72-The British Raj

एक दुखी परिवार - 72

1858 to 1947

The British Raj, in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947 refer to the period of dominion. The region under British control—commonly called India—included areas directly administered by Britain as well as the princely states, ruled by individual rulers, under the paramountcy of the British Crown. 

British India or the Indian Empire was officially created by Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli for Queen Victoria in 1876. 

The system of governance was instituted on June 28, 1858, when the rule of the British East India Company was transferred to the Crown in the person of Queen Victoria (and who, in 1876, was proclaimed Empress of India), and lasted until 1947, when the British Indian Empire was partitioned into two sovereign dominion states: the Union of India (later the Republic of India) and the Dominion of Pakistan (later the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the eastern half of which, still later, became the People's Republic of Bangladesh).

 At the inception of the Raj in 1858, Lower Burma was already a part of British India; Upper Burma was added in 1886, and the resulting union, Burma, was administered as an autonomous province until 1937, when it became a separate British colony, gaining its own independence in 1948, close on the heels of freedom India gained.

The British Raj extended over almost all present-day India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, with exceptions such as Goa and Pondicherry.

 In addition, at various times, it included Aden (from 1858 to 1937), Lower Burma (from 1858 to 1937), Upper Burma (from 1886 to 1937), British Somaliland (briefly from 1884 to 1898), and Singapore (briefly from 1858 to 1867). 

Burma was separated from India and was directly administered by the British Crown from 1937 until its independence in 1948. 

The Trucial States of the Persian Gulf were theoretically princely states as well as Presidencies and provinces of British India until 1946 and used the rupee as their unit of currency.[10]

Among other countries in the region, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) was ceded to Britain in 1802 under the Treaty of Amiens.

 Ceylon was part of Madras Presidency between 1793 and 1798.

Nepal and Bhutan- at war with the British

 The kingdoms of Nepal and Bhutan, having fought wars with the British, subsequently signed treaties with them and were recognised by the British as independent states.

 The Kingdom of Sikkim was established as a princely state after the Anglo-Sikkimese Treaty of 1861; however, the issue of sovereignty was left undefined.

 The Maldive Islands were a British protectorate from 1887 to 1965 but not part of British India.

(Cont.    .)