Lord Hardinge-II (1910-1916)

Introduction #

Lord Hardinge served as India’s Viceroy from 1910 until 1916. He had joined the diplomatic corps in 1880 and held the positions of first secretary and ambassador to Russia while living in Tehran. But he had almost little administrative experience.  This young viceroy had a soft spot for the native people and wanted to gain their respect. 

Significant Events During His Tenure #

1911: Delhi Durbar #

King George V became king of England in 1910 as a result of succession. He travelled to India in 1911, where a Darbar was organised to honour King George V and Queen Mary’s coronation. 

• The pomp and display of this Darbar at the expense of the underprivileged Indians were denounced in a resolution passed by Congress. 
• King proclaimed that Delhi will replace Calcutta as the capital of India. The declaration that the Partition of Bengal is void was made in the same Darbar.

1912: Delhi Conspiracy Case  #

In 1912, the Delhi Conspiracy Case, Delhi-Lahore Conspiracy Case, or Hardinge Bomb Case occurred when some Yugantar members detonated a bomb in Chandni Chowk, 

• Delhi, with the intention of killing Lord Harding. Ras Behari Bose, who afterwards hid out and escaped to Japan, was supposed to have planned this conspiracy. 
• Basant Kumar Biswas, Amir Chand, and Avadh Behari were found guilty and put to death after the trial.

1913: Formation Of Ghadar Party #

Lal Hardayal, one of its members, settled in San Francisco and practised industrial unionism. 

• He founded the Pacific Coast Hindustan Association, often known as the Ghadar Party, in 1913, electing Sohan Singh Bhakna as its leader. 
• The party’s participants were Sikh immigrants from the US and Canada.

1914: World War I Began #

When World War I broke out on June 28, 1914, India automatically entered the conflict as a combatant.  

• The majority of Indian society supported the empire when the British government asked for their assistance. 
• The moderates backed the war because they didn’t know if their demands for self-government would be met after it was finished.

Evaluation Of His Tenure #

• Hardinge received widespread support for his opposition to the Anti-India Immigration Act of the South African government and for his support of Gandhi’s passive resistance movement.
• In the Pabna district, the Hardinge bridge over the Padma near Ishwardi was given his name upon completion in 1917.

Conclusion #

He was once more named permanent under-secretary for foreign affairs upon his return to England in 1916, and after serving as ambassador to Paris for a while, he eventually retired in 1922. He died in August 1944. His autobiography, My Indian Years, 1910–1916, was released in 1948.