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Indian History

Government of Tamil Nadu

Department of Employment and Training

Course : TNPSC Combined Civil Services Examination - IV(Group IV / VAO)

Subject : Indian History
Topic : India Since Independence
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Indian History

India Since Independence

Warren Hastings ( 1772-1785)

 The East India Company was established by The British on 31.12.1600

 Queen Elizabeth I has given the Royal Charter.

 In 1639, Madras was established by Francis Day and also constructed St.George Fort.

 In 1690, an a Agent of East India company named, Job Sarnak has purchased 3 villages, ie.,
Govindapur, Kalicutta and Sudhanoothi.

 East India Company appointed Warren Hastings as 1st Governor appointed Warren Hastings
as 1st Governor of the Presidency of Fort William, in 1772.

Warren Hastings Reforms:

Administrative Reforms:

 Removal of Deputy Subedars.

 Appointment of English Collectors.

 Establishment of a Board of Revenue at Calcutta.

 Shifting of treasury from Murshidabad to Calcutta.

 Re-organisation of Nawab’s affairs by the Company.

 Stoppage of tribute to Shah Alam.

 Reduction of Pension of Nawab of Bengal.

Judical Reforms:-

 Abolishing the judicial functions of the zamindars.

 Establishment of the Civil and Criminal Courts in.

 Establishment of Sadar Diwani Adalar and Sadar Nizamat.

 Bringing of the judicial proceedings in writing

 Appoinment of Indian judges in Criminal Courts.

 Administration justice according to Quran for Muslims and Shastras for Hindus.

Financial Reforms:

 Pension of the Nawab of Bengal reduced from Rs.32 lakhs.

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Indian History

 Tribute of the 25 lakhs of Shah Abam was stopped.

 Districts of Kara and Allahabad were taken from Shah Alamand Sold to Shuja - ud - daula for
Rs.30 lakhs.

 Treaty was made with Nawab of Oudh to help him in return of the district of Banaras and
Rs.40 lakhs.

 Amount of pensions to the servants of the Company was also reduced.

 Currency was improved.

Revenue Reforms:

 Appointment of British land Revenue officers.

 Appointment of Board of Revenue

 Five year Land Revenue Settlement

 Appointment of Rai Rayon, One year settlement in place of 5 years settlement on the basis
of highest bidding.

Commercial Reforms:

 Abolition of Dustak.

 Abolition of large number of Customs posts.

 Despatch of Commercial missions to other countries.

Other Reforms:

 Hastings curbed Thieves, Decoits and Suppressed Sanyasi revolt.

 Police of Calcutta was improved.

 He abolished Tax on marriages.

Regulation Act of 1773

 This Act is the first land mark of East India Company’s Constitutional development.

 Supreme Court Constituted as per the Govt.title given in 1774.

 Chief Governor was not given major powers.

 Rohilla war took place in 1774.

 Rohilkhand was a small kingdom between Ayothi and Maratha. and was ruled by Habbis
Rahmat Khan.
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Indian History

 The First Anglo-Maratha War was fought during 1775-1782, between the British East India
Company and Maratha Empire in India.

 For Treaty of Surat was signed to end the war. Treaty of Puranthar was also signed. Warren
Hastings thinks that Treaty of Puranthar was just a blank paper. Hence ended with Treatyof
Salbai between Warren Hastingsand Mahadji Sindhia on 1782, May 17.

First Anglo - Mysore War

 First Anglo Mysore War was fought during 1767 to 1769, between the sultanate of mysore
and the East India Company. Sulthanate of Mysore Hyder Ali won the War.

Second Anglo - Mysore War

 War was a Conflict between kingdom of Mysore and British East India Company form 1780
to 1784.

 War ends with treaty of Mangalore.

 Treaty of Mangalore was signed by Tipu Sultan.

 Pittu’s India Act established during 1784. It was also Known as The East India Company Act.

Lord Corn Wallis (1786 to 1793)

 Lord Corn wallis became Governor during 1786 after Warren Hastings.

Third Mysore War

 The Third Anglo- Mysore war was a conflict in South India between the Kingdom of Mysore
and the East India Company. i.e including the Maratha Empire and the Nizam of Hyderabad,
during 1789 to 1792. This war ends with Treaty of Srirangapattinam, Signed on 18 th March
1792.

 Corn Wallis thoroughly reorganized the judicial system.

 Introduced for the first time the principle of administration according to law.

