Charles Metcalfe

History glossary

Also called: Liberator of the Indian press · Topic: Europeans in India and the Rise of Company Rule · NCERT: Class 8, Ch 4 "The Colonial Era in India"

Meaning

Charles Metcalfe was a senior British official of the East India Company. He served as acting Governor-General in 1835–36. He is remembered for praising Indian village communities as "little republics" that ran their own affairs. He is also called the "Liberator of the Indian press" because he removed the rules that controlled newspapers.

Example

Metcalfe wrote: "The village communities are little republics, having nearly everything they want within themselves… Dynasty after dynasty tumbles down… but the village community remains the same." This shows how strong India's local self-government (village councils managing their own affairs) was before British rule broke it down. In 1835 Metcalfe also removed the licensing rules that newspapers had needed.

Don't confuse with

  • Lord Wellesley: he brought in strict press censorship in 1799. Metcalfe did the opposite and freed the press in 1835.

Related concepts

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