JestineLegg9 at 23:48, 24 March 2026

2026-03-24T23:48:11Z

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'''[[Diarchy]]''' was established in [[Bombay Presidency]] based on the recommendations of the [[Montagu–Chelmsford Reforms|Montague-Chelmsford]] report. It ended with the election in 1937 when the [[Government of India Act 1935]] came into effect.

==Government of India Act 1919==

The [[Government of India Act 1919]] enlarged the provincial legislative councils and increased the strength of elected members to be greater than that of nominated and official members. It introduced a system of [[dyarchy]] in the provinces. Although this act brought about representative government in India, the governor was empowered with overriding powers. It classified the subjects as belonging to either the Centre or the Provinces. The [[Governor-General of India|Governor General]] could override any law passed by the provincial councils. It brought about the concept of "Partial Responsible Government" in the provinces. Provincial subjects were divided into two categories - reserved and transferred. Education, sanitation, local self-government, agriculture and industries were listed as the transferred subjects. Law, finance, revenue and home affairs were the reserved subjects. The provincial council could decide the budget in so far it related to the transferred subjects. Executive machinery dealing with those subjects was placed under the direct control of provincial legislature. However, the provincial legislature and the ministers did not have any control over the reserved subjects, which came under the governor and his executive council.<ref name="Krishnaswamy">{{Cite book| title=The role of Madras Legislature in the freedom struggle, 1861-1947| edition=| author=S. Krishnaswamy| year=1989| pages=72–83| publisher=People's Pub. House (New Delhi) | isbn=}}</ref>

==Legislative Council==
{{See also|Bombay Legislative Council}}
The Council had a total of 116 members in addition to the [[Ex officio member|'' ex - officio'' members]] of the Governor's Executive Council. Out of the 116, 86 were elected from constituencies of the presidency reserved for Non-Muhammadans, Muhammadans, Europeans, Landholders, Universities and Commerce & Industry. 7 constituencies were reserved for [[Marathas]].

==Executive Council and Ministers==
As per the principle of [[dyarchy]], certain responsibilities such as agriculture, health, education, and local government, were transferred to elected ministers. However, the important portfolios like finance, police and irrigation were reserved with official members of the Governor's Executive Council.

===Members of Executive Council===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=left valign=top|Portfolio
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=left|Member
|-
|align=left| Home
|align=left| [[Maurice Hayward]] (1921-1926), [[John Ernest Buttery Hotson]] (1926-1931), [[George Arthur Thomas (civil servant)|George Arthur Thomas]] (1931-1933), [[Robert Duncan Bell]] (1933-1937)
|-
|align=left| Finance
|align=left| Sir Henry S. Lawrence (1921-1926), [[Chunilal Mehta|Sir Chunilal Mehta]] (1926-1928), [[Govind Balvant Pradhan]] (1928-1933)
|-
|align=left| Revenue
|align=left| [[Ibrahim Rahimtoola|Sir Ibrahim Rahimtoola]] (1921-1923), [[Chunilal Mehta|Sir Chunilal Mehta]] (1923-1925), [[Louis Rieu|Jean Louis Rieu]] (1925-1929), Walter Frank Hudson (1929-1933)
|-
|align=left| Finance & Revenue
|align=left| [[Ghulam Hussain Hidayatullah]] (1933-1935), [[Dhanjishah Cooper|Sir Dhanjishah Bomanjee Cooper]] (1935-1937)
|-
|align=left| General
|align=left| [[Chimanlal Harilal Setalvad]] (1921-1923), [[Sir Cowasji Jehangir, 2nd Baronet|Sir Cowasji Jehangir]] (1923-1928), [[Ghulam Hussain Hidayatullah]] (1928-1932), [[Robert Duncan Bell]] (1932-1937)
|}

===Elected Ministers===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=left valign=top|Portfolio
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=left|Minister
|-
|align=left| Forest, Excise & Agriculture
|align=left| [[Sir Chunilal Mehta]] (1921-1923), [[Ali Muhammad Khan Dehlavi]] (1923-1927), Govind Balvant Pradhan (1927-1928), [[Rafiuddin Ahmed]] (1928), [[Bhaskarrao Vithojirao Jadhav]] (1928-1930), [[Siddappa Totappa Kambli]] (1930-1937)
|-
|align=left| Education
|align=left| [[R. P. Paranjpye]] (1921-1923), [[Bhaskarrao Vithojirao Jadhav]] (1923-1927), [[Harilal Desai]] (1927-1928), [[Rafiuddin Ahmed]] (1928-1932), [[Siddappa Totappa Kambli]] (1932-1937)
|-
|align=left| Local Self-Government
|align=left| [[Ghulam Hussain Hidayatullah]] (1921-1928), [[Harilal Desai]] (1928-1930), Sardar Sir Rustom Jehangir Vakil (1930-1933), [[Dhanjishah Cooper|Sir Dhanjishah Bomanji Cooper]] (1933-1934), [[Shah Nawaz Bhutto]] (1934-1936) [[Ali Muhammad Khan Dehlavi]] (1936-1937)
|}
<ref>{{cite book|last=Srinivasan|first=Ramona|title=The Concept of Dyarchy|year=1992|publisher=NIB Publishers|page=86|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CvaNAAAAMAAJ}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{morecat|date=August 2024}}
[[Category:Diarchies]]

Diarchy in Bombay Presidency - Revision history

JestineLegg9 at 23:48, 24 March 2026