Post 1857 Scenario | History for UPSC 2024 (Pre & Mains) PDF Download

 Page 1


Post-1857 
Scenario
Page 2


Post-1857 
Scenario
The Act for 
Better 
Government 
of India, 1858
Even before the Revolt could be suppressed fully, the British 
Parliament, on August 2, 1858, passed an Act for the Better 
Government of India. 
The 1857 revolt had exposed the Company’s limitations in 
administering under a complex situation. The 1858 Act sought to 
rectify this —
? India was to be governed by and in the name of the Crown through a 
secretary of state and a council of fifteen members. 
? The initiative and the final decision was to be with the secretary of 
state and the council was to be just advisory in nature. Thus, the dual 
system introduced by the Pitt’s India Act came to an end.
? Governor-general became the Viceroy (his prestige, if not authority, 
increased). 
? The assumption of power by the Crown was one of formality rather 
than substance. It gave a decent burial to an already dead horse—the 
Company’s administration.
Page 3


Post-1857 
Scenario
The Act for 
Better 
Government 
of India, 1858
Even before the Revolt could be suppressed fully, the British 
Parliament, on August 2, 1858, passed an Act for the Better 
Government of India. 
The 1857 revolt had exposed the Company’s limitations in 
administering under a complex situation. The 1858 Act sought to 
rectify this —
? India was to be governed by and in the name of the Crown through a 
secretary of state and a council of fifteen members. 
? The initiative and the final decision was to be with the secretary of 
state and the council was to be just advisory in nature. Thus, the dual 
system introduced by the Pitt’s India Act came to an end.
? Governor-general became the Viceroy (his prestige, if not authority, 
increased). 
? The assumption of power by the Crown was one of formality rather 
than substance. It gave a decent burial to an already dead horse—the 
Company’s administration.
Queen’s 
Proclamation, 
1858
The assumption of the Government of India by the sovereign of Great Britain was 
announced by Lord Canning at a durbar at Allahabad in the ‘Queen’s Proclamation’ issued 
on November 1, 1858. It was by this proclamation that the governor-general acquired the 
additional title of ‘Viceroy’.
As per the Queen’s proclamation,
? The era of annexations and expansion had ended and the British promised to respect the dignity and 
rights of the native princes. 
? The Indian states were henceforth to recognise the paramountcy of the British Crown
? The people of India were promised freedom of religion without interference from British officials. 
? It promised equal and impartial protection under law to all Indians, besides equal opportunities in 
government services irrespective of race or creed. It was also promised that old Indian rights, customs 
and practices would be given due regard while framing and administering the law. 
? The Army, which was at the forefront of the outbreak, was thoroughly re-organized and British military 
policy came to be dominated by the idea of “division and counterpoise”. The British could no longer 
depend on Indian loyalty, so the number of Indian soldiers was drastically reduced even as the number of 
European soldiers was increased. 
? Recruits were to be drawn from the ‘martial’ races of Punjab, Nepal, and north-western frontier who had 
proved loyal to the British during the Revolt. Effort was made to keep the army away from civilian 
population.
? All Indian artillery units, except a few mountain batteries, were made defunct. All higher posts in the 
army and the artillery departments were reserved for the Europeans. 
? The earlier reformist zeal evaporated as many liberals in Britain began to believe that Indians were 
beyond reform. Thus the era of reforms came to an end. 
? The conservative reaction in England made the British Empire in India more autocratic; it began to deny 
the aspirations of the educated Indians for sharing power. In the long term, this new British attitude 
proved counter-productive for the Empire, as this caused frustrations
? The policy of divide and rule started in earnest after the Revolt of 1857. The British used one 
class/community against another unscrupulously. 
? While British territorial conquest was at an end, a period of systematic economic loot by the British 
began. The Indian economy was fully exploited without fear. 
? The complete structure of the Indian government was re-modelled and based on the notion of a master 
race—justifying the philosophy of the ‘Whiteman’s burden’. This widened the gulf between the rulers and 
the ruled
Page 4


