1 viceroy of india
1.1 indian famine
1.2 second anglo-afghan war, 1878–1880
1.3 politics , return diplomatic career
viceroy of india
edward robert bulwer-lytton, 1st earl of lytton
the delhi durbar of 1877 @ coronation park. viceroy of india, lord edward lytton seated on dais left.
midway on journey [to india] met, prearrangement, in egypt, prince of wales, returning tour through india. on arrival in calcutta sworn in governor general , viceroy, , on 1 january 1877, surrounded princes of hindustan, presided @ spectacular ceremony on plains of delhi, marked proclamation of majesty, queen victoria, empress of india. after queen conferred upon him honor of grand cross of civil division of order of bath. in 1879 attempt made assassinate lord lytton, escaped uninjured. principal event of viceroyalty afghan war. (new york times 1891.)
in 1877, lord lytton convened durbar (imperial assembly) in delhi attended around 84,000 people including princes , title holders. in 1878, promulgated vernacular press act, empowered him confiscate press , paper of local language newspaper publishing seditious material . act resulted in public outcry in calcutta led indian association , surendranath banerjee.
his son-in-law, , 1 of britain s outstanding architects, edwin lutyens, played major role in creation of new delhi.
indian famine
lord lytton arrived viceroy of india in 1876. in same year, famine broke out in south india claimed between 6.1 million , 10.3 million people.
his implementation of britain s trading policy has been blamed increasing severity of famine. critics have further attested lytton s belief in social darwinism regards plight of starving , dying indians.
second anglo-afghan war, 1878–1880
britain concerned throughout 1870s russian attempts increase influence in afghanistan, provided central asian buffer state between russian empire , british india. in september 1878, lytton sent emissary afghanistan refused entry. amir of afghanistan, sher ali khan, perceived @ point have sided russia above britain. considering himself left no real alternative, in november 1878, lytton ordered invasion sparked second anglo-afghan war. britain won virtually major battles of war, , in final settlement, treaty of gandamak, saw government installed both personality , law receptive british demands; however, human , material costs , relative brutality of brief guerrilla war (the war resulted in great loss of life on sides, including civilians) became major issues in defeat of disraeli s conservative government gladstone s liberals in 1880.
the war seen @ time ignominious barely acceptable end great game , closing long chapter of conflict russian empire without proxy engagement. pyrrhic victory of british arms in india quiet embarrassment played small critical role in nascent scramble africa; in way, lytton , war helped shape contours of 20th century in dramatic , unexpected ways. lytton resigned tory government, last viceroy of india govern open frontier.
politics , return diplomatic career
in 1880 resigned viceroyalty simultaneously prime minister benjamin disraeli, , created earl of lytton, in county of derby, , viscount knebworth, of knebworth in county of hertford. on 10 january 1881, lytton made maiden speech in house of lords, in joined others in attacking gladstone s afghan policy. in summer session of 1881, joined others in opposing gladstone s second irish land bill. summer session over, undertook solitary ramble country. visited oxford first time, went trip on thames, , revisited hydropathic establishment @ malvern, had been father boy . saw antidote otherwise indulgent lifestyle came career, , used sojourn there undertake critique of new volume of poetry old friend wilfrid blunt. in 1887 appointed ambassador paris, after post made vacant resignation of lord lyons. having expressed interest in post, lytton accepted, finding himself once more in old profession .
lord lytton died in paris on 24 november 1891, given rare honour of state funeral. body brought interment in private family mausoleum in knebworth park.
a permanent exhibition in knebworth house, hertfordshire, dedicated diplomatic service in india.
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