2.4.3

Key Administrators - Curzon

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George Curzon

Curzon was the Viceroy of India from 1899 to 1905.

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Securing India's borders

  • Curzon created the North West Frontier Province, now known as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan, in 1901.
  • He also dispatched a military expedition to Tibet due to fears over Russian aggression near India.
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Moral duty

  • Curzon believed in his moral imperial duty.
    • "The hand of Divine Providence behind the creation and expansion of an empire which is a supreme force for good in the world”.
  • He took great pride in representing Britain and its imperial mission.
  • Curzon reportedly said "the best work in the world was always done by members of the aristocracy".
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Administrative reform

  • Curzon had direct responsibility for famine relief projects and agricultural projects involving irrigation.
  • He oversaw the construction of 10,000km of railway lines in India. However, this transport infrastructure probably helped to secure British control and advantage.
  • Curzon also encouraged scientific and medical education in India.
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Reforms incorporating the indigenous population

  • Curzon founded the Imperial Cadet Corps in an attempt to give the Indian nobility a military education.
  • Curzon was responsible for restoring the Taj Mahal and personally paid a £40,000 to the project.
  • Curzon promoted an Anglo-Indian nationality, not a native Indian one.
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Limiting the power of the indigenous population

  • Despite Curzon's reforms, he didn’t want to give Indians too much power.
    • He had a low opinion of the abilities of Indians and was hostile to the Indian National Congress.
  • According to Kitchen (1996), "Lord Curzon regarded virtually all of humanity as inferior and put the Indians near the bottom of the scale".
  • In 1901, he informed a colleague that no Indian person existed who was able enough to work on the country's Executive Council.
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Reaction to Curzon's policies

  • Curzon's policies were very unpopular among educated Indians, especially the Partition of Bengal.
    • Curzon felt that by dividing Bengal in 1905 he would weaken the Raj’s internal enemies (wealthy Hindu elites).
    • Steil (2013) argues that Curzon divided Bengal "for reasons of administrative efficiency", but did not consult Indians, who viewed the move as contrary to Bengali nationalism.
  • Either way, the partition of Bengal backfired and he had to resign.

Jump to other topics

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

2Imperial Consolidation & Liberal Rule, 1890-1914

3Imperialism Challenged, 1914-1967

4The Wind of Change, 1947-1967

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