Commissions and Committees of British India: Years and Chairmen
Notes on the commissions and committees of British India: year, chairman and outcome of each, from Wood's Despatch and Hunter to Simon, Hilton Young and Whitley.
By GK24 Editorial Team· Published · 5 min read
The British governed India through enquiry. Whenever a famine, a riot, a currency crisis or a demand for self-government forced the government's hand, it appointed a commission or a committee, took evidence for a year or two and published a report; the report then became an Act, a department or a new policy. For a candidate this is one of the most profitable chapters in modern Indian history, because the questions are fixed pairs: the commission, its year, its chairman and what came out of it. Examiners also love two traps built into the list, the two Hunters of 1882 and 1919 and the two Public Service enquiries of 1886 and 1924. This note arranges the commissions by subject so that the pairs are easy to revise.
Education commissions and committees
| Body | Year | Head | What it did |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wood's Despatch | 1854 | Sir Charles Wood | Called the Magna Carta of English education in India; asked for departments of education and universities |
| Indian Education Commission (Hunter Commission) | 1882 | Sir William Wilson Hunter | Appointed by Lord Ripon; stressed primary education in the vernacular and transfer of schools to local bodies |
| Indian Universities Commission (Raleigh Commission) | 1902 | Sir Thomas Raleigh | Report led to the Indian Universities Act, 1904 under Lord Curzon |
| Calcutta University Commission (Sadler Commission) | 1917–19 | Sir Michael Sadler | Recommended a separate intermediate stage and reform of secondary and university education |
| Hartog Committee | 1929 | Sir Philip Hartog | Criticised the wasteful expansion of primary education and asked for consolidation, not multiplication |
| Sargent Report | 1944 | Sir John Sargent | Post-war plan of the Central Advisory Board of Education for free, compulsory education within forty years |
Constitutional and political enquiries
The Indian Statutory Commission, universally known as the Simon Commission, was announced in November 1927 under Sir John Simon to review the working of the Government of India Act, 1919. All seven members were British, with not a single Indian, and the Congress session at Madras in December 1927 resolved to boycott it; when it landed at Bombay on 3 February 1928 the country met it with black flags and the cry 'Simon, go back'. In the Lahore demonstration of 30 October 1928 Lala Lajpat Rai was injured in a lathi charge and died on 17 November 1928. The commission's report of 1930 led to the Round Table Conferences, while the Indian answer to its challenge was the Nehru Report of 1928, drafted by a committee of the All Parties Conference under Motilal Nehru.
- Sedition Committee (Rowlatt Committee), 1918, under Sir Sidney Rowlatt: its report produced the Rowlatt Act of 1919 and with it the Rowlatt Satyagraha.
- Disorders Inquiry Committee (Hunter Committee), 1919, under Lord William Hunter: enquired into the Jallianwala Bagh massacre; its mild censure of General Dyer led the Indian members to write a minority report.
- Reforms Enquiry Committee (Muddiman Committee), 1924, under Sir Alexander Muddiman: examined the working of dyarchy under the 1919 Act and split into a majority and a minority report.
- Indian States Committee (Butler Committee), 1927, under Sir Harcourt Butler: held that the princely states' relationship was with the Crown and not with the Government of India.
- Indian Franchise Committee (Lothian Committee), 1932, under Lord Lothian: worked out the extension of the franchise for the reforms that became the Government of India Act, 1935.
Services, police and expenditure
| Body | Year | Head | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public Service Commission (Aitchison Commission) | 1886 | Sir Charles Aitchison | Divided the services into Imperial, Provincial and Subordinate |
| Royal Commission on Public Services (Islington Commission) | 1912 | Lord Islington | Recommended more Indians in the higher services; report delayed by the First World War |
| Royal Commission on the Superior Civil Services (Lee Commission) | 1923–24 | Viscount Lee of Fareham | Recommended a Public Service Commission, set up in 1926 |
| Indian Police Commission | 1902–03 | Sir Andrew Fraser | Reorganised the police and created the Criminal Investigation Department |
| Royal Commission on Indian Expenditure (Welby Commission) | 1895 | Lord Welby | Examined the division of charges between England and India; Dadabhai Naoroji was a member |
Famine, currency, industry, labour and land
- Famine commissions: the Campbell Commission of 1866 after the Orissa famine, the Strachey Commission of 1880 which produced the first Famine Code, the Lyall Commission of 1898, the MacDonnell Commission of 1901 and the Famine Inquiry Commission of 1944 under Sir John Woodhead on the Bengal famine of 1943.
- Indigo Commission, 1860, appointed after the Indigo Revolt in Bengal; the planters' coercion was exposed and indigo cultivation collapsed in the district.
- Indian Industrial Commission, 1916–18, under Sir Thomas Holland, which led to a department of industries.
- Indian Fiscal Commission, 1921–22, under Sir Ibrahim Rahimtoola, which recommended discriminating protection for Indian industry.
- Royal Commission on Indian Currency and Finance (Hilton Young Commission), 1926, which recommended a central bank; the Reserve Bank of India was finally established under the Act of 1934 and began work in 1935.
