Administrative
Structure Of India: Army, Civil Services, Land Revenue And More
Army
Under British India
They had a stronghold on
the Indian army, which helped them consolidate their power.
The story of the army
under British India began when the British East India Company took control of
Bengal in 1757 after the Battle of Plassey. Gradually the company expanded its
dominion and controlled significant parts of India.
The administrative
structure of India at the time consisted of the Presidencies controlled
directly by the British and the princely states ruled by the native kings. The
company had an army consisting of both Indian and British soldiers.
Initially, the army was
used to safeguard the company's business interests. However, as the British
paramountcy spread, the army was primarily deployed for political purposes. The
administrative structure of India helped the British to rule over India for a
long time.
The three Presidency
armies of Bengal, Madras and Bombay functioned independently under the
company's rule. However, in 1893 all the forces were unified under the British
Crown, with the Commander-in-Chief stationed in Delhi.
The Indian army mainly
had Indian soldiers but was commanded by British officers. The racial attitude
of the British meant that senior positions were never given to Indians. The
soldiers were also paid less than the British soldiers.
After the 1857 mutiny by
Indian soldiers, the British were wary of deploying them. As a result,
recruitment to the army from mutineer regiments like Bengal native infantry was
restricted.
However, over the years,
some restrictions were relaxed, but the Indian soldiers were still not given
vital commands. The administrative structure of India made sure the British
officers retained control of the powerful army.
After World War 1, the
British government started the "Indianization" of the army. The
number of British officers was reduced, and more Indian officers were recruited
and trained.
Administrative
Structure of India under British Rule
The administrative
structure of India underwent significant changes under the British rule. The
British implemented a centralized administration to strengthen their control
over the country.
Provinces
and Regions
The administrative
structure of India consisted of provinces and regions. The significant
provinces under British rule were:
Bombay Presidency
Bengal Presidency
Madras Presidency
United Province
Punjab
Central Provinces and
Berar
Smaller princely states
and regions were grouped into agencies, chief commissionerships, and divisions
which were placed under the supervision of a British political agent or
commissioner.
Districts
and Tehsils
The next unit of
administration was the district. Districts were further divided into tehsils or
subdivisions. The district collector, an officer of the Indian Civil Services,
served as the critical administrative head at the district level.
Administrative
Hierarchy
The hierarchical
structure consisted of the following:
Governor-General at the
top was responsible for the entire British Indian Empire.
Lieutenant governors
were appointed for major provinces.
Commissioners for
divisions.
Collectors for
districts.
Sub-divisional officers
for tehsils.
Administrative
Reforms
The administrative
structure of India changed with reforms introduced from time to time. Some key
reforms were:
Cornwallis introduced a
structured civil service and district system in 1793.
The Local Self
Government Act of 1909 gave people a limited role in local administration.
The Government of India
Act of 1919 introduced dyarchy granting limited autonomy.
In conclusion, the
administrative structure of India under the British was a centralized,
hierarchical system that helped them consolidate their political power. It
underwent periodic changes to improve the efficiency of administration.
Provincial
Government
The administrative
structure of India included provincial governments headed by a governor
appointed by the British Crown. Provinces were further divided into districts headed
by district collectors.
District
Administration
District administration
formed an important part of the administrative structure of India. A district
collector was responsible for revenue collection, maintaining law and order and
development work in the district. Police stations were the lowest unit of
administration.
Local
Self Government
Municipalities and
district boards formed part of the local self-government system. But the
British did not give much power to these local bodies. They controlled most
powers.
In conclusion, the
administrative structure of India under British rule led to the formation of
civil services, a bureaucratic governance setup and modern government
institutions. However, the British controlled most powers.
British
Civil Service In India
The British introduced
the concept of civil services and bureaucratic governance in India. The Indian
Civil Service was formed in the 1860s. It consisted of high-ranking officers
who helped the British govern the country.
