The object of the Butler Committee of 1927 was to
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- ADefine the jurisdiction of the Central and Provincial Governments.
- BDefine the powers of the Secretary of State for India.
- CImpose censorship on national press.
- DImprove the relationship between the Government of India and the Indian States.
Show answer
Answer: (D) Improve the relationship between the Government of India and the Indian States.
The Butler Committee (also known as the Indian States Committee) was appointed by the British Government on 16 December 1927, headed by Sir Harcourt Butler.
Its primary objective was to examine and improve the relationship between the Government of India (British India) and the Indian Princely States (Native States).
The Committee's key recommendations included:
(1) The Viceroy (rather than the Governor-General in Council) should represent the Crown in all dealings with the princely states.
(2) The relationship between the Crown and the princely states should not be transferred to a new Indian government without the consent of the princes. The princes feared that their states might be placed under the authority of a future Indian government responsible to an Indian legislature without their agreement. The Butler Committee sympathised with this fear and recommended that no such transfer should happen without princely consent.
Option (a) is wrong — defining Centre-State jurisdiction was not the Butler Committee's purpose; this was addressed in other constitutional reforms.
Option (b) is wrong — defining the Secretary of State's powers was not its mandate.
Option (c) is wrong — press censorship was addressed by the Vernacular Press Act, 1878, not the Butler Committee.
(Source: Spectrum, page 321; Bipan Chandra)
The Butler Committee of 1927 was specifically created to address the growing concerns of Indian Princely States about their future relationship with British India as constitutional reforms progressed.
The Committee's key recommendation was that princely states' relationship with the Crown should not be transferred to a future Indian government without the princes' consent, protecting their autonomy from democratic Indian rule.
UPSC tests this to check if students can distinguish between committees dealing with British India's constitutional development versus those handling princely states' separate political arrangements.
Butler Committee 1927
Modern Indian History Butler Committee 1927
Butler Committee 1927: Crown-Princely States Relations
Butler Committee (1927) aimed to improve relations between Government of India and Indian Princely States
Recommended Viceroy (not Governor-General in Council) should handle princely state affairs
Protected princes from future Indian government control without their consent
Headed by Sir Harcourt Butler, appointed on 16 December 1927
Background & Purpose
The Butler Committee (also called Indian States Committee) was established to resolve growing tensions between British India and the 565 Princely States. These states covered about 40% of Indian territory but had complex relationships with the Crown through the doctrine of paramountcy.
Key Recommendations
Viceroy as Crown Representative: The Viceroy alone should represent the Crown in dealings with princely states, not the Governor-General in Council
Princely Consent Clause: Crown-princely state relations cannot be transferred to future Indian government without princes' agreement
Protection from Democracy: Princes feared being placed under an Indian legislature - Committee sympathized with this concern
Paramountcy Doctrine: Clarified that Crown's supremacy over states was personal, not institutional
Question Context
This 2017 UPSC question tests knowledge of constitutional committees during Crown rule. The correct answer (D) reflects the Committee's core mandate - improving Government of India-Princely States relations.
Trap: Don't confuse with constitutional reforms that defined Centre-Provincial powers (Option A) - Butler dealt with Crown-Princely relations
Trap: Secretary of State's powers (Option B) were defined by Government of India Acts, not Butler Committee
Trap: Press censorship (Option C) was handled by Vernacular Press Act 1878, not this Committee
Memory Aid: Butler served the Princes - think aristocratic butler protecting his masters from democratic interference
Princely States Under British Rule
Modern Indian History Indian States Government of India
Indian Princely States: Structure & British Relations
565 Princely States covered about 40% of Indian territory under British paramountcy
States had internal autonomy but British controlled external affairs, defense, communications
Doctrine of Paramountcy: British Crown's supreme authority over princely states
Major states: Hyderabad, Mysore, Kashmir, Travancore, Baroda, Gwalior, Indore
British India vs Princely States
Aspect | British India | Princely States |
|---|---|---|
Administration | Direct British rule | Indirect rule through local rulers |
Territory Coverage | 60% of India | 40% of India |
Number of Units | 11 Provinces (by 1935) | 565 States (large & small) |
Internal Affairs | British officials | Native rulers (with British oversight) |
External Relations | British control | British control (paramountcy) |
Revenue | British collection | Ruler's treasury (tribute to British) |
Paramountcy Doctrine Evolution
Subsidiary Alliance System (Wellesley): Early form of indirect control through military treaties
Doctrine of Lapse (Dalhousie): British annexed states without natural heirs - created resentment
Post-1857 Policy: Crown promised to respect princely rights, leading to paramountcy doctrine
Butler Committee Clarification: Paramountcy was Crown's personal relationship, not transferable to Indian government
Number Trap: Remember 565 princely states, not 562 (that's post-independence integration figure)
Territory Trap: Princely states were 40% of territory but 23% of population - don't mix these percentages
Authority Trap: Paramountcy meant Crown supremacy, but states had internal autonomy - not complete British control
Integration Trap: Butler Committee protected princely interests; Sardar Patel later integrated them into India
Major Constitutional Committees (1858-1947)
Modern Indian History
Key British-Era Constitutional Committees & Commissions
Butler Committee (1927): Crown-Princely States relations
Simon Commission (1928): Constitutional reforms leading to Government of India Act 1935
Hunter Commission (1882): Education policy reforms after Wood's Despatch
Aitchison Commission (1886): Civil Services recruitment and training
Major Constitutional Bodies
Committee/Commission | Year | Purpose | Key Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
Hunter Commission | 1882 | Education policy review | Primary education in vernacular languages |
Aitchison Commission | 1886 | Civil Services reform | ICS open competitive exams, age limits |
Welby Commission | 1895 | Indian expenditure in England | Reduced Home Charges burden |
Raleigh Commission | 1902 | Universities reorganization | Modern university system structure |
Butler Committee | 1927 | Crown-Princely relations | Viceroy as Crown representative to states |
Simon Commission | 1928 | Constitutional progress review | Government of India Act 1935 |
Sapru Committee | 1945 | Federal constitution | Interim government formation |
UPSC Pattern Recognition
Administrative Committees: Usually dealt with civil services, education, or military reforms
Constitutional Commissions: Focused on governance structure, federal relations, or political rights
Economic Committees: Addressed taxation, expenditure, or trade policies
Specific vs General: Butler was specific (princely states), Simon was general (entire constitution)
Date Confusion: Butler (1927) vs Simon (1928) - both late 1920s but different purposes
Scope Trap: Butler was narrow focus (princely states), Simon was broad (entire constitutional structure)
Authority Trap: Don't confuse Secretary of State powers (defined by GoI Acts) with committee recommendations
Press Trap: Vernacular Press Act (1878) handled censorship, not any 1920s committee