1.2 Imperal And Colonial Policy Flashcards
Who made the policy decisions about Britain’s overseas colonies?
The elected government
When head of the colonial office was in the…
Cabinet
Hat is a crown colony?
Colony ruled directly by an appointee of the British crown and accountable to the colonial office
(most crown colonies had overwhelmingly non-white populations and there were views that these people were ‘incapable of ruling themselves’
What is a responsible government?
A system of government similar to Britan where a country has its own government ministers who are answerable to individual elected parliaments
When was the colonial office first established?
1801
Why did British move towards responsible government in the white settler colonies in 1838
After the Durham report
When was the east India company given a monopoly over trade with Asia
1600
By 1750 had large bases at Madras, Calcutta and Bombay
How many people in India were living under British rule 1871
236 million
What was the downfall of the East India company
Indian rebellion sepoys serving in the army rebelled at it took a year for Britain to put down costing 1000s of lives
When was the east India company entirely dissolved?
1858
What was included in the gov of India act 1858
-East India’s company’s territory’s passed to queen and
-cabinet post Secretary of State for India was created(had powers and duties forming exercised by east India company’s directors)
-15 member Indian council appointed to assist Secretary of State and act as an advisory body for Indian affairs
-viceroy replace company’s governor general
Indian civil service placed under control of secretary of state
How was India administered from 1858?
-viceroy ruled with legislative council (5 people responsible for finance, laws army and home affairs:
-provincial governors represented the viceroy in the provinces and had their own legislative councils
-approx 1000 British civil servants were employed as members of the Indian civil service
Basic administrative functions were collection of taxes, maintenance of laws and running courts
(Crown bring little change from an India perspective)
When does Queen Victoria become empires of India
Jan 1877
(Also greater respect shown for Indian practises and customs after the rebellion)
How did Britain rely on cooperation of natives?
-viceroy relied on native rulers in charge of 565 independently princely states
-until 1858 doctrine of lapse ensured states fell under British rule when line of descent ended -removal of this doctrine ensured princes loyalty to the crown
-Britain had to rely on Indian bureaucrats as the middle class wanted a greater say In administration refusal led to Indian national congress being set up
-within civil service Indians recruited as low level clerks
How was Indian defended after 1858
-East India companies armies brought control under crown proportion of British to Indian troops 1:2
-regiments of native Indian troops cut of from one and other to prevent ant sense of unity (also mixed by cast and religion’
-more Gurkhas and Sikhs who had been loyal to replace Bengalis who had not
-all field artillery in British hands
-3000 miles of railway track added exaggerating British presence
-every major dirty has troop garrisons on standby
-viceroy set up imperial police force to avoid replace on the army
