Chapter-I
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Historical background
31st Dec, 1600 → Royal charter 1608 → Arrival of EIC
granted by Queen Elizabeth I
1611 → first Indian factory at
Trade monopoly masulipatnam
1612 → 2nd factory at Surat
1765 → diwani rights of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa
1858 → Sepoy mutiny
Crown rule
Rise of EIC
1757 1858 1947
Company rule ( 1773 - 1858 )
Main events
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Crown rule (1858 - 1947)
The company rule ( 1773 - 1858)
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1st step taken by British govt to control and regulate the affairs
1. Regulating act of 1773 of EIC & laid the foundation of central administration in India.
i) Designated governor of Bengal
governor General of Bengal 3 Assisted by 4 member council → Ist such G.G. Was lord Warren hastings
ii) G. of madras, Bombay are under G.G. Of Bengal
iii)S.C. At Calcutta ( I CJ +3 other judges)
2. Pitt's India act, 1784
i) Distinguished b/w commercial and political function of the company
ii) Established double govt.
Court of directors Board of control
Manage commercial affair (only trading) Manage political affairs
Empowered them by providing all operations of civil and military
govt. Or revenues of British possession in India.
iii) Company's territories in India → British possessions in India
iv) British govt- was given the supreme control over company's affairs & the administration in India.
3. Charter act of 1813
i) Abolished the trade monopoly i.e. the Indian trade was thrown Open to all British merchants.
ii)Asserted the sovereignty of the British crown over company's territories in India. However, it continued the
monopoly of the company
iii) Allowed the christo 1 Christian missionaries to come to India for the purpose
over tea trade ← and trade
of enlightening the people
with in China.
iv) Provided the spread of western education among the inhabitants of the British territories
in India.
v) Authorised the local govt in India to impose taxes on persons. They could also punish the persons
for not paying taxes.
4.Charter act, 1833 Final step towards centralization
i) Made G.G. Of Bengal → G. G. of India Vested with all civil and military powers.
Lord William bentick was first G.G. Of India.
ii) Deprived the G. Of Bombay and madras of their legislative powers also G.G. Of India was given exclusive
legislative powers for the entire British India.
iii) Laws made under previous acts were known as regulations, while the laws made this act known as acts.
iv)Ended the activities of EIC as commercial body → became → purely administrative body.
v) Introduced open system competition → for civil servants but later this provision was negated after the opposition
from the court of directors(COD).
4. Charter act of 1853
i)1st time → separated → legislative and executive function of G.G. Council
ii) Introduced for the first time, local representation in India ( central) legislative council.
iii) Introduced an open competition for civil (Out of 6,4 members were appointed by local (provincial govt). Of
services. The convenanted civil services was madras Bombay und Bengal )
thus thrown open to the Indians also.
Crown rule (1858 - 1947)
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Aka act for good/better govt of India.
1. Govt. Of India Act, 1858
i) Rule of company was replaced by rule of crown.
ii) Now G. G. Of India → viceroy of India Load canning became the 1st viceroy of India.
Agent of the crown.
iii) Abolished the dual govt. Of the Pitt's India act.
iv) Created new office, Secretary of State for India, vested → complete authority.
Control over Indian administration.
v) Established 15 member council of India to assist secretary for India, also the chairman of the council.
Important landmark in the constitutional and political history
2. Indian council act, 1861 of India
i)Initiated the process of the decentralisation by restoring legislative powers to Bombay and Madras. These
power were taken away through charter act 1833.
ii) Introduce representative institutions in India by associating Indians with the law making process
iii) It thus provided that Viceroy should nominate some Indians as non-official members of his expended council
iv) Empowered the Viceroy to issue ordinance during emergency, life of ordinance was six months
v) Established a new legislative councils for Bengal, Punjab NWFP
3.Indian Council act of 1892
i) Limited representation with indirect election.
ii) But Indians wanted more .
4.Indian Council act of 1909 AKA Morley Minto reforms
i) Increase the size of legislative council from 16 to 60, both central and provincial
ii) Provided for association of Indians with the executive council of the Viceroy and governors Satendra Prasad Sinha
became the first Indian to join the Viceroy executive Council. He was appointed as a law member.
iii)Give separate electorate to Muslims
iv) Introduced system of communal representation
v) Lord Minto, father of communal electorate
5. Govt of India act of 1919 Aka montagu Chelmsford reform
i) Responsible government
ii)Office of the high commissioner of India was created in London
iii)Indian legislature became bicameralism for the first time, Indian legislative council, replaced by upper house
and lower house
iv)It extended the principle of communal representation by providing separate electorate for Indian Christians,
Anglo Indians, and Europeans. Change.
v) Created central Public service commission in 1926
vi) Dyarchy in provinces by dividing subjects of administration between official members and elected
members created Centre state relations.
vii) Limited franchise
viii)Statutory commission
6. Government of India act 1935
i) Provided for the establishment of an all India Federation consisting of provinces and princely states as units
ii)Residuary powers were given to viceroy.
iii)Abolished diarchy in the provinces and introduced “provincial autonomy” in its place
iv) Introduce responsible government in provinces
v) Introduced bicameralism in 6 out of 11 provinces
vi) Separate electorate for SC women and labour
vii) The secretary of state for India was provided with a team of advisors
viii)Established the reserve Bank of India to control the currency and credit of the country
ix)Establish the Federal Public service commission, provincial public service commission and joint
public service commission for two or more provinces
x) Federal court was set up in 1937
7. Indian Independence act 1947
→ World War II
→ weakened British economically
→ role of INC outside India as well as in India.
→ crisps proposal 1942
→ quit India movement launched by Gandhi G.
→ Cabinet mission plan
i) ended British rule in India.
ii)Division of British India into India and Pakistan.
iii)Empowered the constituent assemblies of the two dominance to frame and adopt any constitution and to repeal
any act of British Parliament, including the independence act itself
iv) Abolished office of SOS.
