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| Viceroy of India Lord Mayo. |
Richard South well Bourke or Lord Mayo, the fourth Viceroy of India held his office from 1869-1872. In 1869, he was appointed as the Viceroy of British India by the british Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli,
During the early part of his tenure, he faced a constant cause of worry from the retaliatory missions against the indigenous tribes of India who inhabited in the frontiers of Indian Territory, in particular Pathan tribes of North Frontier Provinces in Afghanistan.
Lord Mayo as a shrewd administrator, stabilised the northwestern frontier of India by cultivating closer relationships with Sher Ali, the Amir of Afghanistan and held a Durbar with him in his honor. Mayo's intention was clear: to negate Russian influence in the region and to ensure a buffer state would exist between the Russian and British Empire.
He did this with the hope of negating Russian influence in the region and ensure a buffer state would exist between the Russian and British Empire.
He bolly started the process of decentralization of finance. In foreign affairs, he followed the policy of non-intervention.
Being an able administrator he gave priority to population across the land. So. Lord Mayo's administrative policies further received prominence with regards to the first ever Census that was conducted in India in 1871 under the direction of William Wilson Hunter. First introduced a printed account of each district, town, and village, carefully compiled upon local inquiry, including disclosure of the whole economic and social facts in the life of the people. He was also instrumental in arranging a Statistical Survey of India during his tenure. His other reforms are Setting up of Department of Revenue, Agriculture and Commerce, introduction of the most improved rifle, the Snider, and of rifled guns for the artillery and improvement in the sanitary conditions for the troops.
His various reforms also gained attention. As for the Railways essential for transportation of goods as well as people got a boost. He insisted on the government funds instead of privatization which was mostly dominated by the British companies, but guaranteed by the British government
In the areas of public works, medical facilities and education, the local provincial governments had to rely on local funds raised by taxation. Mayo strengthened the policies as such localisation of funds, he believed, would aid in the growth of self-government and at the same time facilitate a pleasant association between the citizens of the Indian provinces and the British. Various regions like those on the north-west, Bengal, Punjab, Madras, etc introduced municipal taxes to implement this policy.
To improve the fiscal policy, Lord Mayo greatly reduced military spending and other expenditure with respect to civil administration, implemented salt duty and increased income tax. These policies ensured a more systematic execution of financial administration. Consequently Lord Mayo’s carefully planned and executed fiscal policies recorded a surplus of over five millions during his tenure.
The educational reforms aimed at advocating the importance of primary education among the Indian citizens. His pioneering approach are of immense importance in the history of Indian culture. Mayo vigorously advocating the importance of primary education among the Indian citizens. Special attention was given to ensure the introduction and propagation of education among the Muslim populace because majority of them lagged behind in education. A primary benefactor of the Rajkumar College in Kathiawar and prominently, the Mayo College of Ajmer (1875) in Rajasthan near Delhi to day stand as Mayo's legacy and they are top colleges in India. Mayo College was established at Ajmer for the education of young Rajput princes. Colonel Sir Oliver St John became its first Principal.
Lord Mayo, being humane strictly imposed the disciplinary guidelines at the British Jails in India as he heard numerous cases of inhuman treatment of convicts in the prisons. He propounded additional reforms at maximum security prisons like the Cellular jails of Andaman and Nicobar islands in the Bay of Bengal. In the later years, under the British Raj, more disciplinary actions were introduced to treat the pristineness who happened to be mostly freedom fighters.
Mayo laid down a set of codified laws to be effectively put into practice for the betterment of the prisoners in the jails across India. Unfortunately as ill fate had it while he was on a visit to the Andaman island in 1872 for the purpose of reviewing the implementation of these reforms, the journey cost him his life.
On 8th February, 1872, Lord Mayo was brutally assassinated by a convict named Sher Ali, a Pathan at Port Blair. He was buried with honors at the County Kildare in his native soil, Ireland. His untimely death marked tan abrupt end of an era of administrative excellence in British India.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Bourke,_6th_Earl_of_Mayo
