The Council of State was the upper house of the

legislature A legislature (, ) is a deliberative assembly with the legal authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country, nation or city on behalf of the people therein. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial power ...

for

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance in South Asia. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one form or another ...

(the Indian Legislature) created by the

Government of India Act 1919 The Government of India Act 1919 ( 9 & 10 Geo. 5. c. 101) was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was passed to expand participation of Indians in the government of India. The act embodied the reforms recommended in the report ...

from the old Imperial Legislative Council, implementing the

Montagu–Chelmsford Reforms The Montagu–Chelmsford Reforms or more concisely the Mont–Ford Reforms, were introduced by the colonial government to introduce self-governing institutions gradually in British India. The reforms take their name from Edwin Montagu, the Sec ...

. The

Central Legislative Assembly The Central Legislative Assembly was the lower house of the Indian Legislature, the legislature of British India. It was created by the Government of India Act 1919, implementing the Montagu–Chelmsford Reforms. It was also sometimes calle ...

was the lower house. As a result of Indian independence, the Council of State was dissolved on 14 August 1947 and its place taken by the

Constituent Assembly of India Constituent Assembly of India was partly elected and partly nominated body to frame the Constitution of India. It was elected by the Provincial assemblies of British India following the Provincial Assembly elections held in 1946 and nominated ...

and the

Constituent Assembly of Pakistan The Constituent Assembly of Pakistan was the supreme federal legislature of the Dominion of Pakistan. It was established in August 1947 with the primary tasks of framing Constitution of Pakistan of 1956, a constitution; and serving as an interim ...

. The Council of State used to meet at the Metcalfe House. The

Viceroy A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory. The term derives from the Latin prefix ''vice-'', meaning "in the place of" and the Anglo-Norman ''roy'' (Old Frenc ...

or Governor-General was its ''ex officio'' President.

Composition

1919 to 1937

The Council of States was created by the

. As per this Act, the Council was to have 60 members. The composition was as follows: * Members nominated by the Governor-General (26) ** Officials (20) ** Non-officials (6), one of whom was nominated as the result of an election held in Berar. * Elected members (34) from the provinces of British India: ** General (20): Madras (4), Bombay (3), Bengal (3), United Provinces (3), Punjab (1), Bihar & Orissa (3), Central Provinces (1), Burma (1), Assam (1) ** Muslim (10): Madras (1), Bombay (2), Bengal (2), United Provinces (2), Punjab (2), Bihar & Orissa (1) ** Chamber of Commerce (3): Bombay, Bengal, Burma ** Sikh (1) The province-wise composition was as follows: * Madras (5): General (4), Muslim (1) * Bombay (6): General (3), Muslim (2) (Bombay, Sind), Bombay Chamber of Commerce (1) * Bengal (6): General (3) (East Bengal, West Bengal (2)), Muslim (2) (East Bengal, West Bengal), Bengal Chamber of Commerce (1) * United Provinces (5): General (3) (Central, Northern, Southern), Muslim (2) (West, East) * Punjab (4): General (1), Muslim (2) (East, West), Sikh (1) * Bihar & Orissa (4): General (3), Muslim (1) * Central Provinces (1): General * Burma (2): General (1), Burma Chamber of Commerce (1) * Assam (1): General in rotation with Muslim The Muslim seats of Punjab together with one General seat of Bihar and Orissa alternated to elect 2 seats for every Council of State. The members had a tenure of 5 years. There were no women members. The elected members were voted from an electorate consisting of persons who fulfilled either condition * Paid a certain sum as annual income tax or annual land revenue * Member of the Senate of any University * Experience in any Legislative Council in India or * Title-holder This electorate consisted of not more than 17,000 of entire population of 24 crores (240,000,000) in 1920. Like the Legislative Assembly, the Council of State had no members elected to represent the princely states, as they were not part of British India. On 23 December 1919, when King-Emperor George V gave royal assent to the Government of India Act 1919, he also made a proclamation which created the

Chamber of Princes The Chamber of Princes (''Narendra Mandal'') was an institution established in 1920 by a royal proclamation of King-Emperor George V to provide a forum in which the rulers of the princely states of India could voice their needs and aspiration ...

