Because of the East India Mutiny, the British Raj was conservative. It realized how dangerous the reforms before 1857 were. The British supported the conservative elements of society such as the princes and landlords. The mutiny widened the ration prejudice of the English for they couldn't see how they could trust the Hindus and Muslims again. This called for a conservative government.

The ideas of the British government were put on India and the India Civil service became the way of administrating India. The system was lead by a Viceroy who lead for around five years and under him where governors of different provinces. Most Viceroys didn't introduce any important new measures because the feared it would lead to disagreement.

Queen Victoria was proclaimed the Empress of India in 1877. The idea, which was given by the conservative Prime Minister Benjamin Disrael, was that the title would make the Indian Princes more loyal to the Raj. The princes ruled around one third of India. The idea was mainly all for show, for Queen Victoria never once visited India and all which really changed was that the princes received new coats of arms made of heavy brass and Chinese satin. The title gave the impression the Britain would now care for and maintain India and therefore have the power to mettle in state affairs.

India was very important to Victoria's Empire. Without it, the empire would not be the superpower that it was. The basic job of the Raj was to keep law and order, improve public health and education, to advance irrigation, and to help with huge problems such as famine control and agriculture.

Famines happened frequently in India, which affected millions of people. Obviously it was up to the Raj to provide relief, but the Famine Commission said the relief would stop the growth of the people by not letting them help themselves. Lord Curzon disagreed and argued that this idea sense and that Britain should learn from its mistakes and sometime when all the Empires' projects were done, the people would be able to help themselves.

The government tried to improve India's agricultural system. Agriculture was important because seventy percent of the population made their living off of it. The government of India is not only head of the government but chief landlord. The British used irrigation to help farming and developed Railroads and roads to ship the goods on (which was convenient for them, the ones making money).

In 1887 the cotton industry was developed with a cotton mill which opened in Nagpor. It provided many jobs and the Indigo industry flourished.

Although the Raj made economic, legal and educational improvements in India, it didn't have plans to help India in the long-term by giving it its independence. India was too much of an asset to their empire. The British didn't want the natives to get too powerful for then they would rule the country so the dismissed ideas such as the Ilbert bill. This bill suggested that qualified natives should have the right to act as magistrates. The British were cruel to the natives and their servants and had been seen to slap or hit them in public.

When Queen Victoria's reign ended in 1901, the Viceroy was one of the most powerful people in the world. He had 300 million subjects and one of the finest armies in the worlds (the Indian army). The strange thing was that the India army and the India Civil service was paid for by the taxes of India, so it was the Indians who were paying to remain part of the empire.