describe the case of defiance of shoe respect in Surat
Answers
The shoe respect controversy:
a. Governor General Amherst insisted that Indians take off their shoes as a mark of respect , before they appeared before the court.
b. Lord Dalhousie made shoe respect rule stricter and Indians were made to take off their shoes while entering government institutions, those wearing European shoes were exempted, This angered many Indian nationalists.
c. In 1862, Manockjee Cowasjee Entee refused to take off his shoes in the court of the sessions judge, in Surat, even though Judge insisted that Manockjee must take them off.
Results of such a defiance were:
a. Manockjee was barred entry into the courtroom.
b. He protested and sent a letter to the governor of Bombay.
c. It sparked of a big controversy between the Indians and the British.
Governor General Amherst in his rule (In 1824-1828) in India introduced the shoe law. According to this law, all the Indians had to take their shoes off before appearing the Governor General Amherst, as a sign of respect. Though this rule was not rigorously followed during his rule. But at the time when Lord Dalhousie became the Governor-General of India, the shoe laws were implemented strictly. In fact, Indians were ordered to remove their shoes before entering any governmental institute.
The case of defiance of shoe respect in Surat is that an assessor called Mancokjee Cowasjee Entee refused to remove his shoes before entering the e Surat Fouzdaree Adawlut or the Court of Session judge. Even though the Magistrate ordered him to remove his shoes to as a part of shoe laws to show respect the British people, he remained resolute. Thereafter his entry in the courtroom was obstructed.