, to provide a forum for the states to use to debate national questions and make their collective views known to the Government of India.

1937 to 1947

The

Government of India Act 1935 The Government of India Act 1935 (25 & 26 Geo. 5. c. 42) was an Act of Parliament (UK), act passed by the British Parliament that originally received royal assent in August 1935. It was the longest act that the British Parliament ever enact ...

introduced further reforms. The size of the Council of State was to be increased to 260 members, 156 from the provinces and 104 from the princely states. However, the first election to the federal legislature after that of 1934 was the 1945 Indian general election, in which the princely states continued to take no part.

Members of First Council of State (1921)

Nominated

* Officials: General Lord Rawlinson * Non-Officials: Sir Dinshaw Edulji Wacha (Bombay), G. A. Natesan (Madras), Sir Leslie Creery Miller (Madras), Soshi Kanta Acharya of Mymensingh (Bengal), Sir Mohamed Muzamilullah Khan of Bhikampur (United Provinces), Sir Amiruddeen Ahmed Khan of Loharu (Punjab), Sardar Charanjit Singh (Punjab), Harnam Singh (Punjab, Indian Christian), Sir Muhammad Rafique (Delhi) Sir Purshotamdas Thakurdas (Bombay 1923) *Berar Representative: G. S. Khaparde

Elected

*Assam: Chandradhar Barua * Bengal: Sir Benode Chandra Mitter (West Bengal Non-Muhammadan), Sir Deva Prasad Sarvadhikary (West Bengal Non-Muhammadan), Raja Pramatha Nath Ray of Dighapatia (East Bengal Non-Muhammadan), Haji Chowdhuri Mohammad Ismail Khan (West Bengal Muslim), Maulvi Abdul Karim (East Bengal Muslim), *Bihar & Orissa:

Rameshwar Singh Rameshwar Singh Thakur (16 January 1860 – 3 July 1929) was the maharaja of Darbhanga in the Mithila region from 1898 to his death. He became maharaja on the death of his elder brother Lakshmeshwar Singh, who died without issue. He was appo ...

Darbhanga Darbhanga is the fifth largest city and municipal corporation in the state of Bihar in India, and is considered an important city in North Bihar. It serves as the headquarters of the Darbhanga district and the Darbhanga division. Darbhanga ...

(Non-Muhammadan), Keshav Prasad Singh of Dumraon (Non-Muhammadan), Babu Ramashray Prashad Choudhary of Dalsinghsarai (Non-Muhammadan), Saiyid Zahir-ud-din (Muhammadan), * Bombay: Lalubhai Samaldas (Non-Muhammadan), Vaman Govind Kale (Non-Muhammadan), Pheroze Sethna (Non-Muhammadan), Raghunath Pandurang Karandikar (Non-Muhammadan), Ebrahim Haroon Jaffer (Bombay Presidency Muhammadan), Ali Baksh Muhammad Hussain (Sind Muhammadan), Ghulam Muhammad Bhurgri (Sind Muhammadan), Sir Arthur Froom (Bombay Chamber of Commerce) * Burma: Maung Bo Pye (Non-European), Sir Edgar Holberton (Commerce) *Central Provinces: Maneckji Byramji Dadabhoy (Non-Muhammadan) *Madras: K. V. Rangaswamy Iyengar (Non-Muhammadan), V. S. Srinivasa Sastri (Non-Muhammadan), S. Rm. M. Annamalai Chettiar (Non-Muhammadan), V. Ramabhadra Naidu (Non-Muhammadan), Ahmed Tamby Maricair (Muhammadan) * Punjab: Lala Ram Saran Das (Non-Muhammadan), Sir Malik Umar Hayat Khan (West Punjab Muhammadan), Zulfikar Ali Khan (Muhammadan), Jogendra Singh (Sikh) *United Provinces: Raja Sir Rampal Singh (UP Central Non-Muhammadan) Lala Sukhbir Sinha (UP Northern Non-Muhammadan), Raja Moti Chand (UP Southern Non-Muhammadan), Nawab Muhammad Abdul Majid (UP West Muhammadan), Saiyid Raza Ali (UP East Muhammadan) * Other: Manindra Chandra Nandy Maharaja of Cossimbazar, Ganganath Jha, E. M. Cook, Denys Bray, H. D. Craik, B. C. Mitter, J. A. Richey, B. N. Sarma, J. R. Wood, Sevasila Vedamurti

