History (Modern India History :- Lord Dalhousie 1848-1856)

Modern India History :- Lord Dalhousie 1848-1856

Lord Dalhousie 1848-1856

 *Shifted the headquarters of Bengal Artillery from Calcutta to Meerut

 *Simla was made the permanent headquarters of the army & summer capital

 *formation of Gurkha regiments took place in his reign

 *Youngest Governor General of India (36 Years), & also known as

 - Father of Indian Telegraph

 - Father of Indian Railways

 - Father of Indian Postal system

 - Father of Indian Engineering Services

 - Maker of modern India

 *Followed Policy of Annexation viz.

 - Annexed Punjab (2nd Anglo Sikh war)

 - Annexed Burma via. second Burmese war

 - Annexed Avadh →Offended Muslims & Indian soldiers (Mostly from Avadh)

 - Doctrine of Lapse 

Doctrine of Lapse

 *This policy was based on difference in principle b/w right to inherit property & right to govern

 *Alliance King without heir can not adopt an heir for kingdom

 *Lapsed Satara, Jaitpur and Sambhalpur, Udaipur, Nagpur, Jhansi, & Awadh in given order

 *Annexed states were monitored by chief commissioners with introduction of centralized control called non-regulation system for modern centralized states

Reforms & Developments

Telegraph     

 *In 1852, Under superintendence of O’Shaughnessy 4000 miles of lines were laid down

 *Connected Calcutta, Peshawar, Bombay & Madras telegraphically

 *Proved to be a boon for Britishers in revolt of 1857

Railway     

 *Started “guarantee system” by which the railway companies were guaranteed a minimum interest of five percent on their investment

 *Government retained the right of buying the railway

 *Mainly for Defense, Commercial & Administrative reasons

 *1st railway line – Bombay to Thane 1853

 *2nd Calcutta to Raniganj coal fields 1854

 *3rd Madras to Arakkonam 1856

Postal System :- Laid down foundation of Modern postal system in 1854 with introduction of postal stamps

IES     

 *Created separate public work departments

 *Allotted more funds for cutting canals & roads

 *Upper Gangatic panel was cut in 1854

 *Many bridges were constructed

 *Hence laid foundation of Indian engineering services

Social & Educational     

 *Passed widow Remarriage Act (1856)

 *Recommended the setting up of universities in Calcutta, Bombay and Madras

 *In 1853, competitive examination for the Indian Civil Services began.

 *Educational reforms of Sir Charles wood (1854) are considered intellectual charted of India which provided an outline for Primary, Secondary & Collegiate levels of education.

Woods Dispatch, 1854

 *In 1854, Charles Wood prepared a dispatch on an educational system for India.

 *Considered as “Magna Carta of English Education in India”

 *This document was the 1st comprehensive plan for the spread of education in India.

 - Asked the Government to assume responsibility for education of the masses, thus repudiating the ‘downward filtration theory’, at least on paper.

 - Systematised the hierarchy from vernacular primary schools in villages at bottom, followed by Anglo-Vernacular High Schools and an affiliated college at the district level, and affiliating universities in the presidency towns of Calcutta, Bombay and Madras.

 - Recommended English as the medium of instruction for higher studies and vernaculars at school level.

 - Laid stress on female and vocational education, and on teachers training.

 - Laid down that the education imparted in government institutions should be secular.

 - Recommended a system of grants-in-aid to encourage private enterprise.