Punjab Legislative Council (British India): Difference between revisions

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}

{{More references|date=December 2009}}

The '''Punjab Legislative Council''' was the [[legislature]] of the province of [[Punjab (British India)|Punjab]] in [[British India]]. Established by British authorities under [[Government of India Act 1919]], the council had nominal powers and a membership of mainly pro-British politicians and government officials. Voting was largely boycotted until the [[Government of India Act 1935]] increased representation and the powers of the assembly.

{{Infobox legislature

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The [[First World War]] gave the momentum to the growing demand for self-government in [[British India]]. Therefore, the new constitutional reforms, under the [[Montagu–Chelmsford Reforms]] were introduced by British Government. The scheme was implemented through the [[Government of India Act 1919]]. The first Council was constituted on 8 January 1921 for the first time. The election for first Council was held in December 1920. 71 members were elected and 22 were nominated by [[List of governors of Punjab (British India)|Governor]] and the last election held in 1930 and the council disbanded in 1936<ref>The Punjab Parliamentarians 1897-2013, Provincial Assembly of the Punjab, Lahore - Pakistan, 2015</ref>

==Presidents==

'''Color key for the Party of President'''

!S. No.

!Name

!colspan=2|Party

!colspan=2|Tenure  

!1

|[[Montagu Sherard Dawes Butler]]

|bgcolor=#DDDDDD rowspan=3|

|rowspan=3|Non-Partisan  

!rowspan=2|2

|rowspan=2|[[Herbert Alexander Casson]]

|10 May 1922

|27 October 1923

!3

|[[Abdul Qadir (Muslim leader)|Abdul Qadir]]

|bgcolor=blue rowspan=5|

|rowspan=5|Unionist Party  

!rowspan=3|4

|rowspan=3|[[Shahab-ud-Din Virk]]

|3 December 1925

|27 October 1926

!5

|[[Chottu Ram]]

|20 October 1936

|10 November 1936

{{Main|1920 Punjab Legislative Council election}}

[[File:Members of First Punjab Legislative Council.jpg|thumb|Group Photo of Members of First Punjab Legislative Council.]]

An elected president presided over meetings of the Council. The first Punjab Legislative Council held 98 meetings between 8 January 1921 and 27 October 1923.<ref name="Pre Punjab First synopsis"/>

*Manohar Lal ''(Punjab University) — Minister for Education''

*Feroz Khan Noon ''(Shahpur East — Muhammadan, Rural) — Minister for Local Self-Government''

*Sir Jogendra Singh ''(Sikh Landholders) — Minister for Agriculture''

*Sir Shahab-ud-Din Virk ''(President)''

==Fourth Council==

[[File:Members of Fourth Punjab Legislative Council.jpg|thumb|Group photo of Members of Fourth Punjab Legislative Council.]]

The fourth and the last Legislative Council was constituted on 25 October 1930 and held 197 meetings until it was dissolved on 17 November 1935.<ref name="Pre Punjab Fourth synopsis">{{cite web |title=Pre Punjab Fourth synopsis |url=http://papmis.pitb.gov.pk/en/members/past-members/punjab-legislative-council-1921-to-1936/pre-punjab-fourth-synopsis |website=papmis.pitb.gov.pk |accessdate=10 October 2020}}</ref> Sir Shahab-ud-Din Virk was reelected unopposed as President for a third term. He resigned when he was appointmed Minister for Education and was succeeded by [[Sir Chhotu Ram]].<ref name="Pre Punjab Fourth synopsis"/>

*[[Shahnawaz Khan Mamdot]] (Representative of General Interest)

*Feroz Khan Noon ''(Shahpur East — Muhammadan, Rural) — Minister for Education''

*Sir Jogendra Singh ''(Sikh, Landholders — Minister for Agriculture)''

*Sir Shahab-ud-Din Virk ''(President)''

*[[1923 Punjab Legislative Council election]]

*[[1926 Punjab Legislative Council election]]

==References==