The British Raj – 1858-1947

The term “Raj” signifies rule, and under British colonial control, India was considered the jewel of the British Empire. The British Empire, once vast and spanning continents, was said to have had a presence where “the sun never set.” At its peak in the early 20th century, the Empire controlled nearly two-fifths of the world’s land and governed over 300-400 million people.

The British Raj, which lasted from 1858 to 1947, saw India treated as a powerful entity in itself. In the 18th century, the British Empire was mostly associated with trade. However, it was only in the late 18th and early 19th centuries that the modern idea of an empire as a unified entity truly took shape.

The 1857 Sepoy Rebellion marked a critical turning point in India’s history. Following the uprising, the British exiled Emperor Bahadur Shah II to Burma, formally ending the Mughal Empire. This event also led to the dissolution of the British East India Company, with direct rule over India now falling under the British crown. Queen Victoria, who would later become Empress of India in 1877, assured equality under British law to the Indian people, though the rebellion created a lasting mistrust towards British rule.

While many economic policies stayed the same post-1857, new administrative changes were introduced. One of these changes was the creation of the position of Secretary of State for India in London. The Governor-General, who acted as the British crown’s representative, led India’s administration from Calcutta, supported by both executive and legislative councils.

The army underwent restructuring after the rebellion, with military forces in the Indian states being converted into Imperial Service Troops. This created small, highly trained and disciplined units in the native states.

India was divided into provinces for administrative efficiency, each led by either a governor or lieutenant governor. The provinces were further subdivided into districts, which were the key units of administration. District officers were responsible for collecting revenue, administering justice, and overseeing the civil service in their respective areas.

The Indian Civil Service (ICS) was highly prestigious, initially closed to Indians, but began to include a few as the number of English-educated Indians increased. By the early 20th century, district boards and municipal committees were formed to help district officers with administrative duties, marking the introduction of limited elective politics.

The British Raj was sustained by acknowledging India’s diversity as a collection of multiple nations. The British crown interacted with over 500 Indian princes, each with varying degrees of autonomy under the crown’s paramountcy, a doctrine that promised protection and non-interference in internal matters unless misrule occurred.

Initially, the Indian Civil Service was dominated by the British, but as Indian education expanded, a few Indians were gradually allowed to join the civil service by the 1910s. The British also promised not to annex territories ruled by native princes, reversing previous policies like the “Doctrine of Lapse.”

Many Indian rulers, despite their official loyalty to the British crown, retained a significant degree of independence. Some of the largest states were ruled by Rajputs, like the Rana of Udaipur, who traced their lineage back to the Hindu epic Ramayana. The Nizam of Hyderabad, one of the most powerful Muslim princes, ruled a vast territory and received a 21-gun salute, a mark of his importance.

British attitudes toward Indians evolved from relative openness to xenophobia. Racial discrimination was entrenched, even when Indians shared similar backgrounds to the British. This period also saw the rise of the Indian independence movement, notably the protests against racial injustice and the “White Mutiny” in 1883, where British resistance to Indian judges hearing European cases prompted widespread agitation.

In 1911, King George V visited India for a durbar, reversing the Partition of Bengal and announcing the construction of a new capital in New Delhi, which became the seat of power.

During World War I, India contributed enormously to the British war effort, sending over a million soldiers and providing resources. However, the war brought significant hardships to India, including high casualties, inflation, taxation, and a devastating influenza epidemic.

Burma, which had been an independent kingdom, was annexed by Britain after three wars in the 19th century and became part of British India in 1886. It would remain under Indian administration until 1937, when it became a separate British colony.

The decline of the Raj accelerated in the late 1930s. The outbreak of World War II, coupled with the Japanese invasion of Southeast Asia and the explosive Quit India Movement of 1942, severely weakened British control. In 1943, a man-made famine in Bengal further undermined British rule.

Despite the challenges, the British Raj created a highly organized civil service, which Nehru and other independence leaders initially saw as a tool of colonial control. By 1947, however, they recognized its importance in maintaining order and governance.

On June 3, 1947, Lord Mountbatten, the last British Viceroy, announced the partition of British India into two nations: India and Pakistan. India gained its independence at midnight on August 15, 1947, with joyous celebrations and the chant of “Jai Hind” (“Long Live India”).

Pre-Independence India Map

1947

1937

1916

Key Terms:

• army restructuring
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• Bahadur Shah II
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• Bengal famine
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• British crown
,
• British East India Company
,
• British Empire
,
• British Raj
,
• Burma
,
• civil service recruitment
,
• colonial rule
,
• district magistrate
,
• district officers
,
• Districts
,
• elective politics
,
• Empress of India
,
• Governor-General
,
• ICS
,
• Imperial Service Troops
,
• imperialism
,
• india
,
• India independence
,
• Indian Civil Service
,
• Indian independence movement
,
• Jai Hind.
,
• King George V
,
• Lord Mountbatten
,
• meritocracy
,
• Mughal Empire
,
• New Delhi
,
• Nizam of Hyderabad
,
• Pakistan
,
• paramountcy
,
• partition
,
• princely states
,
• provinces
,
• Queen Victoria
,
• Quit India Movement
,
• racial discrimination
,
• Rajputs
,
• revenue collector
,
• Sepoy Rebellion
,
• Viceroy
,
• World War I

Disclaimer: The information provided here has been compiled from various sources to the best of our knowledge. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the details, there may be occasional errors or omissions. If you find any discrepancies or incorrect information, kindly inform us so we can make the necessary corrections. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.