Indian polity basics starts from the East India Company's arrival in India. This chapter covers major events and dates from British arrival to the Indian Independence Act. So let's start But before beginning, here is a brief timeline from British Arrival in 1600 AD to Indian Independence act (1947) This started with the company rule in India 1600 British Came to India as Traders 1765 British got Diwani of Bengal, Bihar and Orrisa Company Rule 1773 - Regulating Act 1773-1858 1781 - Amending Act 1784 - Pitt s Act 1833 Charter Act 1853 Second Charter Act Crown Rule 1858- Government of India Act 1861- Indian Council Act 1892 Indian Council Act (2) 1858-1947 1909 Indian Council Act ( Morley Minto Reforms) 1919 Government of India Act November 1927 : Simon commission August 1932 Communal Awards 1935 Government Of India Act 1947 Indian Independence Act Now let s study each of them in detail The British came to India in 1600 as traders and got Diwani of Bengal, Bihar and Orrisa in 1765 which was granted by Shah Alam, a Mughal emperor after winning battle of Buxar in 1764 with the help of British.
This started the company rule in India. Company Rule (1773-1858) starts with regulating act of 1773. 1. British Government recognized political and administrative affairs of the company and found central administration in India. 2. Governor of Bengal became first governor general of Bengal (Warren Hasting) with 4 members in executive council. 3. Governor of Bombay and Madras became subordinates of Governor General. 4. Supreme court was established in Bombay in 1774 with 1 chief justice and 3 judges. Act of Settlement ( Amending Act of 1781) 1. Rectified 1773 act. Pitt s Act (1784) 1. Named after then PM of Britain William Pitt. 2. Differentiated between company s commercial and political function. 3. Court of Directors to handle Commercial and Board of Control to handle political; thus a double government system was established. 4. Company s territories in India for the first time were called British Possession in India and this act gave supreme authority to british government to control company affairs in India. Charter Act of 1833 1. Governor general of Bengal was made governor-general of India, Lord William Bentick was first. Madras and Bombay governors were deprived off their powers. 2. Laws made under previous acts were now regulations and new laws under this act were called acts. 3. Company became pure administrative body. 4. The law also proposed to hold open competition for selection of civil servants with Indians getting equal opportunity but was negated. Charter Act 1853 1. Introduced Indian Civil service to be open for Indians and thus Macaulay committee was formed in 1854. 2. Extended company s rule for an un-notified period. 3. Introduced local representation in Indian Central Legislative Council. Of 6 new members of governor-general council, 4 were to be appointed by provincial government of Madras, Bombay, Bengal and Agra. Crown Rule (1858-1947)
Government of India Act 1858 1. Known as act for the good government of India was enacted on wake of 1857 revolt. 2. Governor general was changed to viceroy and first such was Lord Canning. 3. Double government was abolished and India was to be governed by the name of Her Majesty. 4. Secretary of State for India office was established who was the member of British cabinet and responsible to british parliament. A 15 member council was formed to assist the secretary of state of which he was the chairman. Indian Council Act 1861 1. Indians were introduced in expanded council as non official members. In 1862, three Indian, Raja of Banaras, Maharaja of Patiala and sir Dinkar Rao was nominated. 2. Legislative powers of Madras and Bombay were restored. 3. New legislative councils were formed in North west Frontier province (1866), Punjab(1897) and Bengal(1862). 4. Started portfolio system (1859), a member of council was made in charge of one or more department and can issue orders to his department. 5. In emergency, viceroy can pass ordinance without concern of legislative council, the life of such was 6 months. Indian Council Act (1892) 1. British increased unofficial members in central and state legislature but kept majority in them. 2. Legislative council function was increased. Budget discussion and addressing questions to executive were added. 3. Election for non-official members were introduced in a limited and manner. Indian Council Act of 1909 (Morley-Minto Reforms) 1. Lord Morley was Viceroy and Lord Minto was Sec. of State. 2. It increased the size of Central and provincial legislative councils. Not uniform in state but from 16-60 in centre were increased. 3. Official Majority in Centre was kept but allowed provinces to have non official majority. 4. Enlarged functions of legislative councils. 5. Indians were added to Viceroy and Governor s councils, Satyander Prasad Sinha was first to join viceroy s executive council. 6. It also introduced separate electorate for Muslims; meaning muslims can voters will elect muslim members to counsel thus legalized communism and thus Lord Minto was called father of communal electorate. 7. Separate representation of presidency corporations, chamber of commerce, university and zamindar were also added.
Government of India act of 1919 1. On August 20, 1917, British declared its intention to have a responsible government in India, this act came in force in 1921. 2. Also called Montagu (Sec of state) -Chelmsford(Viceroy) reforms. 3. Separated Central and provincial subjects. 4. It introduced dyarchy double rule by which provincial subjects were divided into transferred(to be administrative by governor with aid of minister responsible to council) and reserved.( to be administrative by governor and his executive council and not responsible to legislative council). It was a failed experiment. 5. Bicameralism was introduced and majority of members of both houses were to be elected by direct elections. 6. 3 out of 6 members of viceroy s executive council were to be Indians ( not commanderin-chief) 7. communal electorate was expanded to Sikh, Christians etc. 8. In 1926, it established public service commission for recruiting civil servants. 9. Budgets of provinces was separated from central and provinces can enact their own budget. 10. Appointed statutory commission to inquire into and report its working after 10 years. Simon Commission 1. In 1927, two-years before schedule, a 7 members statutory commission under Sir John Simon was introduced to report its findings. 2. As it was all British commission, it was boycotted by all parties. 3. Many reforms were introduced in their report in 1930 (chapter of History; Link will be enabled shortly) like abolishing 'dyarchy', extension of government in provinces etc. 4. It lead to 3 round table conferences and white paper on constitutional reforms were prepared. Communal Award 1. In August 1932, Communal representation was extended to other minorities as well. 2. Ramsay Macdonald was PM of Britain then. 3. Gandhiji went on fast over this in Yeraveda Jail Poona and hence Poona pact was enacted giving reserved classes to Hindu depressed classes and hence Hindu electorate was saved. Government of India Act 1935 1. 321 sections and 10 schedules 2. Power between Centre and state was divided by federal list and provincial list having 59 and 54 items respectively. Concurrent list had 36 items with residuary powers in hands of viceroy. 3. Dyarchy in provinces was abolished but in centre was introduced but did not come in operation at all. 4. Bicameralism was introduced in 11 provinces with many restrictions on them.
5. Extended the principal of communal representation. 6. Abolished council of India act of 1858. 7. 10 percent of total populations were given right to vote. 8. RBI was established. 9. Provided for Federal service commission, Provincial service commission and Joint public commission. 10. Provided for establishing federal court, established in 1937. Indian Independence Act of 1947 1. On Feb 20, 1947, PM of Britain declared that British rule would end by June 30, 1948. 2. June 3 1947, Indian partition plan was introduced by Lord Mountbatten, also called Mountbatten Plan. 3. Declared India a sovereign and independent country from 15 Aug 1947. 4. All british offices, titles and acts were abolished. 5. Two new countries were formed India and Pakistan. 6. It provided for the governance of India and Pakistan by Government of India act of 1935 but dominions can modify the act. 7. Princely states gained freedom to either join India or Pakistan.