BharatNotes Dominion
nounUsage in a UPSC answer
Although the princely states ceded their dominion to the Indian Union at independence, the architects of the Constitution were careful to ensure that ultimate sovereignty rested not with any ruler but with "We, the People."
Synonyms
Antonyms
Word Family
dominate (v), dominant (adj), dominance (n), dominator (n), dominions (n pl)
Root
Latin dominus = lord; domus = house; dominium = lordship, right of ownership; Old French dominion
Etymology
From Middle English dominion, via Old French from Latin dominium ("lordship, right of ownership"), from dominus ("lord"), from domus ("house").
Memory Hook
Think "DOMINus" — the Latin lord/master of the house: a dominion is the domain where the dominus holds dominating power.
How This Word Works in UPSC Writing
A self-governing territory of the British Empire that kept the Crown as head of state. Read the constitutional term of art rather than the everyday sense of dominion as control, which is how the usage sentence above employs the word. Dominion status was a goal before it was a stage: the Nehru Report of 1928 asked for it, the Calcutta session that December gave Britain a year to accept, and when the year passed the Lahore session resolved on 31 December 1929 for Purna Swaraj instead, fixing 26 January as the first Independence Day, which is why that date was later chosen for the Constitution's commencement. India nevertheless passed through dominion status on the way out, being a Dominion from 15 August 1947 to 26 January 1950 under the Indian Independence Act 1947, which created two Dominions, with the Governor-General as head of state and the Constituent Assembly doubling as the central legislature. The interesting consequence is what India's departure did to the Commonwealth: since membership had rested on common allegiance to the Crown, India's decision to become a republic and stay in forced the London Declaration of 1949, which recast the King as the symbol of free association and Head of the Commonwealth, opening membership to republics.
Don’t Confuse It With
Dominion status keeps the Crown as head of state, whereas Purna Swaraj meant complete independence, which is why the Lahore session in 1929 abandoned the former for the latter. A republic has an elected head of state, so India ceased to be a Dominion on 26 January 1950. Commonwealth membership is separate again, and India kept it as a republic because the London Declaration of 1949 removed allegiance to the Crown as the condition. Note that the everyday sense of dominion, meaning control or sovereignty, is a different word entirely from the constitutional status.
Hindi Meaning
अधिराज्य (adhirājya) for Dominion; पूर्ण स्वराज (pūrna svarāj); गणराज्य (ganarājya) for republic.
Common Questions
- How long was India a Dominion?
- From 15 August 1947 to 26 January 1950, under the Indian Independence Act 1947, which created the two Dominions of India and Pakistan with the Governor-General as head of state.
- How did India remain in the Commonwealth after becoming a republic?
- The London Declaration of 1949 recast the King as the symbol of the free association of member nations and Head of the Commonwealth rather than the common sovereign, so membership no longer required allegiance to the Crown.
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