How was India governed at the beginning of the 20th century? (3) Flashcards
Where was India governed from?
Westminister
Where did the British rule from until 1911?
The British ruled India from Government House in Calcutta until 1911, when Delhi was made the capital city.
What 3 institutions governed India?
The Viceroy
The Secretary of State
The Council of India
Who was the Viceroy?
Appointed by British government, sent out to govern India as personal representative of the Monarch.
Who was the Secretary of State?
Responsible for government policy and remained in Westminster.
Held accountable to Parliament - where Indian affairs were debated and decisions made.
Advised, guided and checked by the Council of India.
What was the Council of India?
Consisted of 15 men - none Indian - who had experience living and working in India in their youth, hence their experience and advice could be out of date.
This didn’t matter in calmer periods, but when matters moved swiftly or threw up previously unseen challenges, the British response wasn’t always appropriate.
What was India run by?
The Indian Civil Service.
It was responsible for administering India and became renowned for its efficiency.
About 70,000 British controlling 300,000,000 inhabitants.
How did you become employed in the Indian Civil Service?
Pass a competitive exam only held in London until 1919 when they were also held in Delhi and Rangoon to make it easier for Indians to participate. After passing you were sent out to India and worked as District Officers.
Who ran the day to day administration of India?
Local Indian officials who were supervised by District Officers.
Who was responsible for local law and order?
The Indian police force, although they were thinly spread so serious incidents often had to be dealt with by the army.
How did the efficiency of the British built railway and road networks, telephone, postal and telegraphic systems affect Indian administration?
On one hand it increased the efficiency of the ICS, but alternatively it meant that letters, questionnaires and directives could be sent out in their hundreds all over India and replies analysed and filed for future reference. This resulted in the system almost collapsing due to bureaucracy.
How much of India was ruled by princes?
About 35%, consisting of 562 separate states.
What would be the consequences of princes instigating action against British interests?
Treaties would be scoured, the removal of aid and other support would be threatened.
Did princes rule independently?
In theory they had complete authority over their states, but in practice they had treaties with the British that only allowed a limited amount of power. Each state could keep its own laws, languages, holidays, ministers and ruler but couldn’t instigate action that countered British interests.
Who were Residents in princely states?
The largest princely states - Hyderabad, Mysore, Jammu and Kashmir - were under the administration of the Viceroy and the Viceroy appointed a Resident to represent him. This gave these states a ‘hot line’ to the power in India
