Indian Councils Act 1909
The Indian Councils Act 1909 (9 Edw. 7. c. 4), commonly known as the Morley–Minto or Minto–
Morley Reforms, was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that brought about a limited
increase in the involvement of Indians in the governance of British India. Named after Viceroy Lord
Minto and Secretary of State John Morley, the act introduced elections to legislative councils and
admitted Indians to councils of the Secretary of State for India, the viceroy, and to the executive
councils of Bombay and Madras states. Muslims were granted separate electorates according to
the demands of the Muslim League.
Background Indian Councils Act 1909
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title An Act to amend the
Indian Councils Acts,
1861 and 1892, and
the Government of
India Act, 1833.
Citation 9 Edw. 7. c. 4[1]
In 1906, Lord Minto met with the
Simla Deputation.
Dates
In 1885, the Indian National Congress was
Royal assent 25 May 1909
founded at Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College in
Bombay, gathering a small group of colonial
India's educated elite.[2] One of their main grievances was the difficulty Indians faced when trying to
enter the civil service and administrative roles. Queen Victoria had promised racial equality in the
selection of civil servants for the government of India in the Government of India Act of 1858, but in
practice Indians remained largely outside spheres of power.[3] Examinations for the services were
exclusively held in Great Britain and were open only to male applicants between the ages of 17 and
22 (this was later changed to a range of 17 to 19 in 1878).[4] British administrators' reluctance to
accept Indians into the civil service only further closed administrative positions to Indians.[3][4]
In the face of growing Indian demands, the Indian Councils Act of 1892 introduced several reforms
to the legislative councils in British India; it expanded the number of members in the central and
provincial councils, and permitted universities and other bodies in India to recommend and elect
representatives. However, the government continued to approve many bills despite strong Indian
opposition; additionally, it did not give members control over the budget, as they were only allowed
to debate it, not vote on it. Unhappy with such minor concessions, many Indian National Congress
members blamed the lack of progress on the Congress's moderate strategy and agitated for a more
assertive strategy against the British.
After the Liberal Party's victory in the 1906 general election, liberal philosopher John Morley became
the Secretary of State for India; Morley strove to implement the equality of opportunity promised in
1892,[5] but also wished to 'rally the moderates' against a rising wave of radical nationalists and
political terrorism.[6] In May and June 1906, Morley and the moderate Congress leader Gokhale
discussed the Congress's demands for reforming the Secretary of State's Council, the executive
councils of the viceroy and governors, and the legislative councils.[7] On July 1906, during a speech
on the Indian Budget in the House of Commons, Morley announced that he would consider
proposals on reform.[7] This spurred leaders of the Muslim League to send the Simla Deputation to
advocate for Muslim interests.[7]
Advocation of separate Muslim electorates
On 1 October 1906 Minto received the deputation from the newly founded Muslim League, which
comprised numerous Muslims from all Indian provinces except for the Northwest Frontier.[8] The
Muslim League was founded to prevent the rise of an emergence of a Hindu dominated political
system,[9] and made a number of demands to Minto. They argued that the special interests of
Muslims must be maintained, and pushed for the separate election of Muslims to the provincial
councils and requiring the election of a sufficient number of Muslims to the Imperial Legislative
Council to avoid reducing Muslims to an insignificant minority[8] Minto encouraged the foundation of
the League as a rival organization to the Indian National Congress,[10] and promised to the
deputation that they would give consideration to Muslim demands.[9]
Like the Muslim League, British administrators also sought to prevent the rise of an Indian majority
in the legislature,[9] and persuaded Minto of the danger of Muslim discontent to British rule and that
the League's demands were representative of most Indian Muslims' wishes.[7]
Morley expressed a desire for reconciliation between territorial representation and Muslim
demands, but with the support of Herbert Risley, the Home Secretary, separate Muslim electorates
were successfully implemented in the final plan.[9] This sympathy to the Muslim League led to the
false suspicion that the 1906 deputation had been invited by the viceroy, rather than simply
received.[9]
Morley–Minto Reforms
The Act itself conferred some political reforms. Both central and provincial legislative councils were
increased in size and had their memberships expanded. Local bodies would elect an electoral
college, which in turn would elect the members of provincial legislatures, who in turn would elect
members of the central legislature. Under the Act, Muslim members were to be elected by only
Muslim voters, dividing the electorate.
Previously, provincial councils had a majority of their members appointed from civil service officials,
referred to as an "Official Majority"; with the passage of the act, this system was lifted. However, an
official majority was retained on the Central Legislative Council.
