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British Police System in India

British Police System in India: Evolution, Pre-1857 Decentralization, and Post-1861 Reforms #

Pre-1857: British Colonial Influence on Police System in India #

Before 1857, the police system in India was vastly different from the organized and centralized system that exists today. During the early stages of British colonial rule, the existing policing methods were gradually adapted and modified by the British East India Company. The British authorities sought to establish a system that would serve their interests in maintaining control and collecting revenue rather than ensuring justice or protecting the local population.

Evolution of Police System in India: Colonial Influence on India’s Law Enforcement #

  • In its early stages, the colonial state relied on indigenous institutions to control crime. During the early period of Company rule, Warren Hastings, for example, retained the post of the Fauzdars and used the Zamindars’ policing functions.
  • Finding this arrangement insufficient, he also appointed Magistrates in the districts, and each district was divided into smaller subunits, each under the command of a Darogah, who led a gang of 20-30 armed policemen and oversaw the village watchmen, who were in charge of 20-30 villages.
  • The Magistrates exercised overall control over the Darogahs. Cornwallis oversaw the establishment of India’s modern police force. He created Thanas’ Daroga-led system (or circles).

Cornwallis Code (1793)

  • Lord Cornwallis, governor-general of India, gave legal form to the set of policies that comprised British India’s administrative structure, known as the Cornwallis, or Bengal, system.
  • After a set of regulations was published on May 1st, 1793, the system spread throughout northern India, beginning in Bengal.
  • Zamindars’ policing rights were abolished by the Regulation Act of 1793. District Collectors combined revenue-collection duties with police duties as Magistrates in Cornwallis’ administration system.
  • When separate District Superintendents of Police were appointed on the recommendation of the Bird Committee (1808-12), these functions were briefly separated.
  • Prior to the Charter Act of 1833, these were the main pillars of British India’s governance.
  • However, in 1844, the functions of the Collector, Magistrate, and Police were once again combined to address the problem of increasing property crimes.

 

Police Organization In The 1840s: Evolution of Colonial Police System in India’s Provinces #

  • In the 1840s, the Police organization emerged as an autonomous colonial state organ in the North-West Frontier Province as a quasi-military instrument for maintaining order and assisting a fragile political authority.
  • The Sind model, which was found to be well adapted to handling any political disturbance, was applied in Punjab when it was captured in 1849. Bombay and Madras followed in 1853 and 1859, respectively, with slight adjustments.
  • Madras system: The Madras system established a military police force and a civilian unarmed force, both of which were subordinate to the civilian authority of the Collector-Magistrate in the districts.
  • However, the 1857 uprising rattled the foundations of British power, increasing its awareness of the necessity for an efficient information-gathering system.

The 1860 Police Commission: Shaping India’s Provincial Police System in India #

  • The Indian Police Act of 1861 was enacted in response to the Police Commission’s recommendations (1860).
  • The commission established a civil police force that included a superintendent in charge of each district, a deputy inspector-general in charge of each range, and an inspector-general in charge of each province.
  • The police gradually reduced crimes such as dacoity and thuggee.
  • The British did not establish a national police force in India. The Police Act of 1861 established a provincial police force.

Conclusion #

Overall, the police system in India before 1857 was characterized by a decentralized and fragmented structure. It relied on traditional methods of law enforcement, such as chowkidars and local military forces, along with the introduction of British-controlled police forces. The primary focus of the policing practices was on maintaining order and serving the interests of the ruling authority rather than ensuring justice and protecting the rights of the general population.

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 Final Result – CIVIL SERVICES EXAMINATION, 2023.   Udaan-Prelims Wallah ( Static ) booklets 2024 released both in english and hindi : Download from Here!     Download UPSC Mains 2023 Question Papers PDF  Free Initiative links -1) Download Prahaar 3.0 for Mains Current Affairs PDF both in English and Hindi 2) Daily Main Answer Writing  , 3) Daily Current Affairs , Editorial Analysis and quiz ,  4) PDF Downloads  UPSC Prelims 2023 Trend Analysis cut-off and answer key

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UDAAN PRELIMS WALLAH
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Quick Revise Now !
UDAAN PRELIMS WALLAH
Comprehensive coverage with a concise format
Integration of PYQ within the booklet
Designed as per recent trends of Prelims questions
हिंदी में भी उपलब्ध

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