pesháwur, a distance of 1,500 miles, was finished; and it is impossible to detail the many other works, in metalled roads, which were under execution in all the presidencies. It had been recognised, at last, as a public duty, that a portion of the revenue of India should be applied to guarantees of interest upon railways, and to an enlarged system of public works; and the impetus given by this measure to the railways was only what had been expected.

The only check to the universal and fast extending prosperity of India was caused by the famine in the north-western provinces of 1860-1861. No rain fell, and between the Jumna and the Sutlej the sufferings of the people were frightful. No less than 500,000 human beings are believed to have perished, and the whole of the population, notwithstanding the benevolent exertions of Government, of individuals, and

Death of

Mr. Wilson.

Famine in the northwestern provinces.

the receipt of large subscriptions from England, endured misery which it was hopeless to alleviate in proportion to the existing necessity. During its continuance, the exertions of Sir Robert Montgomery in the Punjâb, of Mr. Edmonstone in the northwestern provinces, and of Colonel Baird Smith, the engineer-inchief, can never be overrated; and to the regret of all India, the latter, prostrated by his exertions, died soon Colonel Baird after he had left Calcutta, on his voyage to England.

Death of

Smith.

Canning's farewell

His Highness

In November 1861, the governor-general suffered a severe affliction in the loss of Lady Canning, and prepared to Lord return to England. His last splendid court was assembled at Allahabad, where, on November 1, he con- Durbar. ferred the order of the Star of India, newly established, upon those of the native princes of the north-west who had af- The Star of forded the most material aid during the mutiny. These India. were Sindia, the Sikh chief of Puttiala, the Bégum of Bhopal, and the Nawab of Rampoora. To His Highness the Nizam the same decoration was forwarded, and on November 25, he was invested with the insignia by Colonel Davidson, the Resident. His Highness had already received some very substantial acknowledgments of obligations. In 1860 a new treaty was the Nizam. made in regard to the assigned territory, by which Berar alone, the revenues of which had materially increased under British management, was retained, and the other large provinces, Daraseo and Nuldroog on the west, and the Ráichore Dooáb on the southwest, were restored to him. The province of Shórapoor, which had been confiscated after the rajah's treason, was also conferred upon him, and yielded an annual net revenue of three and a half lacs of rupees-35,000l.—and the balance of his debt, the principal of which amounted to fifty lacs of rupees-500,000l.—was altogether cancelled. In addition, a princely gift of various choice articles of English manufacture, valued at 10,000l., or a lac of rupees, a magnificent diamond ring, and a jewelled sword, were sent as a khillut or present of honour, accompanied by gifts of the value of 3,000l. each, to Salar Jung the prime minister, who was afterwards created a knight of the Star of India, and to the Nawab Shumsh-ool-Oomra, chief of the Hyderabad nobles. It is possible that the Nizam may have been disappointed by the measures of Lord Dalhousie being still retained; but any reversal of the final settlement in regard to the pay of the contingent, and other obligations of His Highness's government, was considered inadmissible. There was, however, a claim for surplus upon the management of the assigned districts from the commencement, and this was under consideration for final adjustment.

It is hardly necessary to follow the details of honours and re

Honours and

His death

and

wards, which were conferred upon individuals who had proved faithful or done good service during the mutiny; but berewards. fore his final departure from India, in March 1862, Lord Lord Canning Canning had the satisfaction of bringing them to a close. leaves India. As he was leaving India, addresses from all sections of the community, both English and native, bade him an affectionate farewell; and it was evident that the first fierce clamour against his clemency had been softened by a late, but full, recognition of its justice and necessity. But India and his anxieties had proved too much for his constitution, and he died shortly after his arrival in England, on June 17. The last governor-general of the company had become the vicecharacter. roy of the Queen, and during his term of office had had to encounter and overcome the fiercest storm that had ever broke over the English power. Future historians, while they may notice his natural slowness of conception and of action, will not fail to recognise the inherent firmness and unostentatious greatness of his character, which, through the double storm of English animadversion and the fierce contest of the mutiny, enabled him to surmount both in an honest, unswerving, practical endeavour to do his duty to his country, and to the people committed to his charge. At the worst period, and when surrounded by panicstricken men, he never lost confidence in himself or his means, and his calm courage and perseverance, while they cheered and encouraged every subordinate authority, gained him an eventual success, the value of which will be enhanced by time.

CHAPTER XII.

VICEROYALTIES OF LORD ELGIN AND SIR JOHN LAWRENCE, 1862 To 1865.

LORD ELGIN, who had been employed as H.M.'s plenipotentiary in China, and had brought the transactions there to a conclusion, was appointed Lord Canning's successor, and assumed the office of Viceroy of India on March 12, 1862. Sir Charles Trevelyan was appointed finance minister, in succession to Mr. Laing, who had retired; and the Legislative Council of India, extended under the term of the new Act of 1861, now contained three native members, all men of note and mark: the Sikh Rajah of Puttiala, Rajah Déo Narráin Singh of Benares, and

Lord Elgin succeeds as viceroy.

Sir Charles Trevelyan as minister of

finance.

Appointment of native councillors.