Bookstawa – Modern History

John Lawrence & the Policy of Masterly Inactivity

Background

After the 1 Anglo-Afghan War, British East India Company maintained friendly reltions
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with Afghanistan under Dost Mohammed, which continued till the time Dost Mohammad was
alive till 1863. After the death of Dost Mohammed, a war of succession started among the sons of
Dost Mohammed.

Lord John Lawrence(1864-1869)

Fig 1: Lord John Lawrence

He was not a new face in India. He had brilliantly organized the supply of the British army in
Punjab during the First Anglo Sikh war of 1845-1846 and was made the commissioner of the
Jalandhar. In the second Anglo Sikh War, he was appointed as the member of the Punjab Board of
Administration under his elder brother Henry Montgomery Lawrence.

Some reforms such as abolition of internal duties, establishment of a common currency and
postal system, and development of Punjabi infrastructure made him popular and he was ‘by some’
people called “the Saviour of the Punjab”. He was partially able to prevent the Sikhs enter into

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 Bookstawa – Modern History

mutiny due to his popular image and a general Sikh detest towards the Mughals.

Policy of Masterly Inactivity

While appointed at Punjab, Lawrence had made an agreement with the Afghan leader Dost
Muhammad Khan, but during his tenure as Viceroy, he adopted a cautious policy and avoided the
conflicts with the Afghans and Persians. He believed that there was no need to interfere in the
internal affairs of Afghanistan. This policy of letting things go quietly on without any interfernce is
famously called as the Policy of Masterly Activity.

Thus, during the war of succession in Afghanistan, different princes succeded in capturing the
throne at different times & John Lawrence accepted each one of them.

Prelims Factoids

It is worthwhile to note that the policies of Lawrence, Mayo(1869-72) & Northbrook(1872-76) are
collectively called as the Period of Policy of Masterly Inactivity.

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