The Indian Government Act of 1858 was a British Act of Parliament that was passed to reform the governance of India and to transfer the powers of the East India Company to the British Crown. The East India Company was a British trading company that had been granted the right to trade in India by the British government. However, the company had also acquired significant territories in India and had been exercising a degree of political control over these territories.
The Indian Government Act of 1858 made several significant changes to the way India was governed, including the following:
It transferred the powers of the East India Company to the British Crown and dissolved the company.
It established a new system of government in India, consisting of a Governor-General and a Council. The Governor-General was to be the supreme authority in India and was to be assisted by a Council of four members. The Governor-General and the Council were to be appointed by the British Crown.
It granted the Governor-General and the Council the power to make laws and regulations for India, subject to the approval of the British Crown.
It granted the Governor-General and the Council the power to appoint and remove officials in India.
It granted the British government the power to regulate trade and revenue policies in India.
The Indian Government Act of 1858 was a significant milestone in the history of British India and had far-reaching consequences for the governance of the country. It marked the beginning of direct British rule in India and marked the end of the East India Company's role in the governance of the country.