Indian Political Service

The Indian Political Service was a department during the British Raj.

The political officers assigned to the service – many of whom were British Army and British Indian Army officers on secondment – were responsible for the civil administration of frontier districts,^[1] and also served as British agents to rulers of Princely states.

Employees of the political service were predominantly racially European, although small numbers of Indians were employed.^[2] Following Indian independence in 1947 a small number of British officers continued to serve as employees of the Union of India.^[3]

References

1. James Onley, The Raj Reconsidered: British India’s Informal Empire and Spheres of Influence in Asia and Africa (2009)
2. Hansard 26 June 1939
3. Hansard 11 December 1947