Imperial Simla

Splendidly isolated in the foothills of the Himalayas, Simla's popularity with successive British Governor-Generals and Viceroys transformed it from being a comfortable refuge from the heat of the plains to a major health resort, and ultimately, the summer capital of the Raj. Considering the political, strategic, social and psychological reasons behind this expensive and unwieldy transfer of the entire government apparatus, and the implications of its seven-month stay in such a claustrophobic "little England" atmosphere, this is an examination of the town's singular role in the rule of India.