- Royal Commission on Agriculture, 1928, under Lord Linlithgow, on whose recommendation the Imperial (now Indian) Council of Agricultural Research was set up in 1929.
- Royal Commission on Labour, 1929–31, under J. H. Whitley, whose report led to the Factories Act, 1934 and the Payment of Wages Act, 1936.
- Land Revenue Commission (Floud Commission), 1938–40, in Bengal, which recommended the abolition of the Permanent Settlement and of the zamindari system.
The two pairs that decide a mark
- Hunter, 1882 is education under Ripon; Hunter, 1919 is the Jallianwala Bagh enquiry. Different men, different subjects, thirty-seven years apart.
- Aitchison, 1886 only classified the services; it is Lee, 1924 that gave India its Public Service Commission in 1926.
Exam Point of View
Papers ask this chapter as a straight pair: name the chairman of a commission, the year of a commission, or the Act or body that followed from its report. Matching questions pairing four commissions with four years are common in SSC and Railway papers, and UPSC-style statements test the outcome rather than the name. The standing traps are the two Hunters (education in 1882, Jallianwala Bagh in 1919), Aitchison against Lee for the Public Service Commission, Hilton Young against Chamberlain for the Reserve Bank, and attaching the Nehru Report to the Simon Commission's own members instead of to the All Parties Conference.
Important Facts
| Wood's Despatch, 1854 | Sir Charles Wood; Magna Carta of English education in India |
|---|---|
| Hunter Commission, 1882 | W. W. Hunter; Indian Education Commission under Lord Ripon |
| Raleigh Commission, 1902 | Sir Thomas Raleigh; led to the Indian Universities Act, 1904 |
| Sadler Commission, 1917–19 | Sir Michael Sadler; Calcutta University Commission |
| Hartog Committee, 1929 | Sir Philip Hartog; consolidation of primary education |
| Sargent Report, 1944 | Sir John Sargent; post-war educational development plan |
| Rowlatt Committee, 1918 | Sir Sidney Rowlatt; Sedition Committee, led to the Rowlatt Act, 1919 |
| Hunter Committee, 1919 | Lord William Hunter; Disorders Inquiry into Jallianwala Bagh |
| Muddiman Committee, 1924 | Sir Alexander Muddiman; Reforms Enquiry Committee on dyarchy |
| Simon Commission, 1927 | Sir John Simon; all-British, boycotted, report of 1930 led to the Round Table Conferences |
| Butler Committee, 1927 | Sir Harcourt Butler; princely states' relations with the Crown |
| Aitchison Commission, 1886 | Sir Charles Aitchison; Imperial, Provincial and Subordinate services |
| Lee Commission, 1923–24 | Viscount Lee of Fareham; Public Service Commission set up in 1926 |
| Hilton Young Commission, 1926 | Royal Commission on Indian Currency and Finance; recommended a central bank |
| Royal Commission on Agriculture, 1928 | Lord Linlithgow; led to the Imperial Council of Agricultural Research, 1929 |
| Royal Commission on Labour, 1929–31 | J. H. Whitley; led to the Factories Act, 1934 and Payment of Wages Act, 1936 |
| Famine Inquiry Commission, 1944 | Sir John Woodhead; on the Bengal famine of 1943 |
| Floud Commission, 1938–40 | Sir Francis Floud; Bengal Land Revenue Commission, against the Permanent Settlement |
Practice MCQs on this topic
When was Simon Commission sent to India?
- A.1937
- B.1927
- C.1917
- D.1958
Show answer
The British Government announced the Indian Statutory Commission in November 1927 under Sir John Simon to review the working of the Government of India Act, 1919; the commission itself reached Bombay on 3 February 1928 and submitted its report in 1930.
Read the full explanation →A resolution boycotting the Simon Commission was passed at the 1927 ____ Congress session.
- A.Kanpur
- B.Lucknow
- C.Lahore
- D.Madras
Show answer
The annual session of the Indian National Congress held at Madras in December 1927, presided over by Dr M. A. Ansari, resolved to boycott the Simon Commission at every stage and in every form, and the same session passed a resolution on complete independence.
Read the full explanation →The Simon Commission which was sent by the British Government was boycotted because:
- A.The Commission curbed financial independence of India.
- B.The Commission did not have any Indian member.
- C.There were differences amongst the members.
- D.It gave special powers to the Princely states.
Show answer
All seven members of the Indian Statutory Commission were British members of Parliament, among them Clement Attlee, and Indians of every party read this as a declaration that they were unfit to decide their own constitution; hence the boycott and the slogan 'Simon, go back'.
Read the full explanation →Which commission recommended the establishment of a central bank for India, a recommendation that took shape as the Reserve Bank of India?
