John Stuart Mill and the East India Company 1848 to 1858

Thesis

This thesis looks at whether John Stuart Mill was able to apply his ideas when responsible for relations with the Indian Princely States in the last years of Company rule. It draws chiefly on his ‘Political Despatches’ from 1848 to 1858. The historiography of this period is limited and so far this material has not been researched by scholars, though it throws much light on both Mill’s life and on Company influence in India. The thesis excludes Mill’s brief role as Chief Examiner and unfortunately the records which can be demonstrated to have been written by Mill reveal almost nothing about the so-called ‘Indian Mutiny’.

Mill’s policies for India are derived from his early writings, particularly on economics, and the financial and organisational environment in which Mill operated is examined. It is concluded that despite the constraints in resources he had a substantial degree of freedom to act in influencing the princes and that the dispatches can be said with a high degree of certainty to be his own work.

Policies relating to law and order, the Doctrine of Lapse, princely debt, education, tribal people, religion, slavery, ‘suttee’ and infanticide are examined. It is argued that ‘Lapse’ is often misunderstood in the historiography and must be seen in the light of Mill’s published ideas, and that the extent and significance of princely debt has been underestimated. Indian culture and religion were generally handled considerately, as potential problems to be managed, though interventions were made in the significant areas of slavery, ‘suttee’ and infanticide. Campaigns against slavery and infanticide in particular have received little attention, though they carried some risks for the administration.

It is concluded that Mill often pushed further than the Company might otherwise have moved and that his characteristic ideas are evident in the records.

Authors: Dalkin, A

• DOI: 10.5287/ora-wxo4vzbqe
• Type of award: DPhil
• Level of award: Doctoral
• Awarding institution: University of Oxford
• Language: English
• Keywords: Suttee; East India Company; Indian Princes; infanticide; Doctrine of Lapse; John Stuart Mill; slavery
• Subjects: Indian Princes; Economics; Doctrine of Lapse; John Stuart Mill; Social policy; Liberalism