The elected Indians were allowed to table resolutions, debate budgetary matters, and ask
supplementary questions, which they were previously prevented from doing so. Nevertheless, they
were not permitted to discuss foreign policy or relations with the princely states were. The British
executive also retained an absolute veto over all legislation.[5]
Reaction and legacy
After the passage of the Act, Morley appointed two Indian members to his council Whitehall,[5] and
also persuaded the viceroy Lord Minto to appoint the first Indian member to the viceroy's Executive
Council, Satyendra P. Sinha.[5] Though the Act did increase Indian participation in the legislative
councils, the Act did nothing to address the Indian National Congress's demands for colonial self-
government. The introduction of separate electorates for Muslims was viewed by the Congress as
an imperial attempt at control through an elective policy of divide-and-rule.[11]
The First World War substantially changed Indian expectations for representation, with India
providing substantial support for the British war effort in men, material, and money. India's sacrifice
led to stronger demands, which would result in Indian Secretary Edwin Montagu announcing further
constitutional reforms towards responsible government in 1917,[9] eventually leading to the
Montagu–Chelmsford Reforms and the Government of India Act 1919.
See also
Government of India Act (disambiguation)
Indian Councils Act 1861
Indian Councils Act 1892
Government of India Act 1919
References
1. Ilbert 1911, p. 243.
2. "Indian National Congress" (https://inc.in/) . Indian National Congress. Retrieved 7 October
2022.
3. "India - Government of India Act of 1858 | Britannica" (https://www.britannica.com/place/India/
Government-of-India-Act-of-1858) . www.britannica.com. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
4. Kulke & Rothermund 2004, pp. 278–279.
5. "Indian Councils Act of 1909" (https://www.britannica.com/topic/Indian-Councils-Act-of-190
9) . Encyclopædia Britannica. 4 February 2013. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
6. Kulke & Rothermund 2004, pp. 279–280.
7. Hardy, Peter (25 May 1973). The Muslims of British India. Cambridge University Press.
pp. 153–154. ISBN 9780521097833.
8. "Simla Deputation - Banglapedia" (https://en.banglapedia.org/index.php/Simla_Deputation) .
en.banglapedia.org. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
9. Kulke & Rothermund 2004, pp. 280–281.
10. "Gilbert John Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 4th earl of Minto | British official | Britannica" (https://
www.britannica.com/biography/Gilbert-John-Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound-4th-earl-of-Minto) .
www.britannica.com. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
11. "Morley-Minto Reforms - Banglapedia" (https://en.banglapedia.org/index.php/Morley-Minto_Re
forms) . en.banglapedia.org. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
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Hardy, Thomas Hardy (1972). The Muslims of British India (https://books.google.com/books?id=
RDw4AAAAIAAJ) . Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-09783-3.
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Journal of the Society of Comparative Legislation. 11 (2): 243–254. ISSN 1479-5973 (https://ww
w.worldcat.org/issn/1479-5973) . JSTOR 752520 (https://www.jstor.org/stable/752520) .
Kulke, Hermanne; Rothermund, Dietmar (2004). A History of India (https://web.archive.org/web/2
0150226092618/http://ahandfulofleaves.org/documents/A%20History%20of%20India_Kulke.pd
f) (PDF) (4th ed.). Routledge. Archived from the original (http://www.ahandfulofleaves.org/docu
ments/A%20History%20of%20India_Kulke.pdf) (PDF) on 26 February 2015.
Metcalf, Barbara; Metcalf, Thomas (2006). A Concise History of Modern India (http://apnaorg.co
m/books/english/concise-history-india/concise-history-india.pdf) (PDF) (2nd ed.). Cambridge
University Press.
Robb, Peter (2002). A History of India (https://archive.org/details/historyofindia00pete)
(1st ed.). Palgrave.
Robinson, Francis (1974). Separatism Among Indian Muslims: The Politics of the United
Provinces' Muslims, 1860–1923 (https://archive.org/details/separatismamongi0000robi) .
Cambridge University Press.
Stein, Burton (1998). A History of India (1st ed.). Oxford: Blackwell publishers. ISBN 978-0-631-
17899-6.
Talbot, Ian; Singh, Gurharpal (23 July 2009). The Partition of India (https://books.google.com/boo
ks?id=-13aHAAACAAJ) . Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-85661-4.
External links
Bibliography (http://www.houseofdavid.ca/Ind_uni.htm#gon1909)
CADIndia Original Text of the Indian Councils Act with brief summary (https://cadindia.clpr.org.in/
historical_constitutions/indian_councils_act__1909_1st%20January%201909)
