Lord Hastings also declared war on Nepal in 1814. The Western Nepal was ceded to the British. The northern frontier was made safe. Another Governor-General, Lord Amherst, declared war on Burma in 1804. In 1826, Lower Burma was conquered by Britain.
However, Lord Dalhousie had contributed the most on laying down the territorial foundation for British rule. He used annexation policy to expand the British India. He first annexed Punjab in March 1849 by the First and Second Sikh War. It was a success as Punjab was well managed after annexation. Law and order returned. Therefore, people were loyal to EIC in the Mutiny. Moreover, he defeated Burmese in the Second Anglo-Burmese War in 1852 so that the size of British India was extended.
Lord Dalhousie used two excuses to annex the Indian states, the Doctrine of Lapse and the Principle of Paramountcy. According to the Doctrine of Lapse, EIC should be informed all the adoptions of son of the old kings of the states. Without the approval, the state would under British rule automatically. For the Principle of Paramountcy, the EIC had the power to intervene the state whenever there was misgovernment. Dalhousie even stopped giving pensions to the ex-sovereign rulers and their families. The ex-rulers lost their titles when they died. In this way, about 150,000 square miles of territory were annexed by the EIC.
The Indian states were badly administered before. When Britain took control over India in 1858, the overall administrative pattern of rule had already been set up. Again, it was the work of EIC. It established an efficient administration system to India. It helped the Indian to adopt the Western style of administration. Britain could then run the policy more efficiently in later years.
In 1784, a Board of Control was set up according to the Pitt’s India Act. Governor-General was the head of the EIC. There were council and executive council under him. At this stage, the administrative pattern of rule had been set up. It laid down the directions of rule for later British rulers to ruler over India.
After that the Charter Act of 1833 introduced a number of changes to the constitution and administration of EIC. The Governor-General was given the law-making power.
Lord Bentinck applied a policy of Retrenchment to the EIC, which cut down the cost of administration by employing full-time civil servants. Their salary was raised but the allowance was cut down. These policies were successful in turning deficit of one million pounds into a surplus of 1.5 million pounds. It built up a better financial background for later British rule.
Later, the 1853 Charter Act continued to increase the government influence over EIC. The membership of Court of Directors and their power were reduced. A new Legislative Council was created.
During Lord Dalhousie’s time, Punjab was annexed. A Board of Administration was set up. Reforms were carried out in Punjab. Finally, Punjab was well managed and put in order and it became a model Province. As there was a great contrast between the standards of administration in British and Indian areas, the Indians might seem to be more likely to accept British rule, as they believed that Western ideas and institution could progress India. Thus, Britain could take direct control over India smoothly in 1858.
Besides, EIC established modern system of education to the Indians. Before, common people were using vernacular language while the well off and the nobles were Persian language. Only the well off and the nobles were educated. The EIC introduced educational reforms to bring western education in English language to the Indians. By turning English to be the official language of India, Indians were easier to accept British rule in the form of English in 1858 onwards. Moreover, the use of English helped to spread religious idea of British. India could then be westernized.
Lord Bentinck carried out the reforms in education by 1835. Calcutta Medical College was set up in 1835. Western technology and ideas were introduced. Textbooks were published. He made English and education a passport to officialdom. It encouraged lots of Indians to study in English in order to be government officials. Bentinck aimed at creating a small group of Western educated elite so that they help to spread to the mass the Western ideas. Surprisingly, it brought a sense of unity to the Indians. They had English as their common language in whish they could speak together and communicate.
The Western educational system made rapid advance in Lord Dalhousie’s time. Wood Despatch in 1854 outlined the education system to be implemented in India. A Department of Public Instruction in each province was to be established, to promote education in the vernacular and higher education in English. He also introduced female education to the Indians. He laid down the foundation of building up the first universities in Calcutta, Bombay and Madras. The emphasis was still on English as a qualification for the public services. These gradual changes in education helped the Indian to accept Western political ideas to prepare for the establishment of British rule in India in 1858.
The EIC also brought about judicial reform to India. It uniformed the pattern of justice and laid down judicial foundation for Britain. It was mainly Lord Bentinck’s work. He began the policy of indianization which let the Indians to take a greater share in court or the legal system. Local languages were used in lower courts but English was used in the higher courts. Bentinck also employed Indians to trial minor offenses involving Indians. He also ordered the law member, Macaulay, to start codification of Indian public law. These reforms planted western ideas and institution on Indian soil.
Lastly, EIC had also done some projects of material progress. The foundation of material progress consolidated British rule and modernized India. It made the British rule easier to be practiced in India. Lord Bentinck made the first gesture of public work but solid foundation was made by Lord Dalhousie. A Public Works Department was set up in 1854. Roads and new harbours were built. The first railway was constructed and opened in April 1853. Dalhousie started the railway scheme and 146 miles of railways were opened to traffic after Dalhousie’s retirement. Telegraphs were developed. Postal service was introduced with a uniform rate of postage throughout the country irrespective distance. Irrigation improvements were made so that agriculture was improved. The irrigation canals which had already begun in the North were greatly extended. The material progress made by Dalhousie had brought closer contact among the Indians. It developed a sense of unity among the Indians, and aroused nationalism. It also linked up different regions of India. British rule could establish throughout India effectively and efficiently.
Finally, EIC had made important steps to open up India and laid down foundation of British rule. The British even thought that their achievement could compare with that of Rome. Order was restored in those areas which under EIC’s control, and they were well managed. The EIC thus gave a framework of security under which Indian traditional patterns of living continued.
