What were the main objectives of the British administration policy in India?

Answer 1

At the advent of British rule, the administrative system in India was paternalised, centralized and personalized. The history of British rule can be traced back to A.D.1600, when the British crown granted a group of merchants the monopoly over trade in the Eastern waters. The East India Company, as it was called, was a body of merchant adventures. They arrived in India and company chiefly remained a trading corporation till 1765.

After the decline of the Mughal Empire, the trading component of the company was supplemented by territorial dominion. Before the Britishers came to India, the Portuguese and the Dutches had arrived for the purpose of trade. The East India Company fought a series of battles and established their supremacy by 1773. The Company's two major goals were : Conquest and Consolidation.

The company had a highly centralized administrative structure covering almost all the parts of India. The company created a vast administrative machinery. Robert Clive helped in establishing a strong base for the East India Company. The outbreak of 1857, the first war of Independence, created the setting up of the Act of 1858. The Act ended company rule and Indian administration directly under the British Crown. The Britishers made every effort to protect their trade and territorial interests. They created centralized administrative structure and brought some reforms, administrative and otherwise to suit their changing interests.

It should be noted that the Britishers introduced an administrative system which suited their interests exclusively at the cost of the Indian interests. Their major Objective were maintenance of Law and Order, collection of revenue, retention of important powers in the hand of their civil servants and the bending of the administration to the needs of the imperial power.

Of course, none can expect on the part of colonial rulers to bring development in India. They viewed India as a raw material supplier. The scale, range and intensity of developmental programmes initiated by British in India were naturally quite modest.

They advent of Independence and the system of parliamentary democracy have bought about several changes in the political and administrative systems. However, it should be noted here that the Declaration of Independence removed the chains of the colonial rule which is memorable event in the history of India.