ADMINISTRATIVE SET UP IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY

ADMINISTRATIVE SET UP IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY By AD 1800 , THE WHOLE OF CONTINENTAL INDIA HAD COME UNDER British sway. In the South , there were many Princely States , as they were called , but the land under Tippu Sultan came under their control , after the defeat of the sultan. After the failure of the Sipoy Mutiny , the Crown decided to stop direct annexation and sought the support of the local Kings , with the Resident Englishman controlling the rulers . The Punjab and Sind were one province ; the rest of North India another province called Bihar . In the south , Bombay and Gujarat was one province . Andhra , Madras , Mysore and Malabar of Kerala became one province. The provinces were under the control of Collectors , who were Englishmen . The administration was impartial and free from corruption . People were happy. The whole of south Asia , including Burma and Ceylon was under a single control of the Viceroy whose Headquarter was at Calcutta. This is because the first piece of land they got was in Bengal , after the Plassy war . The Capital was shifted to Delhi only recently in 1911. For the Viceroy , an imposing palace was constructed in waste land called New Delhi , the populated area being the old Delhi where the Mughal Palace stood. In 1936 the Government of India Act came and Burma and Ceylon were separated. The work in Government offices was in English and so they established the first school in what is now the Delhi school. Similar schools and colleges were eastablished in Bombay , Calcutta and Madras. In the south in Keralam Christians were prominent in bringing education to the masses. The British set up the postal system and telephone connections in British ruled Provinces. In 1853 the first train with engine running on steam power , with wood as fuel for heating the boiler , ran from Bombay to Kalyan. The project was financed by private British companies. People who watched it wondered-is it possible to lay iron rails throughout India? There were a few companies: Northern railway, North eastern railway , Bombay Baroda Central Indian Railway and South Indian Railway. They built the lines only in British territory. If a Princely state wanted it , it should pay the cost. To save money , they built metre gauge lines. Though it was a private enterprise , the Government insisted that certain items like salt and fodder must be carried at low price. There were three classes for passengers . First class for the white man , second class for Anglo Indians (children of white men in Indian women , mostly railway workers.) and third class for Indians . There was no ban for Indians to travel in first class. It was also decided that the accounts should be audited by the Controller and Auditor General of India. My first job was in this department . Our peons wore Government uniform with red turban and brass buttons and a cross belt. There is a joke that vegetable venders did not demand money from the peons thinking that they have powers of a police man! Revenue There was no income tax. It was decided to a lot land to the citizens and recover revenue , to meet administrative expenses . So the Surveyor General of India began to measure the land , using chains . Twenty two chains make one furlong , eight furlongs make one mile . These terms became redundant when the metric system came. In all land records the survey number is given for identification. It is said that the village patwari approached my ancestor and pleaded and persuaded him to take the paddy field in front of his house , free of cost. There is no previous adhar for our land! Princely States The states were free to rule , without interference by the British Resident . In Cochin State , where I was born , anchal (post office) system to carry letters from one office to another. These men used to run to the nearest post office. They were called anchalottakar (post runners). Te postal stamps were also different . Our State people were least taxed. The kings were austere in their dress and habits . It is said that there was only four annas (one fourth of a rupee) in the treasury ,when Divan Sankara Warriar took over charge! Corruption was unknown! There is a story that , after the merger of Cochin State with Travancore , my uncle , who worked as teacher, was surprised to see an unknown person with a basket full of costly fruits at his door. “Who are you? What is this?” He had come to plead for his daughter who had appeared in the tenth examination. My uncle (who was valueing the papers) literally drove him away. “Never come here again ; take away this basket ”, he shouted ! (to continue)