The Governor-General's state howdah

This chromolithograph is taken from plate 42 of William Simpson's 'India: Ancient and Modern'. This image shows preparations for a state occasion in the Governor General's camp, complementing the scene of Maharaja Holkar's camp in plate 31. The British rulers of India were evidently fond of the pomp and pageantry favoured by Indian princes of the time and in large part adopted it. Hence the richly caparisoned state elephant with the gilded seating platform (the howdah) for the Governor General.