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SUNNY RISEPolity • Historical Background • Important Acts • Exam Notes
STEP 5 • PRACTICE

📝 Chapter Practice

5 quick MCQs to check recall before you move to the next chapter.

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1. According to the notes, which statement is correct about 1. Historical Background?

2. According to the notes, which statement is correct about 4. Pitt's India Act, 1784?

3. According to the notes, which statement is correct about 8. Charter Act of 1853?

4. According to the notes, which statement is correct about 11. Indian Councils Act, 1909 — Morley-Minto Reforms?

5. According to the notes, which statement is correct about 14. Indian Independence Act, 1947?

POLITYChapter 03 of 16
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INDIAN POLITY • HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

Important Acts: 1773–1947

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Roman Hindi: Company Rule se Crown Rule aur Indian Independence tak source ke sabhi Acts, features, dates, personalities, diagrams aur number traps ko chronological order me cover kiya gaya hai.

English: Complete source-based chronological notes on the constitutional and administrative development of British India.

1. Historical Background

📖 Company Rule → Crown Rule → Independence
1773–1858Company Rule
1858 onwardCrown Rule
15 Aug 1947British Rule ended; independent Dominions emerged.

2. Regulating Act, 1773

🔑 Source visual note: Centralisation started from 1773.
  1. Governor of Bengal ko Governor-General of Bengal banaya gaya; more power diya gaya.
  2. Governor-General ko assist karne ke liye 4-member Executive Council.
  3. 1st Governor-General: Warren Hastings.
  4. Bombay aur Madras Presidencies ko Bengal ke subordinate banaya.
  5. Supreme Court at Calcutta established in 1774: 1 Chief Justice + 3 other judges.
  6. Company servants ko private business aur presents lene se prohibit kiya.
  7. Court of Directors commercial functions manage karta tha; Revenue, Civil and Military affairs par report karta tha.

Important Personalities

Warren Hastings: last Governor of Bengal + 1st Governor-General of Bengal.

Elijah Impey: source: 1st Chief Justice of SC Calcutta pre-independence.

Justice Harilal Kania: source: 1st Chief Justice of India post-independence.

Source Side Note

Page 3 also notes Supreme Court was established on 26 Jan 1950 and inaugural session on 28 Jan 1950.

3. Amending Act, 1781

4. Pitt's India Act, 1784

  1. Company ke commercial aur administrative functions differentiate kiye.
  2. Board of Control administrative affairs manage karne ke liye create; yahin se dual control system.
  3. Source calls it “Half Loaf System” because it sought mediation between Parliament and Company directors.
  4. First time Company territories in India ko “British Possessions in India” kaha gaya.

Dual Control Diagram

Commercial Functions → Court of Directors (COD)
Administrative → British Parliament

Name Trap

Source: Pitt's India Act was named after William Pitt the Younger.

5. Charter Act of 1793

  1. Company trade monopoly in India ko another 20 years extend kiya.
  2. Commander-in-Chief ko Governor-General's Council ka member nahi hona tha unless appointed.
  3. Board of Control members aur staff ko Indian Revenue se pay kiya jana tha.

6. Charter Act of 1813

  1. Company ka India trade monopoly abolish; tea trade aur China trade monopoly continue.
  2. Company territories in India par British Crown ki sovereignty assert ki.
  3. Christian missionaries ko India aane ki permission — source purpose: Christianity promote karna.
  4. Rs 1 lakh Indian education par spend karne ke liye allotted.
  5. Local governments ko persons par taxes impose karne aur non-payment par punish karne ka authority.

7. Charter Act of 1833 — Saint Helena Act

  1. Governor-General of Bengal → Governor-General of India; 1st: William Bentinck.
  2. Governors of Bombay and Madras legislative powers se deprived.
  3. EIC ki commercial activities end; purely administrative body; source: China trade monopoly lost.
  4. Indian laws codify/consolidate karne ke liye Law Commission.
  5. Civil Servants selection ke liye open competition introduce karne ka attempt.
  6. Governor's Executive Council me a Law Member.
🎯 Source facts: 1st Law Commissioner of India — Thomas Babington Macaulay. IPC introduced in 1860. 1st Indian to qualify Civil Services — Satyendranath Tagore (1863).

8. Charter Act of 1853

  1. Governor-General's Council ke legislative aur administrative functions separate.
  2. Council me 6 new Legislative Councillors add.
  3. Civil Services ke liye Open Competition.
  4. Company rule Indian Territory me extend, but period specified nahi.
  5. Indian Legislative Council me Local Representation.
  6. 6 Legislative Members me se 4 local governments of Madras, Bombay, Bengal and Agra se appointed.

9. Government of India Act, 1858 — Queen's Proclamation

Roman Hindi: Act for the Good Government of India ke naam se bhi known. EIC abolish hui aur Government, territories aur revenues ke powers British Crown ko transfer hue.

Features

  1. Governor-General of India designation → Viceroy of India; 1st Viceroy: Lord Canning.
  2. Board of Control aur Court of Directors abolish karke Dual Government end.
  3. Secretary of State for India ka new office; 15-member Council of India assisted; Indian administration par authority/control.

Peel Commission 1858

1857 Revolt ke baad; source says reforms suggest kiye aur British Government ne recommendations accept karke Indian military redesign ki.

