The rule of the English East India company was ended in British India under the Government of India Act, ______.

the correct answer is 1858.Key Points

• The rule of the English East India Company ended in British India under the Government of India Act of 1858. Under this Act, the governance of India was transferred from the company to the British Crown, marking the start of the period of direct rule, also known as the British Raj.

key features of the Government of India Act of 1858:

• End of East India Company Rule: The Act, coming into force on 2 August 1858, ended the rule of the East India Company after nearly 250 years of control over Indian territories.
• Secretary of State for India: The Act introduced a new official post, the Secretary of State for India, who was a member of the British cabinet. He was given complete control over Indian administration and was aided by a 15-member Council of India.
• Change in Governance Structure: The Governor-General of India, who was now also identified as the Viceroy of India, was the representative of the Crown in India and was responsible for the executive administration of the Indian provinces. This change ended the old "double government" system where the Board of Control and the Court of Directors administrating different roles.
• Retention of Company Troops: Approximately 260,000 soldiers of the existing East India Company became soldiers of the Crown.
• End of Doctrine of Lapse: The 1858 Act ended the much-disputed Doctrine of Lapse, introduced by Lord Dalhousie in 1848, under which the British annexed any princely state whose ruler was either "manifestly incompetent" or died without a male heir.
• Legal Reform: With this transition, a comprehensive legal system was enforced, including the introduction of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in 1860.
• Civil Services: The Act opened doors to the institutionalization of the Indian Civil Services. Although Indians could sit for the civil services examinations after this Act, until 1922. Indians could appear in the Indian Civil Service Examinations which were held in England.

Additional InformationWars:

• Anglo-Afghan Wars: These wars were fought between British India and Afghanistan. By 1858, the first of these wars (1839-1842) had already concluded with a humiliating retreat for the British. Two more Anglo-Afghan Wars would follow in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
• Anglo-Sikh Wars: There were two Anglo-Sikh Wars. The First Anglo-Sikh War (1845-46) and the Second Anglo-Sikh War (1848-49). As a result of these wars, the Sikh Empire was annexed by the British East India Company.
• Burma Wars: The Second Anglo-Burmese War (1852) led to the British East India Company's annexation of the lower Burma. The third war (1885) would result in the total annexation of Burma by the British.

Social Changes:

• Education Policies: The British tried to reform the education system, grounding it in Western philosophy and ideals. The University of Calcutta, Bombay, and Madras were established in 1857.
• Social Reforms: Under the British rule, several old Indian social practices were challenged. For instance, the practice of Sati (the self-immolation of a widow on her husband's funeral pyre) was outlawed by Governor-General William Bentinck in 1829.
• Religious Changes: Christian missionaries were more freely allowed to propagate Christianity, leading to a growth of this minority religion in different parts of India.
• Infrastructure: Infrastructure, including roads and railways, telegraph and postal services were expanded, largely aimed at securing and supporting British military and administrative control.
• Introduction of the Railways: The first passenger railway in India was opened in 1853, prior to the Government of India Act, between Bombay and Thane.