Members of Second Council of State (1926)

Nominated

* Officials: Field Marshal Sir William Birdwood, 1st Baron Birdwood (Commander-in-Chief), Sir Muhammad Habibullah (Member for Education, Health and Lands), Satish Ranjan Das (Law Member), Major General Sir Robert Charles MacWatt (Director General,

Indian Medical Service The Indian Medical Service (IMS) was a military medical service in British India, which also had some civilian functions. It served during the two World Wars, and remained in existence until the independence of India in 1947. Many of its officer ...

), David Thomas Chadwick (Commerce Secretary), Arthur Cecil McWatters (Finance Secretary), James Crerar (Home Secretary), Arthur Herbert Ley (Secretary for Industries and Labour), John Perronet Thompson (Political Secretary), James Alexander Richey (Educational Commissioner for the Government of India), Sir Clement Hindley (Chief Commissioner, Railways), Thomas Emerson (Bengal), Kiran Chandra De (Bengal), John Austen Hubback (Bihar and Orissa), D. Weston (Bihar and Orissa), Evelyn Robins Abbott (Delhi), Sir Charles George Todhunter (Madras), H. A. B. Vernon (Madras), Dewan Tek Chand (Punjab), A. Latifi (Punjab), Pandit Shyam Bihari Misra (United Provinces), John Ernest Buttery Hotson (Bombay), G. W. Hatch (Bombay) *Non-Officials: Keshav Chandra Roy (Bengal), Sir Bijoy Chand Mahtab (Bengal), Prince Afsar-ul-Mulk Mirza Muhammad Akram Hussain (Bengal), Sir Dinshaw Edulji Wacha (Bombay), Raja Sir Harnam Singh (Punjab), Sardar Charanjit Singh (Punjab)(Indian Christians), Sir Malik Umar Hayat Khan (Punjab), Raja Nawab Ali Khan (United Provinces), Raja Ramakrishna Ranga Rao of Bobbili (Madras), G. A. Natesan (Madras), Major Nawab Mahomed Akbar Khan (North- West Frontier Province), Maneckji Dadabhoy (Central Provinces), G. S. Khaparde (Berar)

Elected Members

(Non-Muhammadan),

Anugrah Narayan Sinha Anugrah Narayan Sinha (18 June 1887 – 5 July 1957), known as ''Honorary titles of Indian leaders, Bihar Vibhuti'', was an Indian nationalist politician, participant in Champaran Satyagraha, Gandhian & one of the architects of modern Bihar, wh ...

(Non-Muhammadan), Babu Ramashray Prasad Choudhary of Dalsinghsarai (Non-Muhammadan), Shah Muhammad Zubair (Muhammadan) *Bombay: Pheroze Sethna (Non-Muhammadan), Ratansi D. Morarji (Non-Muhamaddan), Manmohandas Ramji Vora (Non-Muhammadan), Ebrahim Haroon Jaffer (Muhammadan), Mian Ali Baksh Muhammad Hussain (Sind Muhammadan), Sir Arthur Froom (Bombay Chamber of Commerce) *Burma: Pundi Chetlur Desika Chari (General), Sir Edgar Holberton (Burma Chamber of Commerce), W. A. Gray (Burma Chamber of Commerce) * Central Provinces: Seth Govind Das (General) *Madras: Saiyed Mohamad Padshah Sahib Bahadur (Muhammadan), Dr. U. Rama Rao (Non-Muhammadan) (Swaraj), V. Ramadas Pantulu (Non-Muhammadan), Sir C. Sankaran Nair (Non-Muhammadan), S. Rm. M. Annamalai Chettiar (Non-Muhammadan) *Punjab: Lala Ram Saran Das (Punjab Non-Muhammadan), Nawab Sahibzada Sayad Mohammad Mehr Shah (East and West Punjab Muhammadan), Sardar Shivdev Singh Uberoi (Punjab Sikh) *United Provinces: Munshi Narayan Prasad Asthana (United Provinces Northern Non-Muhammadan), Raja Moti Chand (United Provinces Southern Non-Muhammadan), Prakash Narain Sapru (United Provinces Southern Non-Muhammadan), Raja Sir Rampal Singh (United Provinces Central Non-Muhammadan), Saiyid Alay Nabi (United Provinces West Muhammadan), Maharaja Sir Muhammad Ali Muhamamd Khan (United Provinces East Muhammadan), Nawab Sir Muhammad Muzammil-ullah Khan (United Provinces West Muhammadan), Sukhbir Sinha *Other: Madhav Shrihari Aney, Hussain Imam, Syed Muhammad Padshah, Raja Yuvaraj Dutta Singh, Srinarain Mehta

