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Q92 (IAS/2014) History & Culture › Modern India (Pre-1857) › Queen Victoria Proclamation Official Key

What was/were the object/objects of Queen Victoria's Proclamation (1858)? 1. To disclaim any intention to annex Indian States 2. To place the Indian administration under the British Crown 3. To regulate East India Company's trade with India Select the correct answer using the code given below.

Result
Your answer: —  ·  Correct: A
Explanation

Queen Victoria's Proclamation of 1858 had two main objectives reflected in statements 1 and 2. As per the Queen's proclamation, the era of annexations and expansion had ended and the British promised to respect the dignity and rights of the native princes.[1] This clearly disclaims any intention to annex Indian States. Because of the states' loyalty during the 1857 revolt and their potential use as breakwaters in political storms of the future, the policy of annexation was abandoned. The new policy was to punish or depose but not to annex.[2]

Regarding statement 2, the Act declared Queen Victoria as the sovereign of British India and provided for the appointment of a Secretary of State for India. The direct responsibility for the administration of the country was assumed by the British Crown and Company rule was abolished.[3]

Statement 3 is incorrect because the 1858 Proclamation did not regulate the East India Company's trade with India. Instead, it transferred governance from the Company to the Crown, effectively ending the Company's administrative role altogether. The Proclamation was about governance and political administration, not trade regulation.

Sources
  1. [1] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 7: The Revolt of 1857 > Consequences > p. 183
  2. [2] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 34: The Indian States > IV. Policy of Subordinate Union (1857-1935) > p. 605
  3. [3] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 7: The Revolt of 1857 > Consequences > p. 182
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Don’t just practise – reverse-engineer the question. This panel shows where this PYQ came from (books / web), how the examiner broke it into hidden statements, and which nearby micro-concepts you were supposed to learn from it. Treat it like an autopsy of the question: what might have triggered it, which exact lines in the book matter, and what linked ideas you should carry forward to future questions.
Q. What was/were the object/objects of Queen Victoria's Proclamation (1858)? 1. To disclaim any intention to annex Indian States 2. To plac…
At a glance
Origin: Books + Current Affairs Fairness: Moderate fairness Books / CA: 6.7/10 · 3.3/10
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This is a classic 'Timeline Consistency' test. Statements 1 and 2 are the core definition of the 1858 shift found in every basic text. Statement 3 is a historical anachronism—the Company's trade role had already been dismantled by the Acts of 1813 and 1833. If you knew the commercial timeline, this was a sitter.

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1
Did Queen Victoria's Proclamation (1858) disclaim any intention to annex Indian States?
Origin: Direct from books Fairness: Straightforward Book-answerable
From standard books
Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 7: The Revolt of 1857 > Consequences > p. 183
Presence: 5/5
“Many of the promises made in that proclamation appeared to be of a positive nature to the Indians. As per the Queen's proclamation, the era of annexations and expansion had ended and the British promised to respect the dignity and rights of the native princes. The Indian states were henceforth to recognise the paramountcy of the British Crown and were to be treated as parts of a single charge. The people of India were promised freedom of religion without interference from British officials. The proclamation also promised equal and impartial protection under law to all Indians, besides equal opportunities in government services irrespective of race or creed.”
Why this source?
  • Explicitly states that 'as per the Queen's proclamation, the era of annexations and expansion had ended'.
  • Says the proclamation promised to respect dignity and rights of native princes, implying no intention to annex.
Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 34: The Indian States > IV. Policy of Subordinate Union (1857-1935) > p. 605
Presence: 4/5
“The year 1858 saw the assumption of direct responsibility by the Crown. Because of the states' loyalty during the 1857 revolt and their potential use as breakwaters in political storms of the future, the policy of annexation was abandoned. The new policy was to punish or depose but not to annex. After 1858, the fiction of authority of the Mughal emperor ended; sanction for all matters of succession was required from the Crown since the Crown stood forth as the unquestioned ruler and the paramount power. Now the ruler inherited the gaddi not as a matter of right but as a gift from the paramount power, because the fiction of Indian states standing in a status of equality with the Crown as independent, sovereign states ended with the Queen adopting the title of "Kaiser-i-Hind" (Queen Empress of India).”
Why this source?
  • Links the year 1858 with abandonment of annexation policy following Crown assumption of responsibility.
  • Specifies the new policy was to punish or depose but not to annex, tied to the 1858 change.
Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 27: Survey of British Policies in India > British Policy Towards Princely States > p. 539
Presence: 4/5
“empire and subordinating them completely to British authority (the policy of subordinate union). To cultivate these states as a buffer against future political unrest and to reward them for their loyalty during the revolt of 1857, the policy of annexation was abandoned. The new policy was to depose or punish but not annex. Also, territorial integrity of states was guaranteed and it was announced that their right to adopt an heir would be respected. The subordination of princely states to British authority was completed when the fiction of Indian states standing in a status of equality with the Crown as independent, sovereign states ended with the Queen adopting the title of Kaiser-i-Hind (Queen Empress of India) in 1876, to emphasise British sovereignty over entire India.”
Why this source?
  • States the policy of annexation was abandoned to cultivate princely states as buffers after the 1857 revolt.
  • Records guarantees of territorial integrity and respect for princely succession, consistent with a promise not to annex.
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Statement analysis

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