 On the instructions from court of directors, Lord Cornwallis introduced his first plan in 1787
to combine revenue and the individual functions in a single authority called the Collector.
Collector collected the revenue as well as decided the revenue disputes.

 The Court fee was abolished so that the people could easily reach to the Court for securing
justice.

Lord Wellesley : (1798- 1805)

 Richard Colley Wellesley 1st Marquees Wellesley was styled as Viscount Wellesley. He
was the Governor - General of India between 1798 and 1805 and later served as Foreign
Secretary in the British Cabinet and as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.
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Indian History

 The Subsidiary alliance was introduced by Lord Wellesley, 1798.

 During his tenure, the Fourth and last Anglo - Mysore war was bought and Tipu was
killed in this war.

 Maratha is the only Zone, which was not under the purview of Subsidiary Alliance.

 Treaty of Barsein was the Crown of Subsidiary Alliance.

 2nd Anglo Maratha Way took place in 1803 - 1805.

 Subsidiary Alliance was introduced in Hyderabad during 1798 by Lord Wellesley.

 3rd Anglo Maratha war took place in 1817.

 Subsidiary Alliance System was a Treaty between the Company and the Indian native
rulers. Subsidiary Alliance System was originally the idea of Duplelix, who used to rent
his army to Indian rulers.

 The Censorship of Press Act 1799 was also brought under his tenure and for William
College was established in 1800 to train cilvil servants.

 Treaty of Sagauli was established and signed on 2nd December 1814 between East india
Company and King of Nepal, and then ratified by 4th march 1816.

 Allowed Britain to recruit Gurkhas for military service.

Lord William Bentinck ( 1828- 1835)

 Lord William Bentick appointed as Governor - General of India during 1828.

 Bentinck was a man of peace, discipline and of economy. He had a firm faith in the
programme of peace retrenchment and reform.

 William Bentick started the practice of appointing Indians in Company’s Service.

Educated Indians were also appointed to the post of Deputy Magistrate and Deputy
Collector.

 William Bentick took a remarkable step toward the Indianization of the Government
Service.

 William Bentick had introduced Land Revenue Settlement in the North Western
Province.

 Bentick reduced the severity of the Punishment. The system of beating a man with
whips was abolished by Bentick.

 So far, Persian had been the language of the Court. Both the Public and the Judges were
ignorant of Persian. In higher Courts, Persian was replaced by English as the Court
Language.
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Indian History

 William Bentick gave up that policy in order to establish closer contact between the ruler
and the ruled. Hence Bentick appointed Indians in Government Service.

 Bentick appointed two committees, One Military and One Civil to enquire into the
increased expenditure of the company. According to the recommendations of the
Committee, he reduced the high salary of the Civil Servants. He also reduced the
allowances of both the civil and military officials. By this way a saving of £20,000 a year
was effected.

 The land revenue settlement of North Western Provinces also yielded more revenue.

 Bentick also enhanced the income of the Company by appointing Indians in

administrative posts. The Indians were paid less salaries in comparison to their
European Counterparts. This economic measure results that the deficit of the crore per
year was converted into a Surplus of 2 Crores per year.

 Bentick’s great achievement was his intellectual reform. Charter Act of 1813 had
provided one lac of rupees annually for the revival and promotion of Education in India.

 Lord Macauley, the law member of the Council gave a definite shape to the Educational
Controversy. On his recommendations, the decision was taken that the amount which
was kept for education should be spent on the education of the Indians and the
education be imparted through English Medium.

 English language became the official language and it helped the people of india for
exchange of ideas.

 Lord William Bentick abolished the “Sati” System. By this, he freed the society from two
of the worst superstitions.

 By the end of 1834 Thugee system was completely stopped.

 William Bentick took vigorous steps to suppress the female infanticide and child-
sacrifices.

Lord Dalhousie (1848-1856)

 Dalhousie’s Chief aim was the consolidation of British rule in India. So he adopted the
Principle of Centralization.

 The Administration was to be carried on by a commissioner who was to be responsible

directly to the Governor-General-in-Council.

 Railways and Telegraph got an impetus from Dalhousie. In 1852 Dalhousie introduced
the Electric Telegraph System in India.

 Universities were established in 1857 in Bombay, Calcutta and Madras.

 First Railway line introduced between Bombay and Thane during 1853. Railway line
between Chennai and Arakkonam was introduced during 1856.
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Indian History

 Dalhousie shifted the headquarters of the Bengal Artillery from Calcutta to Meerut.
Army headquarters was also transferred to Shimla.

