The Government of India Act of 1858 was initiated in response to the Indian Rebellion, as it abolished control of India under the British East India Company in favor of direct British rule. The new policies represented a reversal of the aggressive Westernization pursued by the British as Queen Victoria announced a policy of nonintervention in Indian religious matters. Beyond the suspension of social reform in India, the Act also changed the structure of the government into a large bureaucracy. Governmental power was vested in a secretary of state for India, a Council of India made up of Brits, and other bureaucratic organizations. Although this Act is introduced before Sen’s birth, it is important for understanding the efforts to erase traditional Indian religion and culture and her experience navigating colonial India.
Source:
“Government of India Act of 1858.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., www.britannica.com/place/India/Government-of-India-Act-of-1858.