Defence
The first Viceroy to officially shift the government (his council) to Simla (Shimla) during the summer season was:
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Answer: Option A — Sir John Lawrence
Detailed Solution
Sir John Lawrence, the Viceroy of India from 1864 to 1869, was the first Viceroy to officially move the government (with his council) to Simla (Shimla) during the summer season, from 1864.
About Simla as the summer capital:
- British officials had visited Simla since the 1820s, to escape the heat of the plains.
- From 1864, it became the official summer capital of British India.
- Every year, the Viceroy, his council and many government departments moved from Calcutta (and later Delhi) to Simla for the summer months.
- The Viceregal Lodge was built there in 1888; it now houses the Indian Institute of Advanced Study.
- The Kalka-Shimla railway (1903) made travel easier; it is now part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Mountain Railways of India".
- After Independence, Simla became the capital of Himachal Pradesh.
NCERT on hill stations:
- NCERT notes that hill stations were a distinctive feature of colonial urban development.
- They were first set up as places for British troops to recover from illness, and as sanatoriums.
- Simla (present-day Shimla) was founded during the course of the Gurkha War (1815-1816).
- In 1864, the Viceroy John Lawrence officially moved his council to Simla, setting the seal on the practice of shifting capitals during the hot season.
- Simla also became the official residence of the Commander-in-Chief of the Indian army.
About Sir John Lawrence:
- He was the Chief Commissioner of Punjab, and kept Punjab loyal during the Revolt of 1857; he was called the "Saviour of Punjab".
- As Viceroy, he followed a policy of non-interference in Afghanistan, which was called "masterly inactivity".
- High Courts were set up in Calcutta, Bombay and Madras during this period.
- He created the Indian Forest Department (1864).
- Famines took place in Odisha (1866) and Bundelkhand and Rajputana (1868-69); a Famine Commission was set up under Sir George Campbell after the Odisha famine.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Canning, Elgin I and Mayo were other Viceroys.
Quick tip
Remember: first Viceroy to move his council to Simla in summer = Sir John Lawrence (1864; NCERT); "masterly inactivity" in Afghanistan; "Saviour of Punjab".
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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.