 Dalhousie was the father of Indian Railways.

 First Telegraph line from Calcutta to Agra was opened in 1854, Covering a distance of
800 miles.

 Credit of establishing Postal Department also goes to Lord Dalhousie. In 1854 a new
Post Office Act was passed. A new Director General of Post Offices was appointed.

 Public Works Department was established by Lord Dalhousie.

Palayakkarar Rebellion:

 The Palayakkarar System had evaluated with the extension of vijayanagar Rule in
Tamilnadu.

 Each Palayakkar was the holder of territory or Palayam (Usually Consisting of a few
villages)

 Among the Palayakkarars, there were two blocks, namely the western and the Eastern
blocks.

 Western Block - Marava Palayakkarars

 Eastern Block - Telugu Palayakkarars

Puli Thvevar:-

 Puli Thevar was a Tamil Polygar who ruled Nerkattumseval, Situated in the Sankarankoil
Taluk, Tirunelveli.

 Puli Thevar remains one of the illustrious figures in the history of Palaykarars.

 Pulithevar was the Principal architect of the Coalition of the Palayakkars organized
against the Nawab. The Nawab acknowledged his victory by presenting him with a gold
plate and Sword.

Veerapandiya Kattabomman:

 Veerapandiya Kattabomman was an South Indian Polygar Chieftain from

Panchalankuruchi, who refused to pay tax to British East India Company. He was
Legendary Chief tain who, did not bow down to the British.

 Right before the attack, Veerapandiya was ordered to Surrender unconditionally through
a messenger sent by Bannerman, “ We are the sons of this soil. We live with prestige,
honour and dignity and we let our soul die for the prestige, honour and dignity of our
land. We don’t bow down to the foreigners. We will fight until death “ was the message
taken back to the army commander.
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Indian History

 Collector Jackson threatened Veerapandiya Kattabomman to pay tax.

 Tax pending as on 31st May 1798 from Kattabomman was Rs.3310.

 He was hanged on 16th October 1799, near KayantharFort, near Tirunelveli. Thus Putting
an end to the first ever known revolt against the British Empire.

Maruthu Brothers:

 The Marudhu Brothers (Periya Marudhu and Chinna Marudhu) were chieftains of
Sivagangai. They were known for fighting against the East India Company. They were
finally hanged by the British after a prolonged struggle.

Vellore Munity

 Vellore is the Capital of former North Arcot District.

 The Vellore Muity on 10th July 180 6 was the first instance of a large scale and violent
muniny by Indian Sepoys aginst the East India Company. Totally 350 Sepoys killed and
350 wounded.

Causes for Vellore Munity:

 Immediate cause of the vellore mutiny revolved mainly around resentment felt towards
changes in the sepoy dress code, introduced in November 1805.

 Hindus were prohibited from wearing religious marks on their foreheads while on duty
and Musilms were required to shave their beards and trim their moustaches.

 Indian sepoys had to experiences numerous difficulties when they went to Serve in the
Company’s army.

 The Strict discipline practice, new weapons, new methods and uniforms were all new to
the sepoys.

 Sir John Cradock, the Commander in- Chief, introduced a new form of turban.

 Wearing ear rings and caste marks were also prohibited.

 There was the racial prejudice.

 In May 1806, the 4th Regiment arose in revolt against the new turban.

 The Commander-in-Chief took severe action the Sepoys who were found guilty were
punished with 500 to 900 slashes.

 Princes Fatch Hyder and Maiz-ud-Rean in particular were active in planning the
execution of the Mutiny.

 On July 10th in the early morning the native Sepoys of the 1st and 23rd Regiments started
the revolt.
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Indian History

 The rebels Proclaimed Fatch Hyder Tipu’s son as the new ruler.

 Hoisted tiger- Striped flag of Tipu Sultan.

 The Uprising was Swiftly Crushed by Col-Gillespie.

 Vellore Mutiny failed

 V.D.Savarkar Calls the Vellore Mutiny of 1806 as the Prelude to the first war of Indian
Independence in 1857.

 K.K.Pillai rejectes the thesis that Vellore Mutiny led to the 1857 revolt.

 N.Sanjivi Proclaims that the Tamils had taken the real lead in the Indian Freedom
Struggle.

 K.Rajayyan argues that this mutiny was a Continuation of the Marudu Brother’s
resistance movement against the Colonial powers.