British Viceroys in India. PART - I Lord Canning (1856 – 1862) : • The last Governor General and the first Viceroy. • Mutiny took place in his time. • On November, 1858, the rule passed on to the crown. • Withdrew Doctrine of Lapse. • The Universities of Calcutta, Bombay and Madras were established in 1857. • Indian Councils Act was passed in 1861. Lord Elgin (1862 – 1863) Lord Lawrence (1864 – 1869) : • Telegraphic communication was opened with Europe. • High Courts were established at Calcutta, Bombay and Madras in 1865. • Expanded canal works and railways. • Created the Indian Forest department. Lord Mayo History (1869 – 1872) : • Started the process of financial decentralization in India. • Established the Rajkot college at Kathiarwar and Mayo College at Ajmer for the Indian princes. • For the first time in Indian history, a census was held in 1871. • Organised the Statistical Survey of India. • Was the only Viceroy to be murdered in office by a Pathan convict in the Andamans in 1872. Lord Northbrook (1872 – 1876) : Lord Lytton (1876 – 1880) : • Known as the Viceroy to reverse characters. • Organised the Grand ‘Delhi Durbar’ in 1877 to decorate Queen Victoria with the title of ‘Kaiser I Hind’. • Arms act (1878) made it mandatory for Indians to acquire license for arms. • Passed the infamous Vernacular Press act (1878). Lord Ripon (1880 – 1884) : • Liberal person, who sympathized with Indians. • Repeated the Vernacular Press act (1882) • Passed the local self government act (1882) • Took steps to improve primary & secondary education (on William Hunter Commission’s recommendations). • The I Factory act, 1881, aimed at prohibiting child labour. • Passed the libert Bill (1883) which enabled Indian district magistrates to try European criminals. But this was withdrawn later. Lord Dufferin (1884 – 1888) : Indian National Congress was formed during his tenure. Lord Lansdowne (1888 – 1894) : • II Factory act (1891) granted a weekly holiday and stipulated working hours for women and children, although it failed to address concerns such as work hours for men. • Categorization of Civil Services into Imperial, Provincial and Subordinate. • Indian Council act of 1892 was passed. • Appointment of Durand Commission to define the line between British India and Afghanistan. Lord Elgin II (1894 – 1899) : Great famine of 1896 – 1897. Lyall Commission was appointed. Lord Curzon (1899 – 1905) : • Passed the Indian Universities act (1904) in which official control over the Universities was increased. • Partitioned Bengal (October 16, 1905) into two provinces Bengal (proper) & East Bengal & Assam. • Appointed a Police Commission under Sir Andrew Frazer to enquire into the police administration of every province. • The risings of the frontier tribes in 1897 – 98 led him to create the North Western Frontier Province (NWFP). • Passed the Ancient Monuments Protection act (1904), to restore India’s cultural heritage. Thus the Archaeological Survey of India was established. • Passed the Indian Coinage and Paper Currency act (1899) and put India on a gold standard. • Extended railways to a great extent. History of Lord Minto (1905 – 1910) : • There was great political unrest in India. Various acts were passed to curb the revolutionary activities. Extremists like Lala Laipat Rai and Ajit Singh (in May, 1907) and Bal Gangadhar Tilak (in July, 1908) were sent to Mandalay jail in Burma. • The Indian Council act of 1909 or the Morley Minto Reforms was passed. Lord Hardinge (1910 – 1916) : • Held a durbar in December, 1911 to celebrate the coronation of King George V. • Partition of Bengal was cancelled (1911), capital shifted from Calcutta to Delhi (1911). • A bomb was thrown at him; but he escaped unhurt (December 23, 1912). • Gandhiji came back to India from South Africa (1915). • Annie Besant announced the Home Rule Movement.
Posted on: Wed, 19 Mar 2014 03:47:40 +0000
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