History - Rulers of British India (Part - 4)

Sir Charles Metcalfe (1835-36)

1. Abolished restrictions on press through the famous “Press Law”. He is called as the ‘Liberator of press’.

Lord AuckLand (1836-42)

1. Tripartite treaty was signed between the East India Company, Ranjit Singh and Shah Shuja.

2. First Afghan war (1836-42) started. It later turned out to be a great blow to the prestige of the British Empire in India.

3. Mandavi state was annexed.

Lord Ellenborough (1842-44)

1. End of Afghan war and annexation of Sindh to British Empire (1843).

2. Charles Napier was replaced by Major Outram as the Resident in Sindh.

3. Slavery was abolished.

4. War with Gwalior (1843).

Lord Hardinge (1844-48)

1. He suppressed the practice of human sacrifices by the Khonds.

2. Knowledge of English was preferred in employment.

3. First Anglo Sikh war and Treaty of Lahore (1846). It marked the end of Sikh sovereignty in India

Lord Dalhousie (1848-56)

1. Introduced the policy of ‘Doctrine of Lapse’ or Law of Escheat’ which postulated that Indian states having no natural heir would be annexed to the British Empire. The Indian states thus annexed were Satara (1848), Jaitpur and Sambhalpur (1849), Baghat (1850), Udaipur (1852), Jhansi (1853), and Nagpur (1854).

2. Introduced the system of centralised control in the newly acquired territories known as “Bon-Regulation System”.

3. Introduced Wood’s dispatch known as the Magna Carta of English education in India prepared by Charles Wood, the President of the Board of Control in 1854. It suggested a scheme of education from the primary to the university level. Also recommended opening of many colleges.

4. The Dispatch recommended the establishment of Anglo-ver-nacular schools in districts, government colleges in important towns and universities in presidency towns and introduction of vernacular language as medium of instruction. This system is based on the Thompsonian system.

5. The establishment of Universities of Calcutta, Madras and Bombay (all in 1857) was also based on the Woods’ Recommendations.

6. An Engineering College was set up in Roorkee (presently in Uttarakhand).

7. Boosted up the development of railways-laid the first railway line in 1853 from Bombay to Thane and second from Calcutta to Raniganj.

8. Gave a great impetus to post and telegraph services. Telegraph lines were laid (first line from Calcutta to Agra in 1853).

9. Organised a separate Public Works Department by divesting the Military Board of this power.

10. Started the works of the Grant Trunk Road. It was based on the ancient road constructed by Sher Shah in the 16th century.

11. Shimla was made summer capital and army head quarter.

12. Hindu Remarriage Act was passed in 1856, making widow re-marriage legal.

13. Annexed Awadh in 1856 on excuse of misgovernment when Nawab Wajid Ali Shah refused to abdicate.

14. In 1853, recruitment of the covenanted civil service started through competitive examination.

15. Post Office Act was passed in 1854. Postage stamps were issued for the first time in 1853.

16. Santhal uprising took place in 1855.

17. Abolition of the title of Nawab of Carnatic. He also abolished many titles and pensions of former native rulers.

18. Whole Punjab was annexed in 1849 after second Anglo Sikh war (1848-49)

19. Lower Burma (Pegu) was annexed after second Burmese war (1853)

20. The Charter Act of 1853 threw open the Civil Services to a competition for the citizens of the empire. Till then, the Civil Servants were nominated by the Directors of the East India Company. The system was known as patronage.

Lord Canning (1856-62)

1. Revolt of 1857. It was suppressed in 1858.

2. He was the last Governor General and the first Viceroy.

3. Queen Victoria’s Proclamation (1st November 1858) and passing of the India

Act of 1858. This Act ended the rule of East India Company in India

4. Doctrine of Lapse started by Lord Dalhousie was withdrawn in 1859.

5. Foundation of the universities of Calcutta, Bombay and Madras in 1857.

6. Indigo Revolt in Bengal in 1859-60.

7. White mutiny by the European troops of East India Company in 1859.

8. Bahadur Shah, the last Mughal Emperor was sent to Rangoon (burma) & the Mughal Empire came to a formal ending.

9. Enactment of Indian Penal Code (1858) and Code of Criminal Procedure (1859).

10.1861, Indian Council Act.

11. Indian High Courts Act, 1861.

12. Income Tax was introduced for the first time in 1858

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