Wanderings in India

Wanderings in India: Sketches of Life in Hindustan (circa 1861) is indeed the finest monument to the author. It throbs with life and in it is to be found the turbulent humanity that had taken the central stage in his scheme of things. There are no heroes or villains in his scheme of things. The present work is impressiontic and it consists of 17 essays on varying topics. They are about the Himalaya Club of Mussorie and its English clientele his travels through the Kumaon hills his impressions of the Meerut cantonment his leisurely travels from Calcutta to Lahore and Delhi his assessment of Indian society his sketches of the Rani of Jhansi his mocking delineation of the native royalty and last but not the least the records of his insightful and equally delightful conversations with the Bengalee Baboo and with Lal Singh the former Prime Minister of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. John Lang was an astute judge of human beings and as also of historical events. He rose to the occasion when face to face with the Rani of Jhansi. India remained his first love. He loved India and India loved him. And he stayed on in India for nearly twenty-two years (1842-64) adopting it as his permanent home.