Indian Civil Services Act 1861
Topic: The Revolt of 1857 · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The Indian Civil Services Act was passed in 1861, after the Crown took over from the East India Company. It kept certain top posts in government for the "covenanted" civil service. These were officers who had passed an open competitive examination. The examination was held only in London and in English, so very few Indians could get in. In practice the top jobs stayed with Englishmen.
Example
In the years after 1861, an Indian who wanted a top civil service post had to travel to London and pass the examination there. Only a handful of Indians managed it. Low pay and top posts kept for Englishmen were already grievances in 1857, as the Azamgarh Proclamation shows.
Don't confuse with
- Indian High Courts Act 1861: passed in the same year, it reorganised the courts. The Civil Services Act dealt with jobs in government.
Related concepts
- Martial law of 1857
- Siege of Delhi 1857
- Siege of Lucknow
- Hugh Rose
- Kanpur massacres 1857
- Government of India Act 1858
- Lord Canning
- Queen Victoria's Proclamation
- Peel Commission 1859
- Indian Councils Act 1861