The Administrative
Structure of India Has 3 Services:
Indian Civil Service
(ICS) recruited from the UK dealt with revenue and general administration.
Indian Police Service
(IPS), recruited from the UK and India, was responsible for law and order.
Indian Forest
Service(IFS) recruited from the UK and India managed forest and environment
policies.
They implemented
policies, collected revenue, maintained law and order and did development work.
The
Three Presidencies
When the British
established their control in India, they divided it into three presidencies for
administrative purposes. These three presidencies formed the basis of the
administrative structure of India during early British rule.
The three presidencies
established by the British were:
Bombay Presidency
Bengal Presidency
Madras Presidency
Each presidency was
headed by a governor appointed by the British East India Company. The governors
acted as the representatives of the company and were in charge of the civil
administration and military forces in their respective presidencies.
The
Bombay Presidency
The Bombay Presidency
was established in 1634 and included modern-day Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa,
parts of Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka.
The capital of Bombay's
presidency was Mumbai. Initially, the Bombay presidency focused on trade but
later expanded its rule in the region.
The
Bengal Presidency
The Bengal Presidency
was established in 1765 and was the largest of the three presidencies. It
included territories of modern-day Bengal, Assam, Bihar, Orissa and parts of
Jharkhand.
The capital of the
Bengal presidency was Kolkata.
The
Madras Presidency
The Madras Presidency
was established in 1639 and included territories of modern-day Tamil Nadu,
Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and parts of Karnataka.
The capital of Madras's
presidency was Chennai.
Gradual
Changes in Administrative Structure
Over time, the
administrative structure of India began to change under the British. New
provinces were created within the presidencies. Princely states were also brought
under indirect rule.
The British introduced
the concepts of civil services and district administration. They established
structures like imperial services, Indian Police Service and Indian Forest
Service.
In 1897, the three
presidencies were replaced by provinces under a new constitution called the
Government of India Act.
The three-presidency
system formed the initial administrative structure of India under the British.
However, over time the structure evolved with new provinces, civil services and
district administration. The presidencies were finally replaced by provinces in
1897. However, the British remained in control of most powers.
Land
Revenue Under British Rule
Land revenue was an
important income source for the British government in India. The land revenue
system underwent many changes under the British to suit the administrative
structure of India.
Zamindari
System
Initially, the British
continued with the Zamindari system of land revenue collection introduced by
the Mughals and other rulers.
Under this system,
zamindars or landed intermediaries collected revenue from the peasants and paid
a fixed amount to the British.
However, this led to the
oppression of peasants by zamindars and disputes between them. The revenue
collection was also unreliable.
Ryotwari
System in Madras and Bombay
The administrative
structure of India saw a change with the introduction of the ryotwari system in
the Madras and Bombay presidencies.
Under this system, the
British collected revenue directly from the cultivators or ryots. This reduced
the role of zamindars and ensured fixed revenue for the British.
However, there were
issues of underassessment of land and oppression of ryots by British officials.
Permanent
Settlement in Bengal
The administrative
structure of India gave zamindars more power in Bengal through the Permanent
Settlement of 1793.
Under this system,
revenues were fixed permanently based on land assessments done at the time.
Zamindars had to pay that specified amount to the British.
This ensured increased
revenues for the British. But the oppression of peasants by zamindars
continued, which led to unrest.
Other
Changes in Land Revenue System
The administrative
structure of India saw various changes in the land revenue system over time:
Mahalwari system -
Introduced in Punjab and Awadh. Revenue was collected from the village as a
whole.
Abolition of the
Zamindari system - Done in UP, Central Provinces and Bihar to reduce the role
of intermediaries.
Introduction of cash
payments - Peasants were asked to pay land revenue in cash instead of goods.
Revision of land
records- Done from time to time as land revenue formed 60% of total revenue for
the British.
Overall, land revenue
collected under different systems formed an essential source of income for the
British under their administrative structure of India. However, the systems
were essentially exploitative for peasants and caused unrest.