The British Raj

Following the Indian Mutiny, the British Empire established the British Raj. The British Raj simply refers to the period of British direct rule in India (by the British government and Crown). The Viceroy of India ran the government in India.

Government of India Act, 1858

The 1858 Government of India Act was the first step towards nationalising the East India Company to give the British government and British Crown control of India, instead of a private company.
Queen Victoria was granted control over the EIC’s territories.
The position of a Secretary of State for India was created.
The Act founded the India Council (made up of 15 members) to assist the Secretary of State.
The Act created the position of Viceroy (also known as Governor-General). The Viceroy ran government affairs in India through a legislative council of five people (one each focused on finance, law, army, economy, home affairs).

Government in India

In 1877, Benjamin Disraeli, the British Prime Minister named Queen Victoria as Empress of India. This formalised the connection between the British Crown and direct rule in India.
Historian Martin Kitchen argues that '‘a determined nationalist movement would have had little difficulty in throwing the British out but it didn’t happen.... political awareness was nonexistent" claiming that day-to-day survival of locals and lack of communication technology was an important factor.
The number of British officials working in India at this time was very low.
British people administering India's government looked down on the local population for their customs and traditions. Lord Curzon, the Viceroy of India in 1899 described his job as a "civilising mission".

India's military and defense

Britain's military focus in India was maintaining British control and avoiding another mutiny by Indian troops.
All officer rankings were reserved for British soldiers.
Native Indian troops were deliberately mixed by caste and religion (mixing Hindus, Sikhs, and Muslims) in the same regiment.
More Gurkhas and Sikhs were recruited after the involvement of Muslim and Hindu sepoys in the mutiny.
62 out of 74 Bengali regiments were disbanded.
Native regiments did not control artillery.
Indian troops were deliberately deployed abroad. For example, Indian troops were used by Britain to put down Arabi Pasha’s 1882 rebellion in Egypt. Using Indian troops overseas makes them look a lot more like pawns of the British Empire, rather than defenders of India.

Railroads in India

In 1853, the first passenger train was launched in India, between Bombay and Thane. In February 1873, the first domestic tram system was built in the city of Calcutta.
The Great Indian Peninsular Railway (GIPR), one of the first railway companies in India built 4,000 miles of railway line in India.
The railways were more accessible to the EIC than the local population and helped improve the mobilisation of British-controlled soldiers.
Most investment in railways came from private individuals investing in private companies (a bit like venture capital). According to Stone (1999), 71% of British money channeled towards building railways went to regions of recent settlement like India.
Although British speculators and businesses may have improved India's infrastructure, most of the contracts for providing the railway equipment and rolling stock went to British companies.

A historical view on British rule in India

"British rule in the early 19th century might have been despotic, but it was, by the standards of the day and probably by any subsequent standards, remarkably benevolent" (Kitchen, 1996).
We can interpret this statement as stating that individuals and actions should be judged in their historical context. Interestingly, the period that Kitchen describes is one where the East India Company controlled India, whereas other nations were controlled by other countries.
However, you have to decide whether 'more benevolent' is good enough as a moral benchmark.

