Tracing the Evolution of Union Territories in Pre-Independence India: Major Landmarks

Abstract

The evolution of the Union Territory administration in the Pre-Independence India is a matter of great interest and significance for all of us because it will offer significant insights into India’s multifaceted interplay of colonial administration, regional diversity, political integration and experimentation. Most of the Centrally administered territories / tracts have been created from time to time due to “their unique cultures, administrative requirements, political considerations, strategic significance and small size in terms of geography and demography”. Beginning with the ‘Provincial Government’ in India during the colonial era and the ‘historical landmarks’ like the Government of India Act, 1854, the Scheduled Districts Act, 1874 and many more successor Acts, the present research paper seeks to delve into the evolution of the territorial administration / Union Territory administration by the British system of Central Administration in Pre-Independence India, highlighting how the British Government was able to administer / manage the peripheral regions like the “backward tribal territories, the hill tracts and the port enclaves”.