UPSC Modern Indian History

Notes:
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’affairs by the Company.
• Stoppage of tribute to Shah Alam.
• Reduction of Pension of Nawab of Bengal.

Judicial Reforms

• Abolishing the judicial functions of the Zamindars.
• Establishment of the Civil and Criminal Courts in
• Establishment of Sadar Diwani Adalat and Sadar Nizamat.
• Bringing of the judicial prcceedings in writing.
• Appointment 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 to Rs. 16 lakhs.
• Tribute of the 25 lakhs of Shah Alam was stopped.
• Districts of Kara and Allahabad were taken from Shah Alam and 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 Rayan. One year settlement in place of 5 years settlement on the basis of highest bidding.

Commercial Reforms

• Abolition of the dustak
• Abolition of large number of customs posts.
• Despatch of Commercial Missions to other countries.

Other Reforms

• Hastings curbed Thieves, Dacoits and suppressed Sanyasi revolt
• Police of Calcutta was improved.
• He abolished Tax on marriages.

Notes:
Charter Act of 1813 permitted the Christian missionaries to propagate English and preach their religion in India and the East India Company accepted the responsibility for the education of the Indian people.

Notes:
The correct answer is “Neither 1 nor 2.” Explanation: 1. The demand for linguistic states in India began before independence, notably during the 1940s, with leaders like Potti Sreeramulu advocating for states based on language. 2. The S.K. Dhar Commission (1948) actually opposed the creation of states on a linguistic basis, recommending instead that states be formed based on administrative convenience. Thus, both statements are incorrect.

Notes:
In 1928-29 two strikes took place in Bombay mill industry. Bankim Mukherjee, Gopen Chakraborty were associated with the first strike and Dharani Goswami was associated with the second strike.

Notes:
The presidency of Agra was established on 14 November 1834 under the provisions of Government of India Act 1833. Sir C. T. Metcalfe was appointed as the new Governor for the Presidency. However, in 1835 another Act of Parliament renamed the region to the North-Western Provinces, this time to be administered by a Lieutenant-Governor. Presidency ceased to exist on 1 June 1836.

Notes:
The correct order is: Provision of Separate Electorate (Morley-Minto Reforms, 1909), Diarchy in Provinces (Montague-Chelmsford Reforms, 1919), Provincial Autonomy (Government of India Act, 1935), Provision for Constituent Assembly (August Offer, 1940). Hence, the sequence is 1 2 4 3.

Notes:
Diwani Courts

1. The difference between lagan and money related cases ceased to exist. Diwani Court was to decide both kind of cases.
2. The lowest court was ‘Munsif ki Adalat’, in which cases pertaining to matter of value llpto 50 Rupees could be heard. Munsif was an Indian.
3. Registrar was above Munsif who could hear the case involving value of maximum 200 Rupees.
4. District Court was above Registrar, in which English judges were assisted by learned Hindus and Muslims.
5. Four provincial courts were set up at Calcutta, Dhaka, Murshidabad and Patna. Here too the English judges were helped by the Indian advisers.
6. Highest court was Sadar-Diwani Adalat, where Governor-General and his council delivered justice.
7. The final appeal could be made in the office of English King and his council.

Criminal Court

1. District Criminal Courts were set up, which were mobile and whose judges were English
2. Four provincial criminal courts were set up at Murshidabad, Calcutta, Dhaka and Patna.
3. Highest court of appeal, in criminal cases, was Sadar Nizamat, which was headed by Governor General and his Council.

Other Features of Cornwallis Code

1. The Diwani cases of Hindus were governed through their Shastras, especially based on Manu Smriti. The Muslims, on the other hand, were governed through Islamic Shariat.
2. The criminal court was primarily based on Islamic Shariat with some changes, applicable to all, Hindus or Muslims.
3. Witness rule was changed, earlier a Muslim witness was treated to be more reliable than a non-Muslim.
4. Physical amputation was given up, instead, rigorous imprisonment was introduced.
5. Company’s employees, including collectors, were brought under the law. They could be tried in the court of law. Thus slowly, India moved towards ‘rule of law’ and ‘equality before law’.

Notes:
Statements 1 and 2 are correct. The Government of India Act, 1858 ended the East India Company's rule, bringing India under direct Crown governance, and abolished the Court of Directors and Board of Control, replacing them with the Secretary of State for India and India Council. Statement 3 is incorrect; earlier treaties made by the Company continued to be honored under the Act.

Notes:
Workers actively participated in the Rowlatt Satyagraha (April 6, 1919), and the Non-Cooperation Movement (1920-22). Despite the Communist’s non-participation in the Civil Disobedience Movement and Quit India Movement, the workers actively participated in both, on their own. They went on strikes and hartals at Delhi, Lucknow, Kanpur, Bombay, Nagpur, Ahmedabad, Jamshedpur, Madras, Indore and Bangalore during the Quit India Movement in 1942. They showed vibrant enthusiasm during the INA trial and solidarity with the mutiny of the naval ratings in 1946. On February 22, 1946, about two to three lakh workers put down their tools in response to a call given by the Communists and the Socialists.
Thus, all statements are correct.

Notes:
Eka Movement or Unity Movement is a peasant movement which surfaced in Hardoi, Bahraich and Sitapur during the end of 1921. The main reason of movement was higher rent, which was generally higher than 50% of recorded rent in some areas. Oppression of thekedhars who were entrusted to collect rent and practice of share rent also contributed to this movement.