Revolt & Aftermath · 1878–1884
Vernacular Press Act and Ilbert Bill Controversy
Lord Lytton's Vernacular Press Act gagged Indian-language newspapers. Then in 1883 Europeans fiercely opposed the Ilbert Bill, which let Indian judges try Europeans.
Causes
- Indian newspapers criticising famine policy and the Delhi Durbar
- Racial privilege claimed by Europeans in India
Consequences
- Press Act repealed by Lord Ripon in 1882
- Ilbert Bill watered down after the European agitation
- Indians learned the value of organised protest
Significance
Showed educated Indians that racial discrimination was built into colonial rule and that organisation worked — two years before the Congress was founded.
Sources
- Bipan Chandra et al., India's Struggle for Independence (Penguin, 1988)
- Sekhar Bandyopadhyay, From Plassey to Partition (Orient BlackSwan, 2004)