THE BRITISH ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE IN INDIA

III. Answer the following questions.

1. What were the main features of the Charter Acts of 1813 and 1833?

The Charter Act of 1813

• Abolished the monopoly of the Company in all items traded with India except tea.

• Anyone from Britain could trade with India.

The Charter Act of 1883

• The Company had to wind up its operations in India.

• The governor-general now had full control over all military, revenue and civil affairs of the Company.

2. Who were the sepoys? How were the working conditions?

• Sepoys were Indian soldiers in the British army.

• No Indian could rise above the level of a sepoy to become an officer, however they had better working
conditions than soldiers belonging to Indian rulers.

3. Briefly describe the nature of the police system under British rule.

• Lord Cornwallis, who became the governor-general in 1786, reorganized the police system.

• Each district was placed under a Superintendent of Police.

• The districts were further divided into thanas.

• Each thana was headed by a daroga.

• The towns were under the charge of kotwals.

• The village policeman was called the chowkidar.

4. Describe the salient features of the Regulating Act of 1773?

• The Regulating Act of 1773 provided for the appointment of a governor-general in Calcutta, who was
to supervise the governors of Madras and Bombay.

• It allowed the provision to set up a supreme court in Calcutta with a chief justice and three judges.

• The company’s directors had to show all its correspondence and documents to the British
government.

• To curb corruption all officials of the company had to furnish details of their assets.

5. ‘The Pitt’s India Act (1784) laid the foundation for British administration in

India.’ Explain.
• Pitt’s India Act laid the foundation for British administration in India.

• This act provided for a board of Control in Britain consisting of six commissioners for

monitoring the affairs in India.

• The governor-general council came under the indirect control of the British

government through the Board of Control.

• The governor-general’s council was reduced to three members.

• The governor-general was given total control over the other two presidencies of Bombay and Madras
along with Calcutta.

6. What were the major features of the Indian Civil Service?

• Lord Cornwallis, the governor-general of India from 1786–1792 founded the Indian

o Civil Service: Separated the executive from the judiciary and appointed judges for the latter
o Recruited and trained capable and honest people for the post of collector
o Paid them high salaries to prevent corruption
o Prohibited them from accepting gifts

• In 1801, the British set up special colleges to train the men for the Indian Civil Service.

• The Charter Act of 1853 introduced the system of open competitive examination which was opened to
all including Indians.