1909 Indian Councils Act

1909 INDIAN COUNCILS ACT
MINTO-MARLEY
REFORMS
INTRODUCTION
• The Morley-Minto Reforms were enacted as
the Indian Councils Act in 1909.
• The importance of the expanded Councils was
to guarantee that Indian Legislators were
given the opportunity to express their views.
Muslims were also granted the ability to elect
a distinct electorate by the British.
BACKGROUNG
• By 1909, the Indians had developed a strong sense of
political awareness. Political parties such as the Indian
National Congress and the All India Muslim League
arose in response.
• The British were heavily influenced and affected by
these political groups by that time.
• The British concluded that in order to bring new changes
to ease the problems of the Indians, they required to
accommodate to these two political groups, as past
reforms and acts had not met the political aspirations of
the Indians.
BACKGROUND
• There were other additional reasons that contributed to the
establishment of the Minto-Morley Reforms. The victory of
Japan in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-5 can be used as an
example in this context. For Indians, there was a ray of optimism
that their country, too, could rise to great power status.
• In Britain, on the other hand, the Liberal Government came to
power in 1906, and the political climate was forever changed.
The Liberal Party did not wish to follow the Conservative Party's
dictatorial ideas. Such political developments occurred in both
the United Kingdom and India, affecting public opinion in both
countries. The following are the main characteristics of the
Minto-Morley Reforms.
CIRCUMSTANCES FOR REFORMS
• Despite Queen Victoria's declaration that Indians
would be equally represented, few Indians were
given this chance since the British authorities
were hesitant to embrace them as equal partners.
• The division of Bengal was carried out by Lord
Curzon in 1905. As a result, there was a huge
revolt in Bengal. Following this, the British rulers
realized that some improvements in Indian
government were required.
• The Indian National Congress (INC) also pushed
for additional reforms and Indian self-
government. Previously Congress leaders were
moderates, but now conservative leaders who
believed in more aggressive tactics were on the
increase
• .In 1906, the INC demanded home rule for the
first time.In England, Gopal Krishna Gokhale met
with Morley to stress the importance of changes.
• The Shimla Deputation met Lord Minto in
1906 and presented their proposal for a
separate electorate for Muslims, led by Aga
Khan.
• John Morley was a member of India's Liberal
government who aspired to improve the
country's governance.
• Viceroy Lord Minto , Secretary of state for
India lord john Morley
Major provisions of the Morley-Minto reforms
• The legislative councils at the Centre and the provinces

increased in size.
– Central Legislative Council – from 16 to 60 members
– Legislative Councils of Bengal, Madras, Bombay and United
Provinces – 50 members each
– Legislative Councils of Punjab, Burma and Assam – 30 members
each
• The elected members were elected indirectly. The local
bodies elected an electoral college who would elect
members of the provincial legislative councils. These
members would, in turn, elect the members of the Central
legislative council.
Reforms
• The legislative councils at the Centre and the
provinces were to have four categories of members as
follows:
– Ex officio members: Governor-General and members of the
executive council.
– Nominated official members: Government officials who
were nominated by the Governor-General.
– Nominated non-official members: nominated by the
Governor-General but were not government officials.
– Elected members: elected by different categories of
Indians.
REFORMS
• Local governments, chambers of commerce, landlords,
colleges, traders' communities, and Muslims were among
the chosen members.
• Non-official members made up the majority of provincial
councils. However, because some non-official members
were nominated, a non-elected majority existed in total.
• For the first time, Indians were admitted to the Imperial
Legislative Council.
• Separate electorates were established for Muslims. Only
Muslims were allowed to vote in some seats, and only
Muslims were allowed to vote for their representatives.
REFORMS
• Members might talk about the budget and vote on
resolutions. They could also talk about issues of public
concern
• They may also ask follow-up questions.
• There were no discussions on foreign policy or relations
with the princely states allowed.
• Satyendra P Sinha was appointed as the first Indian
member of the Viceroy's Executive Council by Lord Minto,
after much pressure by Morley.
• Two Indians have been appointed to the Secretary of
State's Council on Indian Affairs.
DRAWBACKS
• The Minto-Morley Reforms painted a gloomy
image of the future.
• Although this act satisfied some Indians, it did
not satisfy the majority.
• As a result, the government has been widely
criticized. In actuality, the Indian National
Congress was split into two factions:
"moderate" led by G.K. Gokhale and
"extreme" led by B.G. Tilak.
DRAWBACKS
• The Reforms were warmly received by the moderate side.
"My Lord, I genuinely believed that you and Lord Morley had
saved the country from anarchy and disaster," Gokhale
declared in the Imperial Legislative Council.
• The extremist wing, on the other hand, was opposed to the
1909 act. They were deeply opposed to the reforms. It was
due to a disagreement with Lord Morley's dispatch of
November 27, 1908.
• The All India Muslim League, on the other hand, praised the
1909 council legislation. In the Delhi session of 1910, the
League passed a resolution offering cooperation with the
government for the success of the Reforms.
DRAWBACKS
• The Act did nothing to grant colonial self-government,
which was Congress’s demand.
• The Act did increase Indian participation in the legislative
councils, especially at the provincial levels.
• The Act introduced communal representation in Indian
politics. This was intended to stem the growing tide of
nationalism in the country by dividing the people into
communal lines. The culmination of this step was seen in
the partition of the country along religious lines. The
effects of differential treatment of different religious
groups can be seen to this day.
CONCLUSION
• Despite their flaws and mistakes, the Reforms contributed to
and provided space for political progress. For the Indians,
being included in Councils was a wonderful experience. They
were merged into Legislative Councils. They could move
resolutions, debate Bills in depth, and vote on Bills. In this
context, the Imperial Legislative Council accepted 24
resolutions out of 168, while the Indian Factories Bill received
30 non-official changes, 7 of which were adopted.
• In addition, as a private member, Mohammad Ali Jinnah
introduced the Waqf-alal-Aulad Bill, which was approved by
the Council. The Act of 1909 was a turning point in India's
constitutional growth, resulting in real politics.

1909 Indian Councils Act

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

1909 Indian Councils Act

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

1909 Indian Councils Act

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

1909 INDIAN COUNCILS ACT

• The legislative councils at the Centre and the provinces

You might also like