Strachey, Sir John

Strachey, Sir John (1823-1907) was a distinguished member of the Indian civil service, acting Viceroy and Governor General of India and a reputed writer. Son of Edward Strachey of Bengal civil service, he was born on 5 June 1823 and educated at haileybury college, England. His brother Richard Strachey also was a member of the Indian civil service. John Strachey first came to India in 1842 and served with distinction during the viceroyalties of lord lansdowne, lord mayo and lord lytton. He held many high positions such as judicial commissioner in Central Provinces (1862), chief commissioner of Oudh (1866-1867), member of the Governor General's supreme council (1868-1872), acting Viceroy and Governor General (1872), Lieutenant Governor of North-Western Provinces (1874-1876) and Financial member of the supreme council (1876-1880).

John Strachey left India in 1880 and became a member of the Council of India in 1885, a post he held till 1895. While in India he regularised the salt taxes reduced other inland duties and took steps to establish free trade in India. He also took measures to regulate financial relation between the central and provincial governments. John Strachey was awarded GCSI in 1878.A prolific writer, his book on The Finance and the Public Works of India 1869-1881 was published in 1882, two years after he had left India. His two other books entitled Hastings and the Rohilla War and India, Its Administration and Progress were published in 1892 and 1903 respectively.

Sir John Strachey died on 19 December 1907 at the age of eighty-five. [KM Mohsin]