Members of Third Council of State (1930–1936)

Nominated

* Government of India: *Officials from Provinces: A de C. Williams, Sir Guthrie Russell, T. M. Dow (Bengal), E. F. Thomas (Madras), Gurusaday Dutt *Non-Officials: G. S. Khaparde (Berar), Khwaja Habibullah (Bengal), Maharaja Jagadish Nath Ray (Bengal), Pandit Gokaran Nath Agra (United Provinces), Shaikh Magbul Husain (United Provinces), Raja Charanjit Singh (Punjab), Nawab Malik Mohammad Hayat Khan Noon (Punjab), Major Nawab Sir Mahomed Akbar Khan (NWFP), Maharaja Kameshwar Singh of Darbhanga (Bihar), Khan Bahadur Shams-ud-din Haidar (Bihar), Sir Nasarvanji Choksy (Bombay), Sir Josna Ghosal (Bombay)

Elected Members

*Assam: Khan Bahadur Ghulam Mustafa Chaudhury (Muhammadan), Zaminder Bhatipara Estate, founding member of All India Muslim League, active participant of Islamic Khelafat Andolon, philanthropist, legislator of Assam Legislative Council * Bengal: Jagadish Chandra Banerjee (East Bengal Non-Muhammadan), Nripendra Narayan Sinha (West Bengal Non-Muhammadan), Satyendra Chandra Ghose Maulik (West Bengal Non-Muhammadan), Mahmood Suhrawardy (West Bengal Muhammadan), Syed Abdul Hafeez (East Bengal Muhammadan), George Campbell (Bengal Chamber of Commerce) * Bihar & Orissa: Babu Ramashray Prashad Choudhary of Dalshinghsarai (Non-Muhammadan), Hussain Imam (Muhammadan) *Bombay: Sardar Shri Jagannath Maharaj Pandit (Non-Muhammadan), Shantidas Askuran (Non-Muhammadan), Pheroze Sethna (Non-Muhammadan), Sir Suleman Cassum Haji Mitha (Muhammadan), Ali Baksh Muhammad Hussain (Sind Muhammadan), R. H. Parker (Bombay Chamber of Commerce) *Burma: J. B. Glass (Burma Chamber of Commerce) * Central Provinces: V. V. Kalikar, Raja Laxmanrao Bhonsle *Madras: S. Rm. M. Annamalai Chettiar (Non-Muhammadan), Yarlagadda Ranganayakulu Naidu (Non-Muhammadan), V. C. Vellingiri Gounder (Non-Muhammadan), G. N. Chetty (Non-Muhammadan), Syed Muhammad Padshah Saheb Bahadur (Muhammadan), *Punjab: Lala Ram Saran Das (Non-Muhammadan), Sardar Buta Singh (Sikh), Chaudhri Muhammad Din (East Punjab Muhammadan) *United Provinces: Lala Mathura Prasad Mehrotra (UP Central Non-Muhammadan), Lala Jagdish Prasad (UP Northern Non-Muhammadan), Prakash Narain Sapru (UP Southern Non-Muhammadan), Hafiz Muhammad Halim (UP West Muhammadan), Shaikh Mushir Hosain Kidwai (UP East Muhammadan)

Fourth Council of State

Nominated

* Officials: General Sir Claude Auchinleck, Sir Mohammad Usman, Jogendra Singh,

Feroz Khan Noon Sir Malik Feroz Khan Noon (7 May 18939 December 1970) , best known as Feroze Khan, was a Pakistani politician who served as the seventh prime minister of Pakistan from 16 December 1957, until being removed when the President Iskandar ...

