Historical Underpinnings Of Indian Constitution Flashcards
1600
Britishers came to India under a charter of Queen Elizabeth I
Battle of Plassey in 1757 gave victory to the company
1765
The Britishers collected deewani rights in the states of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa
Established the capital at Calcutta in 1773
Company rule from 1773 to 1858
Regulating act of 1773
The pics India Act of 1784
The act of 1786
The charter act of 1793
The charter act of 1813
The charter act of 1833
The charter act of 1853
Regulating act of 1773
It was the first step by the British government to control the affairs of India
Designation of the governor of Bengal as the governor general of Bengal
The first governor general was lord Warren Hastings
He was assisted by a four member council
The tenure was fixed at 5 years
The governor of Madras and Bombay operated under the governor general of Bengal
Supreme court was set up in Kolkata with chief justice and three other judges
No private trade allowed by the members of East India Company
It laid the foundation of Central administration in India
It recognised the political and administrative functions of the company
The pits India Act of 1784
It distinguish the commercial and the political functions of the company
It allowed the court of directors to manage commercial affairs but created a new body called the board of control to manage political affairs. Hence it established the system of double government.
It and powered the board of control to supervise the operations of civil and military government and the revenues of British possessions in India
The Act was significant because the company territories in India became British possessions in India
The British government was given the supreme control over the company’s affairs and its administration in India
The app result in the introduction of the permanent settlement, the judicial code, the administrative system, the police systems
The Company rule (1773 to 1858)
The act of 1786:
The governor general had supreme Power
Veto power awarded to the governor general of Bengal
It empowered his decisions on any matter
Lord cornwallis was appointed as the governor general and the commander in chief
Charter act of 1793:
The EIC got farder 20 years charter
The salary of the members of the board of control to come from the fund of India
To become the governor general or the member of the governor’s legislation they must remain 12 years in India
The charter act of 1813
The East India Company Monopoly ended
But could still trade with tea and trade in China
Christianity was spread
The charter act of 1833:
Final step towards centralisation and British India
It may the governor general of Bengal the governor general of India
The first governor general of India was Lord William bentinck
Power was civil and military
Exclusive legislative power for the entire British India
It ended the activities of the East India company as a commercial body and it became a purely administrative body
It introduced open system competition for the selection of civil servants but this was not implemented
The charter act of 1853:
This was the last charter from 1793 to 1853
It was formed under 1854 under the Macaulay committee
For the first time it separated the legislative and executive functions of the governor general’s council
It also introduce local representation in the Indian legislative council for the first time
Out of the six: four members were appointed by the local/provincial government of Bombay, Madras, Bengal and Agra
The Government of India Act of 1858
Change designation of governor general of India to the viceroy of India as the direct representative of the crown in India
The first Viceroy was lord canning
It the double government system by abolishing the board of control and the court of directors
It created a new office, i.e. the secretary of state for India and vested it with complete authority
It had control over Indian administration
The Council of India was established with 15 members that would assist the secretary of state for India and also the chairman of the council
It largely confined the administrative machinery by which the Indian government was to be supervised and controlled in England
It was termed as the act for good government for India
The crown rule (1858 to 1947)
The Indian councils act of 1861:
An important landmark in the constitutional and political history
It made the beginning of representative institutions by associating Indians with the law making process
It provided that the viceroy should nominate some Indians as non-official members of his expanded council
It initiated the process of decentralisation by restoring the legislative powers to the Bombay and Madras presidency
It reversed the centralising tendency that started from 1773
It established new legislative councils in Bengal and North West frontier province (Punjab)
It empowered the viceroy to issue ordinances without concurrence of the legislative council or during the emergency life of ordinance which was 6 months
The Indian councils act of 1892:
It increase the number of legislative council and gave them the power to discuss the budget by addressing the question to the executive
This act made a limited and indirect provision for the use of election in filling up some of the non-official seats in both the central and provincial legislative councils
It enlarged the-non official members in the legislative council
Indian councils act of 1909
Also known as the Morley-Minto reforms
It increased the size of the legislative council from 16 to 60 both at the Central and provincial levels
It provided for the association of Indians with the executive council of Viceroy and governors
Satyendra Prasad Sinha became the first appointed law member
It gave separate electorate to Muslims
It introduced the system of communal representation
Lord Minto is known as the father of communal electorate
It was the beginning of non-official resolution in council
The Government of India Act of 1919
It relaxed Central control over the provinces by democratizing and separating Central and provincial subjects
It divided provincial subjects to transferred and reserved subjects
It began dual scheme of governance (dyarchy)
This was the first instance of bicameralism: direct election introduced and 3 out of the 6 members of viceroy’s executive council to be Indians
It established the public service commission in 1926
It granted franchise based upon limited property, tax and education
It extended the principle of communal representation by separate electorates for Sikhs, Christians, Anglo Indians and Europeans
It separated the provincial budget from central budget
The Simon commission set up in 1927, it came out of the rowlatt Act
It was a step towards complete responsible government
It led to the division of subjects
The viceroy retained control of the central government
Role of mostly elected bicameral legislative remained advisory
It led to the gradual development of self government
It was also called the Montague-Chelmsford reforms
The Government of India Act of 1935
Establishment of the all India federation of provinces and princely states
The powers were shared between the centre and the unit in 3 lists: the federal list list with 59 items, the provincial list with 54 items, and the concurrent list with 36 items.
It abolished dyarchy in provinces by introducing the provincial autonomy in its place
It provided for the adoption of dyarchy at the centre
Bicameralism in 6/11 provinces with many restrictions placed
Separate electorates for schedule caste, women and labourers,
Extended franchise for more than 10% of the total population who got voting rights
Establishment of The reserve Bank of India to control currency and credits, the federal Public Service commission, the provincial Public Service commission, joint Public Service commission, federal court setup in 1937
It was a step towards completely responsible government
Indian independence Act of 1947
Its causes: the World War 2, a weakened British economy, dual scheme of governance, Cripps proposal of 1942, the quit India movement of 1942 led by Gandhiji, revolt of the Indian Navy and army against the Britishers
This act ended British rule in India
Division of British India into Pakistan and India
Governor general for each dominion created
Termination of British suzerainty over princely states
Division of Punjab and Bengal
Abolition of the office of secretary of state
Removed the title of “emperor of India” from the title of the British monarchs
The first cabinet and portfolios
Jawaharlal Nehru: PM, external affairs, commonwealth relations, scientific research
Sardar Patel: home minister, information and broadcasting, States
Dr Rajendra Prasad: food and agriculture
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad: education
RK shanmukham Chetty: finance
BR Ambedkar: law
Jagjivan Ram: labour
Sardar Baldev Singh: defence
Rajkumari Amrit Kaur: health
Ch bhabha: commerce
Rafi Ahmed kidwai: communication
Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee: industries and supplies
VN gadgil: works mines and powers
