British raj, period of direct British rule over the Indian subcontinent following the uprising of 1857 and the abolition of the East India Company’s role in managing the region. It was instituted with the Government of India Act of 1858 and lasted until the independence of India and Pakistan in 1947.

The British Raj was the period of British Parliament rule on the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947, for around 89 years of British occupation. The system of governance was instituted in 1858 when the rule of the East India Company was transferred to the Crown in the person of Queen Victoria.

It lasted until 1947, when the British Raj was partitioned into two sovereign dominion states: the Union of India (later the Republic of India) and Pakistan (later the Islamic Republic of Pakistan). Later, the People's Republic of Bangladesh gained independence from Pakistan.

British citizens began building an "Anglo-Indian" society within India, and English customs were adapted to the climate of India. 1800s: "The Raj" Entered the Language Elephant Fight in India.

From Empire to Independence: The British Raj in India 1858-1947. By Dr Chandrika Kaul. Last updated 2011-03-03. How was the Raj transformed from the jewel in Britain's imperial crown to the...