Imperial legislature council of India from (1961 to 1920)

The study of "The Imperial Legislative Council of India from 1881 to 1920' has been divided into ten chapters. The first chapter entitled The Historical Background' traces in brief the early growth of the modern legislative system as well as the circumstances that led to the passing of the Indian Councils Act of 1881. Chapters II, V and VIII deal in general with the composition, powers and functions, organisation and procedure, executive-legislative relations, home government and Indian legislation, and criticism of the Council as constituted under the Indian Councils Acts of 1861, 1892 and 1909 respectively. Chapters IV and VII have been devoted to a study of the factors responsible for the reform of the Council under the Indian Councils Acts of 1892 and 1909. In brief, these chapters are mainly a study of the inter-action of the national movement and the Council reforms. Chapters III, VI and IX deal broadly with (i) the work of the Council, (ii) debates and discussions on selected measures in different spheres, and (iii) the part played by Indian members. Finally, the last chapter contains some of the important conclusions.

The subject is one which has not yet been explored by any scholar. Many eminent authorities have written volumes on the constitutional history of India, and have devoted portions or even chapters to the growth of Legislative Councils in the country. But none of them has done any research work in the field of Indian Legislature. The subject occupies a place of great importance in the constitutional and national history of the country. As a matter of fact both developments have gone on side by side acting and reacting on each other. The study of the Imperial Legislative Council from 1861 to 1920 covers a very important period in the growth of the Indian Parliament. The period being long, the task under taken by me involved immense labour; but as the period from 1861 to 1920 forms a complete phase, author preferred to select the whole rather than a part of it.