10. Indian Council Act, 1861

  1. Indians ko law-making process se associate kiya; source: in 1862 Viceroy nominated Raja of Benaras, Maharaja of Patiala and Sir Dinkar Rao to Legislative Council.
  2. Bombay aur Madras Presidencies ko legislative powers restore karke decentralisation initiate.
  3. Bengal, North-Western Provinces aur Punjab ke liye new Legislative Councils.
  4. Lord Canning (1859) ka portfolio system recognition.
  5. Emergency me Viceroy legislative council concurrence ke bina ordinance issue kar sakta tha; ordinance life 6 months.

11. Indian Councils Act, 1909 — Morley-Minto Reforms

Source: Lord Morley Secretary of State for India aur Lord Minto Viceroy of India the.

  1. Central aur Provincial Legislative Councils ka size considerably increase; Central Council 16 → 60.
  2. Central Legislative Council me official majority; Provincial Councils me non-official majority.
  3. Members supplementary questions puch sakte, budget par resolutions move kar sakte, etc.
  4. Indians ko Viceroy/Governor Executive Councils se associate kiya; Satyendra Prasad Sinha first Indian appointed as Law Member — source.
  5. Muslims ke liye Separate Electorate / Communal Representation; Muslim members Muslim voters se elected. Source calls Lord Minto “Father of Communal Electorate”.

12. Government of India Act, 1919 — Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms

Source: Montagu Secretary of State for India aur Lord Chelmsford Viceroy of India.

  1. Administration subjects ko Central aur Provincial subjects me classify.
  2. Provincial subjects further Transferred and Reserved; source diagram labels this as Dyarchy introduced in provinces.
Transferred SubjectsReserved Subjects
Public health
Education
Local self-government
Agriculture etc.		Police
Administration of justice
Prison
Land revenue
Finance etc.

13. Government of India Act, 1935

🔑 Source date: Enforced on 1 April 1937.
  1. Provinces me dyarchy abolish aur Centre me dyarchy introduce.
  2. Provinces + Princely States units ke saath All India Federation provide kiya.
  3. 6 of 11 provinces me bicameralism: Bengal, Bombay, Madras, Bihar, Assam, United Provinces.
  4. Scheduled Castes, women and labour ke liye certain seats reserved.
  5. Adult franchise extended — source: only 14% total population had right to vote.
  6. Reserve Bank of India established — source.
  7. Federal PSC, Provincial PSC and Joint PSC established.
  8. Federal Court set up in 1937.
  9. Burma (now Myanmar) separated from India.
  10. Powers divided into three lists: Federal 59, Provincial 54, Concurrent 36.
  11. Residuary powers Viceroy (Governor-General) ko.
  12. 15-member Council abolished.

14. Indian Independence Act, 1947

Source page 5: 20 February 1947 ko British PM Clement Attlee declared that British rule in India would end by 30 June 1948, after which power responsible Indian hands ko transfer hota.

  1. British rule end; India independent and sovereign state from 15 August 1947.
  2. India aur Pakistan ke two independent Dominions; British Commonwealth se secede karne ka right — source.
  3. Viceroy office abolish; Governor-General British King dwara Dominion Cabinet advice par appointed.
  4. Secretary of State for India office abolish; functions Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs ko.
  5. British paramountcy over Indian princely states and treaty relations with tribal areas lapsed from 15 Aug 1947.
  6. Princely states ko India/Pakistan join ya independent remain karne ki freedom — source.
  7. Governor-General ko His Majesty ke name me any bill assent karne ki full power.
  8. Governor-General of India aur Provincial Governors ko constitutional/nominal heads designate.
  9. King of England ke royal titles se Emperor of India title dropped.
  10. Secretary of State for India dwara civil services appointments aur reservation of posts discontinued.
🧠 Source closing note: Midnight of 14–15 August 1947 par British rule ended aur power India aur Pakistan ke two new independent Dominions ko transferred.
1st Governor-General of India

Mountbatten

1st & last Indian Governor-General

C. Rajagopalachari

🧠 QUICK REVISION — HIGH RETENTION

1773 → 1813

1773: Centralisation, GG Bengal, SC Calcutta.
1781: Act of Settlement.
1784: Board of Control + Dual Control.
1793: Monopoly +20 years.
1813: India monopoly ended except tea/China; Rs 1 lakh education.

1833 → 1861

1833: GG of India, William Bentinck, Law Commission.
1853: legislative/admin separation + open competition.
1858: Crown Rule, Viceroy, Secretary of State.
1861: decentralisation + portfolio + 6-month ordinance.

1909 → 1935

1909: Separate Electorate for Muslims.
1919: Provincial Dyarchy + Bicameralism/direct elections.
1935: Provincial dyarchy abolished, Centre dyarchy; 3 lists; Federal Court.

1947

British Rule ended • Two Dominions • Viceroy/Secretary of State offices abolished • Paramountcy lapsed • Mountbatten → 1st GG • C. Rajagopalachari → 1st & last Indian GG.

⚠️ Date/Number Trap: 1774 SC Calcutta • 20-year extension (1793) • Rs 1 lakh (1813) • 6 councillors (1853) • 6-month ordinance (1861) • 16→60 (1909) • PSC 1926 • 6/11 provinces, 14% franchise, 59-54-36 lists (1935).
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