Overview
Charles John Canning
(1812—1862) governor-general and first viceroy of India
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(1812–62).
Canning served as under‐secretary to Robert Peel and as postmaster‐general to Lord Aberdeen before being appointed governor‐general of India in 1856. His years in office were dominated by the Indian mutiny of 1857. He recalled an army from China and insisted on military reconquest. Afterwards he resisted demands for widespread vengeance, earning the nickname ‘Clemency Canning’. His post‐mutiny policies centred on reorganizing the army and promoting the loyalty of Indians to Britain. He founded the first Indian universities, passed tenancy legislation, guaranteed the continuity of princely states, and banned interference in Indian religion and custom.
Subjects: History — Regional and National History
