Essay On Indian Federalism

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Indian federalism starts with British involvement in the Indian subcontinent. As a sense of Indian nationality grew amongst the subcontinent’s inhabitants, federal features increasingly come into view.

Over the course of the 18th century the British expanded their influence in the Indian subcontinent. They gradually took control of the entire area. An official system of governance solidified this gradual increase in influence and was instituted on June 28, 1858, when the rule of the British east India company was transferred to the crown in the person of queen Victoria. The system of governance under the British crown was a mixture of both centralized and decentralized administrative structures10. Centralization at one extreme was seen in the power of the Secretary of State for India. The Secretary of state governed through the viceroy and was assisted by an executive council. No separation of legislative, executive and judicial powers occurred in this system. The side of decentralization was exemplified by the relationship between the Indian princely states and the British …show more content…

An example of this can be seen in the separation of Assam from the Bengal presidency in 1885. Administrative decentralization is not the same as federalism11, but a moves aimed at creating greater say for Indians were increasingly clear. A clear example of this shift toward greater say can be seen in the formation of the Indian National Congress in 1885. The Congress developed a structure resembling federalism, in that it was organized on the basis of linguistic lines and regional circles. This linguistic bases proved to give a foreshadowing of future federal structures as they reflected both natural boundaries and regional identities12. The period leading up to world war 1 saw a rapid development of national identity, specifically among the Indian

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