Post-1857 
Scenario
The Act for 
Better 
Government 
of India, 1858
Even before the Revolt could be suppressed fully, the British 
Parliament, on August 2, 1858, passed an Act for the Better 
Government of India. 
The 1857 revolt had exposed the Company’s limitations in 
administering under a complex situation. The 1858 Act sought to 
rectify this —
? India was to be governed by and in the name of the Crown through a 
secretary of state and a council of fifteen members. 
? The initiative and the final decision was to be with the secretary of 
state and the council was to be just advisory in nature. Thus, the dual 
system introduced by the Pitt’s India Act came to an end.
? Governor-general became the Viceroy (his prestige, if not authority, 
increased). 
? The assumption of power by the Crown was one of formality rather 
than substance. It gave a decent burial to an already dead horse—the 
Company’s administration.
Queen’s 
Proclamation, 
1858
The assumption of the Government of India by the sovereign of Great Britain was 
announced by Lord Canning at a durbar at Allahabad in the ‘Queen’s Proclamation’ issued 
on November 1, 1858. It was by this proclamation that the governor-general acquired the 
additional title of ‘Viceroy’.
As per the Queen’s proclamation,
? The era of annexations and expansion had ended and the British promised to respect the dignity and 
rights of the native princes. 
? The Indian states were henceforth to recognise the paramountcy of the British Crown
? The people of India were promised freedom of religion without interference from British officials. 
? It promised equal and impartial protection under law to all Indians, besides equal opportunities in 
government services irrespective of race or creed. It was also promised that old Indian rights, customs 
and practices would be given due regard while framing and administering the law. 
? The Army, which was at the forefront of the outbreak, was thoroughly re-organized and British military 
policy came to be dominated by the idea of “division and counterpoise”. The British could no longer 
depend on Indian loyalty, so the number of Indian soldiers was drastically reduced even as the number of 
European soldiers was increased. 
? Recruits were to be drawn from the ‘martial’ races of Punjab, Nepal, and north-western frontier who had 
proved loyal to the British during the Revolt. Effort was made to keep the army away from civilian 
population.
? All Indian artillery units, except a few mountain batteries, were made defunct. All higher posts in the 
army and the artillery departments were reserved for the Europeans. 
? The earlier reformist zeal evaporated as many liberals in Britain began to believe that Indians were 
beyond reform. Thus the era of reforms came to an end. 
? The conservative reaction in England made the British Empire in India more autocratic; it began to deny 
the aspirations of the educated Indians for sharing power. In the long term, this new British attitude 
proved counter-productive for the Empire, as this caused frustrations
? The policy of divide and rule started in earnest after the Revolt of 1857. The British used one 
class/community against another unscrupulously. 
? While British territorial conquest was at an end, a period of systematic economic loot by the British 
began. The Indian economy was fully exploited without fear. 
? The complete structure of the Indian government was re-modelled and based on the notion of a master 
race—justifying the philosophy of the ‘Whiteman’s burden’. This widened the gulf between the rulers and 
the ruled
Lord Canning (1856 – 62)
Lord Canning 1856-1862
? Establishment of three Universities at Calcutta, Bombay and Madras in 1857
? Revolt of 1857
? Transfer of control from East India Company to the Crown, the Government of India Act, 1858
? In the meantime the defects of the Permanent Settlement had become manifest. A rent Act was passed in 1859 to prevent 
eviction of the ryots without adequate reasons.
? During his time, the Indian Penal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code begun by Lord Macaulay were completed
? In 1861, one High Court was established in each Presidency in place of the former Supreme Court and other courts of law.
'White Mutiny' by European troops in 1859
? Until 1861 there were two separate military forces under British control operating in India. One comprised those units of the British Army serving tours of duty in India and 
known as the "Queen's" army; the other were the units of the East India Company (EIC). 
? The Company's troops were a mixture of "European" regiments of Britons recruited specifically for service in India and "Native" regiments recruiting from the locality with 
British officers.
? Units of the EIC received batta – extra allowances of pay to cover various expenditures relating to operations out of the home territories while British Army units did not.
? After the mutiny of native units of the Company's forces in 1857, the Crown took over the affairs of the Company. With the takeover of the Company's activities its units 
were transferred to the Crown.
? In the negotiations of the terms for the transfer a bone of contention was that the Governor General, Canning, did not give the "European Forces" notice of their transfer to 
the "Queens Army"
Page 5


