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MODERN INDIA GENERAL KNOWLEDGE

MODERN INDIA GENERAL KNOWLEDGE

THE BRITISH ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE AND ORGANISATION OF GOVERNMENT IN INDIA (1757-1857)


-Until 1765, the East India Company was basically a trading concern.
Lord Clive, during his second term as Governor, established Diarchy in Bengal and this system was continued for 7 years.`
The College established by Lord Wellesley, at Fort Williams in 1800 which integrated training in history, customary laws and languages did not find the favour of the Court of Directors and it was continued only language training School till 1854.
The Company established in 1806 its own training College in England in the name of East India College at Hailsbury.
Cornwallis first Governor General established a regular police force on the British pattern in India.
The Supreme Court held its proceedings on the basis of English laws. The Sadar Diwani and Sadar Nizamat Adalats (Criminal) operated on the basis of Indian laws.
The first Law Commission constituted to codify and improve rules and regulations was framed Indian Penal Code (IPC) which came into effect in 1860.
Warren Hastings established a Board of Revenue to improve the system of revenue administration. .
In 1854, Sir Charles Wood sent a comprehensive dispatch on education to the Government of India in which the issues regarding the establishment of departments of public instructions in five provinces of the Company, promotion of western education in English and Indian languages and the pattern of grants in aid to encourage private participation in the field of education were recommended.
Despatch recommended the establishment of one University each in Calcutta, Bombay and Madras, on the Model of the London University. In 1857 the three Universities were established on the basis of Wood’s recommendation.
In July 1856, J.P.Grant, a member of the Governor General’s Council tabled a bill supporting widow remarriage was passed on 13 July 1856 and came to be called the Widow Remarriage Act 1856.
In 1846 the minimum marriageable age for a girls was only 10 years. In 1891, through the enactment of the Age of Consent Act, this was raised to 12 years.
In 1930, through the Sharda Act, the minimum age was raised to 14 years.
After independence, the limit was raised to 15 and 18 years, respectively in 1948 and 1978.
Equal rights were given to men and women only after independence through the 1956 Right to Hindu Inheritance of Property Act to own property.
In 1917, the issue of women franchise was taken up in relation to the elections for the Provincial Councils, Municipalities and other local self-governing bodies. Prominent women leaders of this time like Sarojini Naidu, Meera Behn, Masturba Gandhi and Rajkumari Amrit Kaur played significant roles in this regard.
The Government of India Act of 1935 granted limited franchise to the Indian women.
Mahatma Gandhi brought out a paper, the Harijan, and also organized the Harijan Sevak Sangh. The Ryotwari settlement was introduced mainly in Madras, Berar, Bombay and Assam.
In 1833, the Mahalwari settlement was introduced in the Punjab, the Central Provinces and parts of north western provinces (Present UP)
.Kutch, Sind and Punjab were known for manufacturing arms; Kolhapur, Satara, Gorkhpur, Agra, Chittor and Palaghat had earned a reputation for their glass industries.Despite enjoying fame in the world, the Indian handicraft industry had begun to decline by the beginning of the 18th century.
In 1769, the first steam engine was invented. Comet Napoleon used the first steamer in 1812 in an expedition to Russia.
The first railway line was developed between Bombay to Thane. Its inauguration was done on 16 April 1853. First Telegraph Line 1852 between Calcutta and Agra. Postal 1854.

1857 REVOLT


1. It was a land mark in Indian history. It was termed as first war of Independence by Savarkar. But ridiculed as Sepoy Mutiny by British as only a part of central India participated in it. Any way it was starting point against British Rule. Had it succeeded, there would has been a different chapter in the History of India.
2. Previous Mutinies – Bengal 1764, Vellore 1806, 47th Regiment 1824 and 34th, 22nd, 66 and 37 native infantry in 1844, 1849, 1850 and 1852.
3. Reasons for the Revolt- It can be divided into individual Reasons and social, Economic, political and administrative Reasons
4. Individual Reasons
a) Grievance of Native Rulers – Doctrine of Lapse – Annexation of Awadh abolition of titles. Successor of Bahadur Shah would be known as princes.
b) Grievance of Sepoys – Para 2 above c)Grievance of Orthodox and conservative people – Domination of Christian missionary- abolition of Sati, widow remarriage act, protection of converts from Hinduism 1856
d)Grievance of crafts man, peasants and Zamindars Village and crap destroy, Zamindars affected by permanent settlement and strict collection of Revenue
5. Economic Causes – Heavy Taxation Borrowed from Money lenders – drain of wealth – Destruction ofvillage industries and crafts manship and permanent settlement
b) Political Cause – Subsidiary Allowance, doctrine of lapse
c) Social Cause – Conversion, Sati, Widow Re-marriage
d) Administrative Cause: Corruption
6) Immediate cause – Introduction of New Enfield Rifle in January 1867 with Greased Cartridge with fat of Cows and Pigs – Sepoys of 19th N.I. at Berhampur disobey on 26.02.1957 and Mangal Pandey of 34 N.I. at Barakpur started it.
7. Courses of Revolt
a) Beginning 10.05.1957. Sepoy at Merut started – British tried to control by declaring Bahadur Shah as Emperor of India – No effect – Massacre of British Civil Military Officers.
b) Spread – to various Places as detailed below.
c)Centres, leaders and suppression
I. Delhi – Bahadur Shah II – Arrested and deported to Rangoon
II Kanpur – Nana sahib, Tantiatope – Killed at Gwaliar
III Lucknow – Begum of Awadh – defeated Bihar - Kunwar Singh
IV Jansi – Rani Lakshmi Bai – She Captured Gwaliar – Lost later
8. Reasons for failure : a) Only Central region participated
b) Un Sympathetic attitude and Hostility of many native rulers seek non participation by Bengal, Punjab, Bombay, Madras c) Hostility of Money lenders and Merchants
e) Weakness of Revolters f)Strong British
9) Hindu Muslim unity factor – First time Witnessewd –Accepted Bahadur Shah – Sentiment of Both respected – Ban on Cow slaughter ordered – Both Hindu and Muslim were included in main positions .
Conclusion: It was not successful due to factors mentioned above – yet it was starting point. It was more than Sepoy- Mutiny – Due to these there was major transformation in British policy- Try divide and rule by provoking Muslims. Above all company’s rules ended.

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