The British had regained control of the country by the end of 1859, but they could not carry on ruling the land with the same policies anymore. Given below are the important changes that were introduced by the British.

First The British Parliament passed a new Act in 1858 and transferred the powers of the East India Company to the British Crown in order to ensure more responsible management of Indian affairs.

A member of the British Cabinet was appointed Secretary of State for India and made responsible for all matters related to the governance of India. He was given a council to advise him, called the India Council.

The Governor-General of India was given the title of Viceroy, that is, a personal representative of the Crown. Through these measures, the British government accepted direct responsibility for ruling India.

Another important point was that All ruling chiefs of the country were assured that their territory would never be annexed in the future. They were allowed to pass on their kingdoms to their heirs, including adopted sons.

However, they were made to acknowledge the British Queen as their Sovereign Paramount. Thus the Indian rulers were to hold their kingdoms as subordinates of the British Crown.

The third point was that It was decided that the proportion of Indian soldiers in the army would be reduced and the number of European soldiers would be increased.

It was also decided that instead of recruiting soldiers from Awadh, Bihar, central India, and south India, more soldiers would be recruited from among the Gurkhas, Sikhs, and Pathans.

Forth point was The land and property of Muslims were confiscated on a large scale and they were treated with suspicion and hostility. The British believed that they were responsible for the rebellion in a big way.

The fifth point was The British decided to respect the customary religious and social practices of the people in India. Finally, the Policies were made to protect landlords and zamindars and give them the security of rights over their lands. Thus a new phase of history began after 1857