List of Sections
For a more detailed description of the contents of each section, click on its name in the list, or scroll down the page.
- Government Organisation
- Home Affairs
- Agriculture
- Public Works and Communications
- Finance
- Military
- Internal Security
- Foreign and Native States
- Miscellaneous Official and Social
- Viceroy's Tours
- Visit of the Duke of Edinburgh to India
- Relations with Indian Princes etc.
- Government House
- Personal Finance and Irish Affairs
- Mayo's Assassination
- Correspondence
- Letter Books
- Letters from the Secretary of State
Index of individuals represented in the collection as correspondents or authors of documents.
Government Organisation
The conduct of business within the Viceroy's Council, regulation of departments of the Government of India and of provincial governments, and appointment and conduct of central and local government officials. Much of the Council business represented here also covers subjects which were the responsibility of the Home Department (see also Home Affairs below), especially where local administration is concerned.
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Home Affairs
The internal administration in India: banking, registration of births and deaths, prisons and education. Most of these subjects were the concern of the Home Department. The papers relating to education also discuss the administration of local taxes by provincial governments (see also Finance below).
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Agriculture
The formation of the Department of Agriculture, Revenue and Trade of the Government of India, government policy for the improvement of agricultural production, the state of trade, and measures for famine relief.
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Public Works and Communications
The conduct of the Public Works Department and projects managed by it, especially railway and canal building; also to the operations of Indian railway companies and their relations with government; and to the construction and management of telegraph lines, in which railway companies were involved.
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Finance
The budgetary crisis of 1869, expenditure cuts, increases in income tax and duties on goods, new local taxation raised by provincial governments, and revisions to the system for preparing budgets and for the control of government expenditure.
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Military
The Indian presidency armies and the British Army in India. Much of the material discusses economy measures and the re-organisation of the armies which these entailed. There is also material on the health and accommodation of troops, and on the armies of the native states.
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Internal Security
Threats to the security of the government or to the European population from religiously motivated dissidents, and conflicts between religious groups.
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Foreign and Native States
Diplomatic relations of the government of India with foreign states, especially Afghanistan, intelligence gathering for foreign relations and domestic security purposes, security on the north-west frontier, and the government of India's relations with native Indian states. Most of these subjects were the responsibility of the Foreign Department.
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Miscellaneous Official and Social
Mayo's non-administrative official business and to his social activities as Viceroy, such as receipt of formal addresses or personal applications for patronage. There is a small amount of material concerning regular government business, including policy towards Burma and the murder of heirs to estates in Bengal, and a bundle concerning the death of Sir Henry Durand in an accident.
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Viceroy's Tours
Travel arrangements, accommodation, and receptions connected with official and sporting tours made by Mayo.
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Visit of the Duke of Edinburgh to India
Security during the Duke's visit, his itinerary, celebrations and ceremonies including investiture of the Duke as Knight Grand Commander of the Star of India, protocol questions, expenditure on gifts given by the Duke, his personal conduct, and hunting trips.
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Relations with Indian Princes etc.
Mayo's correspondence and exchanges of gifts with the rulers of native states and with other high ranking Indians. Nearly all the correspondence is of a personal though formal nature.
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Government House
The decoration and maintenance of Government House, Calcutta, and its grounds.
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Personal Finance and Irish Affairs
Business connected with Mayo's family, property and acquaintances in Ireland, opinions on Irish affairs, and requests for Mayo's patronage or support.
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Mayo's Assassination
Mayo's death during his visit to Port Blair in the Andaman Islands, removal of his body to India and then to Britain, letters of condolence, and Lady Mayo's return to Britain.
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Correspondence
These papers consist mainly of letters to Mayo, and relate to all aspects of government, and to more personal aspects of Mayo's life. Many are directly concerned with business which is also dealt with in the previous sections of the collection, but they were collected and kept separately. The reason for the separation is not clear, although it is possible that the material arranged by subject was so kept because it was more directly connected with particular items of government business. A memorandum suggesting this exists, written after Mayo's death by a member of his staff. The material is arranged by author, although most bundles contain some letters by Mayo himself, or copies of his replies written on the letters he received. Some bundles also contain letters by third parties. Occasionally, other forms of official paper are included.
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Letter Books
These letter books contain drafts or copies of Mayo's outgoing letters. The letters cover all aspects of Mayo's correspondence, including both personal and official business, except formal despatches from the government of India to the Secretary of State.
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Letters from the Secretary of State
These letters received from the Duke of Argyll are the originals of private correspondence with Mayo on many aspects of government business, but do not include formal despatches from the India Office to the Government of India.
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