Lord Elgin-II (1894-1899) - Modern India History Notes

Victor Alexander Bruce, 9th Earl of Elgin, 13th Earl of Kincardine, known as Lord Bruce until 1863, was a right-wing British Liberal politician who served as Viceroy of India from 1894 to 1899. Prime Minister Arthur Balfour appointed him to conduct an investigation into the conduct of the Boer War from 1902 to 1903. The Elgin Commission was the first of its kind in the British Empire, and it travelled to South Africa to gather oral testimony from men who had fought in the battles. In this article, we will discuss the Viceroy of India Lord Elgin-II (1894-1899) which will be helpful for UPSC exam preparation.

Lord Elgin-II

Lord Elgin-II - Background

• Elgin II, Lord (1849-1917) served as Governor General and Viceroy of India from October 11, 1894 to January 6, 1899.
• He was born on May 16, 1849 in Montreal, Canada, to Lord Elgin (1811-1863) and educated at Eton and Balliol College, Oxford.
• Trouble erupted in Chitral shortly after his assumption of power in 1895, and it quickly spread to the rest of the neighbouring tribal areas inhabited by Mohmands and Afridis.
• There was a lot of fighting, and because of the hilly terrain, a lot of troops had to be deployed. Military operations on the northwest frontier were the most severe since the Sepoy revolt of 1857.
• By 1898, the tribes had been forced to surrender. Their fortifications were demolished, and the entire area was brought back into order.
• During Elgin's presidency, a terrible epidemic known as bubonic plague erupted in Bombay, killing a large number of people. A famine that struck almost the entire country at the same time exacerbated the situation.
• The plague and famine devastated the country, and it is estimated that three-quarters of a million people died in British territory alone, with another four million receiving aid.
• To provide financial relief during these difficult times, a 5% duty was imposed on all imports into India, with the exception of Manchester goods. This was viewed as a form of indirect protection granted to British products, which proved detrimental to Indian cotton textile manufacturers.

Significant events during his tenure

Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria (1897)

• The Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria was officially celebrated on June 22, 1897, to commemorate the sixty-fifth anniversary of Queen Victoria's accession on June 20, 1837.
• It was the first Diamond Jubilee celebration in the history of any British monarch. The Festival of the British Empire, proposed by Joseph Chamberlain, who promoted the idea of a global celebration fit for a monarch ruling over 450 million people, commemorated the occasion publicly two days later.
• The day has been declared a bank holiday in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and India. The British Army and Royal Navy, along with troops from Canada, India, Africa, and the South Pacific, marched in London.

Murder of W.C Rand​

• Based on the recommendations of the Special Plague Committee, 893 officers and men, both British and native, were placed under the command of Mr. WC Rand and Lieutenant Ayerst. Soldiers went door to door, enforcing anti-plague measures such as rat killing, among other things.
• Most people, however, were illiterate and ignorant, and they saw the plague as God's wrath. They viewed the government's corrective measures as oppression. Riots broke out in various locations as a result of opposition to the government's sanitary policy.
• Bal Gangadhar Tilak was writing inflammatory articles in the Kesari newspaper at the time. WC Rand was assassinated in the midst of the chaos by two Pune teenagers known as the Chapekar brothers.
• This resulted in a slew of arrests and trials. Tilak was sentenced to 18 months in prison with hard labour. Tilak declared in court during this trial, "Swaraj ha maza janamsidh adhikar aahe, ani to mi milavinach," which means "Swaraj is my birthright, and I shall have it." Tilak became a national hero as a result of this statement.
• Meanwhile, the Plague had spread to other parts of India, killing approximately 10 lakh people across the country.

Bubonic Plague 1896-97

• The last five years of the nineteenth century were disastrous for India, bringing a slew of misfortune and distress. The Bubonic plague was discovered in India in October 1896.
• It was endemic in some areas, such as Mesopotamia and Central Asia, but it spread to China, causing 50 thousand deaths, and then to Hong Kong, causing ten thousand deaths.
• The plague spread quickly in the Bombay Presidency, and people began fleeing to Mumbai, Pune, and other cities. In 1897, the death toll began to rise in Pune, and the government decided to take drastic measures to combat the killer disease.

Conclusion

During Elgin's administration, the military organization underwent significant reform. The entire Indian Army was placed under the command of the Commander-in-Chief, with four Lieutenant Generals for Bengal, Madras, Bombay, and the Northwest Provinces, including Punjab. Lord Elgin's administration was marked by difficulties and suffering. Nonetheless, Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee was celebrated across the subcontinent in 1897. He passed away on January 18, 1917.

FAQs

MCQs

Question: The British officer Rand was killed by?

(a) Sayyid Brothers

(b) Chapekar Brothers

(c) Chandrashekhar Azad

(d) None of the above

Question: Which of the following are known as the Chapekar Brothers?

1. Damodar Hari Chapekar
2. Balkrishna Hari Chapekar
3. Binayak Damodar Chapekar
4. Gopal Ganesh Chapekar

Choose the correct option from the following codes:

(a) 1 and 2

(b) 2 and 3

(c) 2 and 4

(d) 1 and 4