Post-1857 
Scenario
The Act for 
Better 
Government 
of India, 1858
Even before the Revolt could be suppressed fully, the British 
Parliament, on August 2, 1858, passed an Act for the Better 
Government of India. 
The 1857 revolt had exposed the Company’s limitations in 
administering under a complex situation. The 1858 Act sought to 
rectify this —
? India was to be governed by and in the name of the Crown through a 
secretary of state and a council of fifteen members. 
? The initiative and the final decision was to be with the secretary of 
state and the council was to be just advisory in nature. Thus, the dual 
system introduced by the Pitt’s India Act came to an end.
? Governor-general became the Viceroy (his prestige, if not authority, 
increased). 
? The assumption of power by the Crown was one of formality rather 
than substance. It gave a decent burial to an already dead horse—the 
Company’s administration.
Queen’s 
Proclamation, 
1858
The assumption of the Government of India by the sovereign of Great Britain was 
announced by Lord Canning at a durbar at Allahabad in the ‘Queen’s Proclamation’ issued 
on November 1, 1858. It was by this proclamation that the governor-general acquired the 
additional title of ‘Viceroy’.
As per the Queen’s proclamation,
? The era of annexations and expansion had ended and the British promised to respect the dignity and 
rights of the native princes. 
? The Indian states were henceforth to recognise the paramountcy of the British Crown
? The people of India were promised freedom of religion without interference from British officials. 
? It promised equal and impartial protection under law to all Indians, besides equal opportunities in 
government services irrespective of race or creed. It was also promised that old Indian rights, customs 
and practices would be given due regard while framing and administering the law. 
? The Army, which was at the forefront of the outbreak, was thoroughly re-organized and British military 
policy came to be dominated by the idea of “division and counterpoise”. The British could no longer 
depend on Indian loyalty, so the number of Indian soldiers was drastically reduced even as the number of 
European soldiers was increased. 
? Recruits were to be drawn from the ‘martial’ races of Punjab, Nepal, and north-western frontier who had 
proved loyal to the British during the Revolt. Effort was made to keep the army away from civilian 
population.
? All Indian artillery units, except a few mountain batteries, were made defunct. All higher posts in the 
army and the artillery departments were reserved for the Europeans. 
? The earlier reformist zeal evaporated as many liberals in Britain began to believe that Indians were 
beyond reform. Thus the era of reforms came to an end. 
? The conservative reaction in England made the British Empire in India more autocratic; it began to deny 
the aspirations of the educated Indians for sharing power. In the long term, this new British attitude 
proved counter-productive for the Empire, as this caused frustrations
? The policy of divide and rule started in earnest after the Revolt of 1857. The British used one 
class/community against another unscrupulously. 
? While British territorial conquest was at an end, a period of systematic economic loot by the British 
began. The Indian economy was fully exploited without fear. 
? The complete structure of the Indian government was re-modelled and based on the notion of a master 
race—justifying the philosophy of the ‘Whiteman’s burden’. This widened the gulf between the rulers and 
the ruled
Lord Canning (1856 – 62)
Lord Canning 1856-1862
? Establishment of three Universities at Calcutta, Bombay and Madras in 1857
? Revolt of 1857
? Transfer of control from East India Company to the Crown, the Government of India Act, 1858
? In the meantime the defects of the Permanent Settlement had become manifest. A rent Act was passed in 1859 to prevent 
eviction of the ryots without adequate reasons.
? During his time, the Indian Penal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code begun by Lord Macaulay were completed
? In 1861, one High Court was established in each Presidency in place of the former Supreme Court and other courts of law.
'White Mutiny' by European troops in 1859
? Until 1861 there were two separate military forces under British control operating in India. One comprised those units of the British Army serving tours of duty in India and 
known as the "Queen's" army; the other were the units of the East India Company (EIC). 
? The Company's troops were a mixture of "European" regiments of Britons recruited specifically for service in India and "Native" regiments recruiting from the locality with 
British officers.
? Units of the EIC received batta – extra allowances of pay to cover various expenditures relating to operations out of the home territories while British Army units did not.
? After the mutiny of native units of the Company's forces in 1857, the Crown took over the affairs of the Company. With the takeover of the Company's activities its units 
were transferred to the Crown.
? In the negotiations of the terms for the transfer a bone of contention was that the Governor General, Canning, did not give the "European Forces" notice of their transfer to 
the "Queens Army"
Indian 
Councils Act 
of 1861
? Legislative Councils established at the centre and in the 
presidencies and provinces. 
? It initiated the process of decentralisation by restoring the 
legislative powers to the Bombay and Madras Presidencies. 
? It also provided for the establishment of new legislative 
councils for Bengal, North-Western Frontier Province (NWFP) 
and Punjab
? Councils to include non-official members. Lord Canning 
nominated in 1862 – the Raja of Benaras, the Maharaja of 
Patiala and Sir Dinkar Rao.
? It also gave a recognition to the ‘portfolio’ system, 
introduced by Lord Canning in 1859. 
? It empowered the Viceroy to issue ordinances, without the 
concurrence of the legislative council, during an emergency. 
The life of such an ordinance was six months