1High Water Mark of the British Empire, 1857-1914

1.1Development of Imperialism, 1857-1890

1.1.1Empires over Time

1.1.2Key Questions About Empires

1.1.3Expansion into Africa

1.1.4History of Egypt

1.1.5Control of Egypt

1.1.6Control of Sudan

1.2Imperial & Colonial Policy, 1857-1890

1.2.1The British Empire & India

1.2.2The British Raj

1.2.3International Relations with other Powers

1.2.4Scramble for Africa

1.2.5The Informal Empire

1.3Trade & Commerce, 1857-1890

1.3.1Trade & Commerce in the Empire

1.3.2Infrastructure of Trade & Commerce

1.3.3Products of Trade & Commerce

1.4Attitudes Towards the Empire, 1857-1890

1.4.1Explorers

1.4.2Missionaries

1.4.3Traders & Colonial Administrators

1.4.4Government Attitudes Towards Imperialism

1.5Relations with Indigenous Peoples, 1857-1890

1.5.1Relations with India

1.5.2Relations with South Africa

1.5.3British-Boer Relations

2Imperial Consolidation & Liberal Rule, 1890-1914

2.1Consolidation & Expansion in Africa, 1890-1914

2.1.1Consolidation & Expansion into Africa

2.1.2Consolidation & Expansion in South Africa

2.1.3Historical Interpretations: Expansion into Africa

2.2Imperial & Colonial Policy, 1890-1914

2.2.1Policy in India

2.2.2Policy in Egypt

2.2.3Native Policy in Colonies

2.2.4International Relations with Other Powers

2.3Trade & Commerce, 1890-1914

2.3.1The Benefits of Trade

2.3.2Costs of the Empire

2.3.3Debates Over Trade

2.4Attitudes Towards the Empire, 1890-1914

2.4.1Key Administrators - Chamberlain & Rhodes

2.4.2Key Administrators - Baring & Milner

2.4.3Key Administrators - Curzon

2.4.4Government Attitudes to the Empire

2.4.5National Efficiency & the Boer War

2.4.6Popular Attitudes Towards Imperialism

2.5Relations with Indigenous Peoples, 1890-1914

2.5.1Challenges in India

2.5.2Challenges in Africa

2.5.3Challenges in South Africa

2.5.4Historical Interpretations of the Boer War

2.5.5Relations & Business with Iran

3Imperialism Challenged, 1914-1967

3.1Expansion & Contraction of Empire, 1914-1947

3.1.1Impact of WW1

3.1.2Palestine

3.1.3Ireland & WW1

3.1.4Impact of WW2 on the British Empire

3.2Colonial Policy & Administration, 1914-1947

3.2.1Administration in India & Palestine

3.2.2Administration in Iraq & the Dominions

3.2.3Imperial Defence

3.3Trade, Commerce & Economic Impact of War

3.3.1Economic Impact of WW1

3.3.2Inter-War Trade & Commerce

3.3.3Economic Impact of WW2

3.4Attitudes Towards the Empire, 1890-1914

3.4.1Colonial Administrators

3.4.2Trusteeship

3.4.3Gandhi

3.4.4Montagu, Haig & Linlithgow

3.4.5Cameron, Mitchell, Cohen & Furse - African Admins

3.4.6Imperialist Ideals

3.5Relations with Indigenous Peoples, 1914-1947

3.5.1Ireland & India 1914-1947

3.5.2The Middle East and Africa

4The Wind of Change, 1947-1967

4.1Decolonisation in Africa & Asia, 1947-1967

4.1.1Reasons for Decolonisation

4.1.2Decolonisation in East & West Africa

4.1.3Decolonisation in Central & South Africa

4.1.4Decolonisation in Asia

4.2Colonial Policy & Administration, 1947-1967

4.2.1Relations & Business with Iran after WW2

4.2.2The 'Winds of Change'

4.2.3The Suez Canal Crisis - 1956

4.2.4International Relations 1947-1967

4.3Trade & Commerce, 1947-1967

4.3.1The Economic Impact of WW2

4.4Attitudes Towards the Empire, 1947-1967

4.4.1Colonial Administrators: Cohen & Arden-Clarke

4.4.2Local Leaders in the Independence Movement

4.4.3Pan-Africanism in Nationalism

4.5Post-Colonial Ties, 1947-1967

4.5.1Windrush & Immigration

4.5.2Commonwealth Immigrants Act

4.5.3Residual Impact of the Empire

4.6Relations with Indigenous Peoples, 1947-1967

4.6.1Challenges to Colonial Rule Post 1947

4.6.2Kenya & the Mau Mau Uprising

4.6.3Nigeria & Rhodesia

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