Who among the following passed an Act in 1898, making it an offence to provoke people against the British rulers?

Correct option is C

$sol$ S1. The correct answer is (C) Lord Elgin

Explanation:

• Lord Elgin II (1894–1899) presided over the amendment of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in 1898.

• This amendment specifically targeted Section 124A (Sedition) and added Section 153A.

• It made the act of provoking or inciting people against the British government a serious criminal offence.

• The law was designed to suppress the growing Nationalist press and voices that were critical of British policies.

• It was under these stringent laws that leaders like Bal Gangadhar Tilak were repeatedly prosecuted for their writings in 'Kesari'.

Information Booster:

• Lord Elgin II is famously known for his statement: "India was conquered by the sword and by the sword it shall be held."

• His tenure was marked by the Great Famine of 1896-97 and the outbreak of the Bubonic Plague in Bombay and Pune.

Additional Knowledge:

Lord Mayo (Option A)

• He served as Viceroy from 1869 to 1872.

• He organized the first census of India in 1872.

• He established the Department of Agriculture and Commerce and was assassinated in the Andaman Islands.

Lord Northbrook (Option B)

• His tenure lasted from 1872 to 1876.

• He faced the Kuka Movement in Punjab led by Ram Singh.

• He resigned from his post due to disagreements with the British government over Afghan policy.

Lord Curzon (Option D)

• He was the Viceroy from 1899 to 1905.

• He is most notorious for the Partition of Bengal in 1905.

• He passed the Ancient Monuments Preservation Act (1904) to protect Indian heritage sites.