Question

With reference to Ilbert Bill, consider the following statements:
1. It aimed at allowing Indian magistrates to preside over cases involving British subjects in India.
2. It was supported by Governor General, Lord Ripon.
Which of the above statement(s) is/are correct?

• A. Only 1
• B. Only 2
• C. Both 1 and 2
• D. None of the above

Answer 1

The correct option is C Both 1 and 2

1. Ilbert Bill proposed in 1883 that sought to allow senior Indian magistrates to preside over cases involving British subjects in India.
2. British subjects in 1873 had been exempted from trial by Indian magistrates, and in cases involving death or transportation they could only be tried by a high court.
3. But by 1883 the liberal Governor General and Viceroy, Lord Ripon, proposed to make British subjects amenable to sessions courts, over which Indians were now senior enough in the civil service to preside. This proposal as embodied in the Ilbert Bill provoked furious protests, especially among the
4. Calcutta (Kolkata) European business community and the Bengal indigo planters, and there was covert sympathy from many officials. The Ilbert Bill thus divided the Indian public opinion sharply into two blocs' the Indian bloc which supported the Bill enthusiastically, and the European bloc which opposed it tooth and nail.
5. In the end, the European bloc won and succeeded in forcing the government for modifying the Bill in the line of European demands. A compromise was reached by which a British subject could claim a jury, half of which would be Europeans