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__NOTOC__ [[Image:presidencymap1858.jpg|thumb|250px|1858 Presidency Map]]The administration of [[British India ]] was divided into three '''Presidencies: ''' that had developed from the [[East India Company]]'s factory bases.

*[[Bombay]], which covered ===Factories===During the west and north of 17th century the country, including what is now [[PakistanEast India Company]]*established a number of trading posts which were called [[BengalEast India Company Factories|Factories]], which covered the east . The first of these on the country and included Burma and what is now Indian subcontinent was at [[BangladeshMasulipatam]] *on the Coromandel Coast in 1611. The second was [[MadrasSurat]], in 1615. The three major trading centres which covered the southern portion of India developed were:

The main cities of *[[Fort St George]] on the Presidencies were Coromandel Coast (established 1640)*[[Bombay]], on the northern Malabar Coast (given by King Charles II in 1668)*[[Fort William]] at [[Calcutta]] and in [[MadrasBengal]], respectively.(established in 1690)

Administrative areas ===Presidencies===Surat was made the seat of India the Western Presidency which incorporated Bombay until the Company's headquarters were transferred in 1687. The three principle factory locations developed to become the centres of Military and Political control as the Company’s influence grew during the 18th and 19th centuries and they became known as the three Presidencies of:*[[Bengal (Presidency)|Bengal]] - which included [[Burma]] and the 1930s[[Straits Settlements]] (Penang, Malacca and Singapore)*[[Image:presidencies.gifMadras (Presidency)|Madras]]*[[Bombay (Presidency)|Bombay]] – which included [[Aden]]

Knowing which Presidency a town or city was inAdditionally, is important when consulting many of the two other presidencies were established and subsequently disbanded:*[[India Office RecordsBencoolen]] held - at the Fort Marlborough in Sumatra (1759-1803)*[[British LibraryPresidency of Agra|Agra]].(1834-1836)

==Boundaries==[[Image:presidencies.gif|thumb|250px|1930's Presidency Map]]The boundaries between the presidencies varied from time to time but their positions at the time of the [[Indian Mutiny]] are shown on the 1858 Presidency map at the top right of this page. Following the establishment of the Raj in 1858, major changes took place; * Berar, Saugor & Nerbudda and [[Orissa]] passed from Madras to Bengal in 1861. [[Central Provinces]] created at this time was therefore part of Bengal.* [[Baluchistan]] was acquired by Bengal between 1876-1891. By the 1930's, when India was approaching Independence, the map of India had become as shown on the map to the right.  Knowing which Presidency a town or city was in is important when consulting many of the [[India Office Records]] held at the [[British Library]]. Also note that administrative boundaries changed from time to time and it is important to check 'border' districts in the adjoining area. The above map is adapted from Plate 21 of the (1931) revised atlas of the [[Imperial Gazetteerof India]] of India. Such small scale maps cannot show every enclave of territory, and this map is not to be taken as an authority for boundaries. For more detail see the provincial maps in the Imperial Gazetteer atlas, and large scale published Survey of India topographical maps. == External links ==[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidencies_of_British_India Presidencies and provinces of British India] Wikipedia==See also==*[[Maps]]  [[Category:Locations]][[Category:Presidencies| ]]