Political Impact

Government of India Act 1858

  1. Declared Queen Victoria as sovereign ruler of India with direct rule and relationship of paramountcy between Crown and Indian Princes. Queen was now Kaiser i Hind i.e. Empress of India
  2. Secretary of State of India, a cabinet minister, replaced the President of boC and he was to be the top authority in Britain on India
  3. Queen issued proclamation on 1st Nov 1858, promising religious tolerance and that India would be governed as per its traditions and customs. Thus socio-religious refomrs took a backseat and Christianity spread further.

Ideological Impact

  • Brits distrustful of indians
  • racism increased
  • Authoritarianism increased
  • indians more restricted from entering senior positions in bureaucracy
    • however this frustrated WEMC who wanted to share power and led to INM

Administrative Impact

  • focus on effective policing and collection of information and intelligence
  • 1860 - The Police Commission led to the Indian Police Act 1861 which established structure and functions of police; continued till 1947

Police Act 1861

Changes to Civil Services

  • exam was introduced under Charter Act 1853 but not held simultaneously in India
  • age criteria kept low (19-23) to prevent indians from clearing the exam
  • 1870: Statutory Civil Services idea came, but implemented in 1878 by Lytton 7680.
    • Indians could now be nominated to some posts earlier helfd by Covenated Civil Services during EIC officers, but only loyal elites chosen

Changes in Army

  • Peel Commission after revolt led to many changes
    • prevent homogeneity by having heterogeneous mix of diff casts and nationalities in a regiment
      • to prevent caste based bonds of unity (like it happened in Bengal Army)
    • prevent inter region interaction within army to prevent unity
    • recruitment done based on race - martial races idea started; races which have high characteristics of loyalty, courage but incapable of leadership. Thus they stayed loyal and preferred in recruitment.
    • focus on building a culture of loyalty to salt, promoted idea of sacrifice for employers for honor of community
    • maintained very large standing army to counter future revolts
    • ensured at least 1:2 ration b/w Europeans and Indians in army
      • not having this in Bengal Army earlier was a mistake
    • minimum or no indians in senior military positions
    • financial control over Army to civilian authority
    • high use of british army against INM and peasant revolts
    • ensured that sepoys lived in barracks to minimize political influence