Volume-XI, Issue-III, May 2025 |
British Colonialism and the Indian State: Administrative Evolution of India Dhiraj Barman, Research Scholar, Dept of political Science, Cooch Behar Panchanan Barma University, Cooch Behar, West Bengal, India |
Received: 30.04.2025 | Accepted: 18.05.2025 | Published Online: 31.05.2025 | Page No: 489-495 | ||||
DOI: 10.29032/ijhsss.vol.11.issue.03W.046 | |||||||
ABSTRACT | ||
This study actually explores the administrative evolution of India from the British colonial era to the present day, analysing the profound impact of British colonialism on the Indian state. The British colonial power introduced Western bureaucratic institutions, laws and practices, which profoundly influenced India's governance structure. Provides an in-depth analysis of key milestones in India's administrative development, including the gradual transfer of power to Indians. In fact, the study explores how British colonialism influenced India's administrative institutions, policies and practices through modernization. Also analyses the response of Indian nationalists and reformers to British colonial rule, including their demands for self-rule, constitutional reform, and social change. This study argues that understanding the colonial roots of India's administrative institutions is essential to addressing the challenges of governance, development and democracy in contemporary India. It also contends that colonial legacies continue to significantly shape India's governance structures, policy-making processes and administrative practices. This study is informed by a wide range of primary and secondary sources, including British colonial records, nationalist writings and historical accounts. It actually uses a multidisciplinary approach combining insights from history, public policy, politics, sociology and public administration. The study contributes to ongoing debates about colonialism, governance and state-building in India and provides insights for policymakers and practitioners interested in promoting effective and inclusive governance in India. By exploring the complex and contested history of India's administrative evolution, this study aims to provide a nuanced understanding of the colonial legacy and its ongoing impact on Indian governance. It seeks to inform contemporary debates about governance, development and democracy in India and to contribute to the development of more effective and inclusive governance frameworks and practices. Keywords: British Colonialism, Administration, Bureaucracy, Governance, Indian State |