Charles Wood, 1st Viscount Halifax (20 December 1800–8 August 1885) was a British Whig politician and Member of Parliament. From 1846 to 1866, he was also known as Sir Charles Wood, 3rd Baronet. He served as Secretary of State for India from 1859 to 1866, First Lord of the Admiralty from 1855 to 1858, and Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1846 to 1852.
In 1854, Wood, as President of the Board of Control, addressed a despatch to Lord Dalhousie, the Governor-General of India, which was a significant step in promoting education in India. The following was suggested by Wood:
- Every province should have a department dedicated to education.
- Major cities like Bombay, Calcutta, and Madras should have universities modelled after the University of London.
- Each district should open at least one government school.
- Grants in help should be provided to affiliated private schools.
- Training in the vernacular should be given to the Indian natives.
According to Wood’s directive, universities were founded in Calcutta, Bombay, and Madras in 1857, as well as in Punjab in 1882 and Allahabad in 1887. Education departments were also formed in each province.
Between June 1859 and the beginning of 1866, Sir Charles Wood carried out a number of actions pertaining to the administration of India. There were many topics he had to deal with, and the challenges he faced were significant. In actuality, he had to rebuild the Indian government at home and set up each branch of its administration according to the demands and experiences of the contemporary era. The courts of judicature, the civil service, the army, the navy, the police, and the councils of the Governor-General and the smaller Presidencies were all to be dealt with. The system of land income, the finance, the currency, and the formulation and administration of the law all required intense attention and action.
Sir Charles Wood took the position of Secretary of State for India in June 1859, following the establishment of Lord Palmerstone’s Government. Only four and a half years had passed since he had played a significant role in the Indian Home Government as President of the Board of Control. His previous position was that of First Lord of the Admiralty.
During early 1860s, the Indian Government was rather tickled by the success of Prince Golam Mahomed’s appeal to England on the question of what is known as the Mysore Grants. He was the youngest surviving son of Tipu Sultan. The many descendants of Hyder Ali and Tipu were brought to Calcutta and forced to live there on pensions when Mysore was absorbed into British rule. The number of people claiming to be descended from the Mysore sovereigns grew over time, and the state had to pay a hefty amount for the stipends. The Court of Directors rejected Lord Dalhousie’s suggestion that the pension be discontinued for anybody who was descended from Tipu Sultan more than five degrees. Although he was against eliminating them completely, Lord Canning supported reducing the amount of these pensions.
Seeing that his family members’ pensions were in jeopardy, Prince Golam Mohamed set sail for England with the intention of complaining to Sir Charles Wood without disclosing his intent to anybody in India. The appeal was allowed and Sir Charles ordered that a net sum of £520,000 sterling be paid to the pensioners that it might serve partly for the expenses of buying residences, and all the heads of families might have their separate allotments in full. The Government of Lord Canning vehemently objected to Sir Charles Wood’s order, which placed a significant financial strain on the Indian exchequer and taught powerful Indians to turn to the enigmatic force beyond the sea for the ultimate resolution of all disputes, thereby severely undermining the Viceroy’s stature and power. In contrast, Sir Charles Wood defended his actions in a dispatch dated February 4, 1861, citing the most obvious justifications of expediency and fairness. Charles Wood’s popularity among the local Indian population increased significantly as a result of this move, while his popularity among the European people decreased correspondingly.