, Sir Satyendranath Roy, C. E. Jones, E. Conran-Smith, G. S. Bozman, Shavax A. Lal, A de C. Williams, N. R. Pillai, Ernest Wood, B. R. Sen *Non-Officials: Sir David Devadoss (Madras), K. Ramunni Menon (Madras), Sir Josna Ghosal (Bengal), Maneckji Dadabhoy (Bombay), Raja Charanjit Singh (Punjab), Shamsuddin Haidar (Bihar), Brijlal Nandlal Biyani (Berar),

A. P. Patro Rao Bahadur Sir Annepu Parasuramdas Patro KCIE (1875 or 1876–1946) was an Indian politician, ''zamindar'' and education minister in the erstwhile Madras Presidency. Patro was born in a rich and powerful family of Berhampur, Madras Presidenc ...

, Rahimtoola Chinoy, Satyendra Kumar Das, Sir Satya Charan Mukherjee, Sir Mohammad Yakub, Sardar Nihal Singh, Khurshid Ali Khan, Lt. Col. Sir S. Hissam-ud-din Bahadur, Sobha Singh, Sri Narain Mehta, Mohendra Lal Das,

Elected Members

*Assam: Khan Bahadur Ghulam Mustafa Chaudhury (Muhammadan), Zaminder Bhatipara Estate, founding member of All India Muslim League, active participant of Islamic Khelafat Andolon, philanthropist, legislator of Assam Legislative Council * Bengal: Kumarsankar Ray Chaudhury (East Bengal Non-Muhammadan), Kumar Nripendra Narayan Sinha (West Bengal Non-Muhammadan), Susil Kumar Roy Chowdhury (West Bengal Non-Muhammadan) * Bihar: Maharaja Kameshwar of Darbhanga (Non-Muhammadan), Hussain Imam (Muhammadan) *Bombay: Shantidas Askuran (Non-Muhammadan), Govindalal Shivlal Motilal (Non-Muhammadan), Maneckji Nadirshaw Dalal (Non-Muhammadan), Sir Suleman Cassum Haji Mitha (Muhammadan), R. H. Parker (Bombay Chamber of Commerce) * Central Provinces: V. V. Kalikar (General) *Madras: Rao Bahadur K. Govindachari (Non-Muhammadan), M. Ct. M. Chidambaram Chettyar (Non-Muhammadan), Narayandas Girdhardas (Non-Muhammadan), V. Ramadas Pantulu (Non-Muhammadan), Saiyad Mohamed Sahib Bahadur (Muhammadan) *Orissa: Nikunja Kishore Das (Non-Muhammadan), *Punjab: Lala Ram Saran Das (Non-Muhammadan), Chaudhri Ataullah Khan Tarar (East & West Punjab Muhammadan), Sardar Buta Singh (Sikh) *Sind: Ali Buksh Mohammad Hussain (Muhammadan) *United Provinces: H. N. Kunzru (UP Northern Non-Muhammadan), Prakash Narain Sapru (UP Southern Non-Muhammadan), Haji Syed Mohamed Husain (UP West Muhammadan), Chaudhri Niamatullah (UP East Muhammadan)

Presidents

* Sir Henry Moncrieff Smith (1924) * Sir Montagu Sherard Dawes Butler (1924–1925) * Sir Maneckji Byramji Dadabhoy (1933–1936; 1937–1946)

References

{{Legislatures of India Political history of India Imperial Legislative Council of India National upper houses

Composition

1919 to 1937

1937 to 1947

Members of First Council of State (1921)

Nominated

Elected

Members of Second Council of State (1926)

Nominated

Elected Members

Members of Third Council of State (1930–1936)

Nominated

Elected Members

Fourth Council of State

Nominated

Elected Members

Presidents

See also

References