DELHI PUBLIC SCHOOL MIYAPUR – 2023-24

History - Chapter 3 – The British Administrative Structure in India (1765-1857)

Grade VIII Subject: Social Science

checked

Lesson at a glance:

The British Administrative Structure in india

(1765-1857)

The Pitt's India The Charter The Civil

Regulating Act of 1784 Acts of 1813 Services
Act of 1773 and 1833

The Army

The Police

The Judiciary
Test Book Exercises:

I. Fill in the blanks.

1. The administrative act passed by the British in 1773 was the Regulating Act.
2. The District Magistrate was also known as the Collector.
3. Under the British police system, districts were divided into thanas.
4. A chowkidar belonged to the police department at the village.

II. True or False.

1. By the Regulating Act of 1773, a governor-general was appointed at Madras. (False)

2. Pitt’s India Act took away the monopoly of the East India Company. False
3. The officers of the Indian Civil Service were elected by a competitive examination.
(True)
4. In the British army, the higher officers were all British. (True)
5. The British judiciary treated the Indian and the British as equals. (False)

III Multiple Choice Questions:

1. c 2. d 3. b 4. a and c 5. a
 I: Objective:

1. Multiple Choice Questions.

The Act that abolished the Company’s monopoly on trade in India in all items
except tea was the
a) Regulating Act of 1773
b) Pitt’s India Act of 1784
c) Charter Act of 1813
d) Charter Act of 1833
2. Rewrite the statement correctly.
The Indian civil services were the backbone of India's rule in Britain.
Ans. The Indian civil services were the backbone of British rule in India.

3. In each of the questions given below, there are two statements marked as Assertion
(A) and Reason (R). Mark your answer as per the codes provided below:
A- The Bengal Regulation was introduced with definite codes with Hindus
and Muslims laws.
R-The Charter permitted the Indians to make their own rules and regulations.
a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
c) A is true but R is false.
d) A is false but R is true.

II: Answer the following Questions in brief:

1. Why did the British government pass the Regulating Act of 1773?
Ans:
● The British government realised that many of the methods which the company
and its officials followed were corrupt and even cruel.
● The British Government passed the Regulating Act of 1773, in an effort to ensure
better administration of, and control over, the Indian territories.

2. What were the main features of the Charter Acts of 1813 and 1833?
Ans:
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.

3. Who were the sepoys? Describe their working conditions?

• Sepoys were Indian soldiers in the British army.
• The sepoys were better paid and had better working conditions than the soldiers
in the employ of Indian rulers.

III: Answer the following in detail:

4. Briefly describe the nature of the police system under British rule.
Ans:
• Lord Cornwallis, who became the governor-general in 1786, reorganised 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.

5. Describe the features of the Indian Civil Services.

Ans:
● Lord Cornwallis, the governor-general of India from 1786–1792 founded the
Indian Civil Service:
1. Separated the executive from the judiciary and appointed judges for the
latter
2. Recruited and trained capable and honest people for the post of collector
3. Paid them high salaries to prevent corruption
4. 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.

IV HOTS:
 1. If the East India Company had been unchecked by the British
Government to rule India, What would have been the fate of India?
Ans:
a) There would be no control of the company in Indian Business.
b) Taxes were high and it remained the same for 100’s of years.
c) After the arrival of East India new investors started investing into India.
d) The East India Company was not efficient enough to control the whole India.
e) There is no full control over Indian companies.

V: Questions to be marked in Text Book

6. ‘The Pitt’s India Act (1784) laid the foundation for British administration in India.’
Explain. ( To be marked in Textbook Pg. No. 20-21)
Ans:
● 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.

7. In an effort to ensure better administration of, and control over, the Indian
territories, the British government passed the Regulating Act of 1773. Describe this
Act. ( To be marked in Textbook Pg. No. 20)
Ans:
● 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.