India Office
The India Office was a public authority ( Ministry ) of the British government with responsibility for all aspects of management of British India . It was established under the Government of India Act of 1858 and existed until the partition of India in 1947. It was directed by the Secretary of State for India .
history
The Government of India Act of 1858 was passed by the British Parliament on August 2, 1858 , against the backdrop of the Indian Uprising of 1857 . Through him the possessions of the British East India Company were placed under the British Crown as a Crown Colony . The previous Board of Control was dissolved and the India Office was created in its place under the direction of a State Secretary for India. As a member of the Cabinet, he was responsible to the British Parliament and exercised his functions through the Governor General and Viceroy of India and the Indian Civil Service . He was supported by the 15-strong Council of India as an advisory body .
The duties of the India Office included preparing the British Parliament's legislation on all matters relating to India. The Indian Councils Acts of 1861 ff. And the Government of India Acts of 1919 and 1935 are among the important reforms with regard to increased Indian self- government .
A separate Burma Office was created for Burma , which was spun off from British India in 1937 , and the title of State Secretary for India was changed to Secretary of State for India and Burma . The India Office was dissolved in 1947 after India and Pakistan gained independence . Responsibility for the two new Dominions was transferred to the Commonwealth Relations Office (previously the Dominions Office ).
Seat
From 1868 the seat of the India Office was the building of today's Foreign and Commonwealth Office in Whitehall . The offices were located in the west wing of the building with those of the Foreign Office, while the other wing housed the Home Office and the Colonial Office .