- A.Fowler Commission
- B.Chamberlain Commission
- C.Hilton Young Commission
- D.Babington Smith Committee
Show answer
The Royal Commission on Indian Currency and Finance of 1926, named after its chairman Edward Hilton Young, recommended that the functions of currency and credit be taken away from the Government and handed to a central bank; the recommendation was carried out by the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934…
Read the full explanation →The Indian Education Commission of 1882, appointed during the viceroyalty of Lord Ripon, was headed by:
- A.Sir Charles Wood
- B.Sir William Wilson Hunter
- C.Sir Thomas Raleigh
- D.Sir Michael Sadler
Show answer
The Indian Education Commission of 1882, known as the Hunter Commission, reviewed the progress of education since Wood's Despatch and recommended that the State pay special attention to primary education in the vernacular and hand schools over to the newly created local boards, in keeping with Ripon's local self-government resolution.
Read the full explanation →On the recommendation of which commission was the Imperial Council of Agricultural Research set up in 1929?
- A.Royal Commission on Agriculture, 1928
- B.Indian Industrial Commission, 1916
- C.Indian Fiscal Commission, 1921
- D.Floud Commission, 1938
Show answer
Appointed in 1926 and chaired by Lord Linlithgow, it examined the condition of Indian agriculture and rural life and recommended a central body to coordinate agricultural research, which was established in 1929 as the Imperial Council of Agricultural Research, renamed the Indian Council of Agricultural Research after independence.
Read the full explanation →The Royal Commission on Labour in India, appointed in 1929, was chaired by:
- A.J. H. Whitley
- B.Lord Islington
- C.Sir Ibrahim Rahimtoola
- D.Lord Linlithgow
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John Henry Whitley, a former Speaker of the House of Commons, chaired the Royal Commission on Labour in India, which reported in 1931 on wages, hours, housing and the health of industrial workers; its findings lay behind the Factories Act, 1934, the Payment of Wages Act, 1936 and later labour…
Read the full explanation →Which commission's report led to the establishment of the first Public Service Commission in India in 1926?
- A.Aitchison Commission
- B.Islington Commission
- C.Lee Commission
- D.Welby Commission
Show answer
The Royal Commission on the Superior Civil Services in India of 1923–24, under Viscount Lee of Fareham, recommended rates of Indianisation for the services and the immediate setting up of a Public Service Commission; it was established in 1926 and became the Federal Public Service Commission under the Government of…
Read the full explanation →The Sedition Committee of 1918, whose report led to the passing of the Rowlatt Act, was headed by:
- A.Sir Sidney Rowlatt
- B.Lord William Hunter
- C.Sir Alexander Muddiman
- D.Sir Harcourt Butler
Show answer
The Sedition Committee of 1918, appointed under the English judge Sir Sidney Rowlatt, examined revolutionary conspiracies in India and recommended special powers for the executive, which Parliament granted in the Anarchical and Revolutionary Crimes Act of 1919, popularly the Rowlatt Act, allowing detention without trial; Gandhi's Rowlatt Satyagraha followed.
Read the full explanation →The Famine Inquiry Commission appointed in 1944 to enquire into the Bengal famine of 1943 was headed by:
- A.Sir Richard Strachey
- B.Sir Antony MacDonnell
- C.Sir John Woodhead
- D.Sir George Campbell
Show answer
The Famine Inquiry Commission of 1944, under the former Chief Secretary of Bengal Sir John Woodhead, enquired into the Bengal famine of 1943 and held administrative failure, the loss of Burmese rice and the absence of a proper relief policy responsible for the deaths.
Read the full explanation →Frequently Asked Questions
Who headed the Simon Commission and why was it boycotted in India?
Sir John Simon headed it. All seven members were British members of Parliament and no Indian was included, so Indians read it as a denial of their right to frame their own constitution; the Congress session at Madras in December 1927 resolved to boycott it.
What is the difference between the Hunter Commission of 1882 and the Hunter Committee of 1919?
The Hunter Commission of 1882, under W. W. Hunter, was the Indian Education Commission appointed by Lord Ripon. The Hunter Committee of 1919, under Lord William Hunter, was the Disorders Inquiry Committee on the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.
Which commission recommended the establishment of a central bank for India?
The Royal Commission on Indian Currency and Finance of 1926, known as the Hilton Young Commission. Its recommendation was carried out by the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, and the Reserve Bank began working on 1 April 1935.
Which commission led to the setting up of the Imperial Council of Agricultural Research?
The Royal Commission on Agriculture of 1928, chaired by Lord Linlithgow. On its recommendation the Imperial Council of Agricultural Research, now the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, was established in 1929.
Which commission recommended a Public Service Commission for India?
The Lee Commission, the Royal Commission on the Superior Civil Services in India of 1923–24 under Viscount Lee of Fareham. The first Public Service Commission in India was accordingly set up in 1926.
Whose report led to the Rowlatt Act of 1919?
The report of the Sedition Committee of 1918, headed by Sir Sidney Rowlatt, which recommended special powers to deal with revolutionary activity. The resulting Rowlatt Act allowed detention without trial and provoked the Rowlatt Satyagraha.
Sources
- Themes in Indian History Part III (Class XII), chapters on colonial rule and nationalism — NCERT
- India's Struggle for Independence: the Simon Commission and the constitutional enquiries — National Book Trust / standard reading on the national movement
