Lord Lytton - Important Personalities of Modern India

Edward Robert Lytton Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Earl of Lytton, also known as Lord Lytton, was an English politician who was Viceroy of India from 1876 to 1880. Because of his handling of the Great Indian Famine of 1876-1878 and the Second Anglo-Afghan War, he is widely regarded as a ruthless viceroy. The article will provide information about Lord Lytton in relation to the Civil Services Examination.

Lord Lytton

• Lytton was born on November 8, 1831, in London, England, to Edward Bulwer-Lytton and Rosina Doyle Wheeler. His mother was an outspoken supporter of women's rights, which put her at odds with his conservative father.
• In 1849, Lord Lytton joined the diplomatic corps as an attaché to his uncle, Sir Henry Bulwer.
• His diplomatic career began in earnest in 1852, when he was assigned to Florence. He worked in a number of other European cities, including St. Petersburg, Vienna, and Paris, before being appointed British Consul General in Belgrade in 1860.
• By 1876, Lytton had been appointed Governor-General and Viceroy of India.

Viceroy of India

• Lytton's viceroyalty was characterized by ruthlessness in both domestic and foreign affairs.
• At the time, India was in the grip of a famine caused by crop failure in 1876. In response, he called a durbar and declared Queen Victoria to be the "Empress of India."
• His administration's failure to respond contributed to between 6.1 million and 10.3 million deaths.
• Historians speculate that his belief in Social Darwinism contributed to his negative attitude toward Indian peasants suffering from famine.

Lytton and free trade

• Because it suited the interests of an industrially advanced nation, free trade had become a passion among ruling circles in England until this time.
• Lancashire cotton manufacturers were envious of new cotton mills opening in Bombay and sought to demolish them.
• They criticized the levies imposed on goods exported to India. They referred to this as a defensive measure against the Laissez Faire.
• The British government passed the Act and notified the Indian government that duties would be repealed when financial conditions permitted.
• Despite India's poor financial situation as a result of the Famine, Lytton abolished import duties on 29 items such as sugar, sheetings, and so on (even against the wishes of his council)

Second Anglo-Afghan War

• During Lord Lytton's tenure in Afghanistan, the Russian and British Empires engaged in a series of political maneuvers for influence in Central Asia.
• Afghanistan was an important player in this game because its location served as a buffer between the two empires.
• Lord Lytton made friendly overtures to Afghanistan's Amir, Sher Ali Khan. Shel Ali Khan was thought to be pro-Russian, and no effort was spared to persuade him otherwise.
• Sir Neville Bowles Chamberlain was sent as an envoy to Afghanistan in September 1878, but he was denied an audience.
• Lytton planned an invasion of Afghanistan after exhausting all diplomatic options, resulting in the Second Anglo-Afghan War.
• Britain won all of the battles, and the Treaty of Gandamak established a more British-friendly Amir as the ruler of Afghanistan.

Vernacular Press Act

• People were dissatisfied with Lytton's unpopular policies, and the native vernacular press mocked him. He drafted the Vernacular Press Act to curtail the wings of the Vernacular Press.
• By virtue of this act, District Magistrates were empowered, without prior permission from the government, to compel a printer and publisher of any kind to enter into a bond, undertaking not to publish anything that might incite discontent against the government.
• The magistrate was also given the authority to deposit security, which could be confiscated if the printer violated the bond.
• If the printer violates again, his press may be seized.
• The worst aspect of this Act was that it discriminated against Native Vernacular Press and loyal Anglo-Indian Press and was dubbed the Gagging Act.
• It was specifically aimed at Amrita Bazaar Patrika, which had turned English overnight in order to avoid being caught up in the act.

Financial Reforms

• Famine struck Bombay, Madras, Mysore, Hyderabad, and parts of Central India and Punjab. A population of 5.8 crores was affected, and 50 lakh people died in a single year, according to Romesh Dutt.
• The government made only half-hearted efforts to assist the famine-stricken. The government's famine machinery was insufficient.
• In 1878, Richard Strachey established the Famine Commission, which opposed the provision of gratuitous assistance and advocated for able-bodied people to be given jobs at wages sufficient to maintain their health. For this, he recommended the construction of a railway and irrigation works. (This also laid the groundwork for famine policy.)

Royal Titles Act, 1876 & Grand Darbar of 1877

• The Royal Titles Act, passed by the British Parliament, bestowed the title of Kaiser-i-Hind, or Queen Empress of India, on Queen Victoria.
• On January 1, 1877, a Grand Darbar was held in Delhi to announce the assumption of the Title by the people and princes of India.
• Unfortunately, Darbar was held at a time when many parts of the country were suffering from famine. Lytton lavished millions on pomp while allowing people to starve. This fueled a current of national humiliation among Indians.
• The Calcutta Journal opined, "Nero was fiddling while Rome burned."
• Darbar, on the other hand, proved to be a blessing in disguise. Despite the fact that it demoted the Princes from allies to feudatories the author of the Bill unintentionally and against his will raised the status of Indian subjects of the Queen to that of citizens of the British Empire, encouraging people like SN Banerjee to form an Indian association to address their grievances.

Conclusion

Lytton was, without a doubt, a thinker, but he was a failure as a ruler of India. Experts point to Lytton and Curzon as two viceroys who did more harm than good to India and England's position in India than any other men. Lytton's unpopular and repressive policy instilled discontent in the masses. The unrest had spread and was becoming dangerous. His policies laid the groundwork for the emergence of nationalism in India.

FAQs

MCQs

Question: Who proposed the Vernacular Press Act?

(a) Lord Northbrook

(b) Lord Lytton

(c) Lord Mayo

(d) Lord Ellenborough

Question: Consider the following statements regarding Lord Lytton’s rule

(a) Queen Victoria was declared as Kesar-i-Hind

(b) Vernacular Press Act was passed

(c) The first Anglo-Afghan War took place

(d) The Great Famine of India occurred which was handled half-heartedly.