This biography tells the story of Mountstuart Elphinstone, a prominent British colonial administrator and diplomat who played a key role in shaping the political and social landscape of South Western India in the early 19th century. Cotton draws on primary sources such as letters and official documents to provide a detailed and nuanced portrait of Elphinstone's life and career, shedding light on the complex dynamics of British-Indian relations during this period. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.