A Glimpse of the Burning Plain

Edited from the journals and letters of Charlotte Canning, wife of Governor-General Charles Canning, this volume follows her life in India from 1856 to 1861. Her observations move between Government House, hill stations, military camps and long tours across the subcontinent, recording landscapes, ceremonies, domestic routines and the practical demands placed on the household of the Governor-General.

The Indian Rebellion of 1857 transforms the world she describes. Canning writes of fear, military news, devastated towns, survivors and the political strain surrounding her husband's policy of clemency. Her watercolours and sketches complement a firsthand account that reveals both the privileges of the viceregal circle and the violence and uncertainty of a decisive moment in British rule in India.