SSC
The Caste Disabilities Removal Act (Freedom of Religion Act), which protected the property and inheritance rights of persons who changed their religion or were expelled from their caste, was passed in:
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Answer: Option B — 1850
Detailed Solution
The Caste Disabilities Removal Act (Act XXI of 1850), also known as the Freedom of Religion Act or the "Lex Loci" Act, was passed in 1850.
About the Act:
- Under traditional Hindu and Muslim law, a person who changed his religion or was expelled from his caste could lose his rights of inheritance and property.
- This Act provided that no person would lose his rights to property or inheritance simply because he had changed his religion or had been expelled from his caste.
- It was extended to the whole of British India.
Why it was passed:
- It was mainly meant to protect the rights of Indians who converted to Christianity, who often lost their share in family property.
- Christian missionaries had pressed for such a law.
- The British also presented it as a step towards religious freedom and equality before the law.
Reactions:
- Orthodox Hindus and Muslims opposed the Act, as they saw it as an interference in their religious and personal laws, and as a measure to encourage conversion.
- It was one of the measures that created a fear among Indians that the British wanted to convert them to Christianity.
- This fear became one of the causes of the Revolt of 1857.
Other social and religious laws of the period:
- The Bengal Sati Regulation (1829).
- The Hindu Widows' Remarriage Act (1856), passed through the efforts of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar.
- The Native Marriage Act (1872).
Significance:
- The principle of the Act, that a change of religion should not cause loss of civil rights, became part of Indian law.
- The Act was repealed in 2017 as part of the removal of obsolete laws, as its purpose is now covered by the Constitution and other laws.
Why not the other options?
- ✗1829 was the year of the ban on sati.
- ✗1856 was the year of the Widows' Remarriage Act.
- ✗1872 was the year of the Native Marriage Act.
Quick tip
Remember: Caste Disabilities Removal Act ("Lex Loci") = 1850 (no loss of property on conversion or expulsion from caste); a cause of fear of conversion before 1857.
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British Acts & Policies — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of British Acts & Policies, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers the constitutional and administrative acts passed during British rule, from the Regulating Act of 1773 and Pitt's India Act of 1784 to the Charter Acts, the Indian Councils Acts, the Government of India Acts of 1919 and 1935, and the Indian Independence Act of 1947, along with British economic, land revenue and education policies. Exam questions usually ask what a particular act introduced: the Indian Councils Act 1909 introduced separate electorates for Muslims, the Government of India Act 1919 brought dyarchy to the provinces, and the 1935 Act provided for a federation and provincial autonomy. Land revenue systems (Permanent Settlement, Ryotwari and Mahalwari) and education milestones such as Wood's Despatch (1854) are also tested. Practise the British acts and policies questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.