Walter John Christie
Encyclopedia
Walter Henry John Christie CSI
, CIE
, OBE
(17 December 1905 – 25 August 1983) was a British colonial civil servant who played a key part in the independence of India
and provided administrative continuity after independence.
Christie was born at Poona, India, the son of Henry George Christie. He was a King's Scholar
at Eton
where he won the Newcastle medal, and went on to Kings College, Cambridge where he won the Winchester Reading Prize and took a first in part one of the classical tripos in 1926 and then another in part two of the historical tripos in 1927.
Christie joined the Indian Civil Service in 1928, and served in Bengal
at Asansol
and Chittagong Hill Tracts
until 1937. He was then posted to New Delhi and after two years became one of the secretaries to the Viceroy of India Lord Linlithgow
. In 1943 the Indian Food Department was established and Christie joined the department which was almost immediately overwhelmed by the Bengal famine of 1943
and then challenged by the task of raising food production in India. He was Secretary of the Indian Delegation at the FAO Representative 2nd Session of the conference in 1946. In 1947 he was appointed Joint Private secretary with George Abell
to the Viceroy Lord Wavell
and worked on emergency plans for dealing with the possibility of a collapse of order on transition of power. Lord Mountbatten replaced Wavell as Viceroy with the objective of handing over power to a united India within a year. Christie and his colleague V. P. Menon
realised partition
was almost inevitable and decided to prepare a document to hold in readiness on the administrative issues involved in dividing all aspects of the state. Christie had the assistance of two civil servants Chaudhry Muhammad Ali
future Prime Minister of Pakistan, and Haribhai M. Patel future Finance and Home Minister of India. The implications of the thirty-three page document The Administrative Consequences of Partition stunned the party leaders, Jawaharlal Nehru
and Mohammad Ali Jinnah, to silence when presented it to them.
After Indian independence Christie remained in India as an adviser to the central government committee until 1952. In 1951 he became Steward of the Indian Polo Association when the sport of polo in India most needed revival. He was Vice Chairman of the British India Corporation
from 1952 to 1958 and President of the Upper India Chamber of Commerce from 1955 to 1956. He was then Vice President of the Employers Federation of India in 1956 and President of the UK Citizen’s Association in 1957. After India, he served on the Commonwealth development finance committee from 1959 to 1968 and became Adviser to the East African Development Bank
from 1969 to 1970.
On retirement he wrote several articles for Blackwood's Magazine
, wrote Menon's biography for the ONDB and published an autobiographical account of his service in Morning Drum. He lodged many of his papers in public archives where they have provided a source for works on Indian history. He was also referred to as John Christie and "Red Christie".
Christie married Elizabeth Louise Stapleton in 1934.
Order of the Star of India
The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1861. The Order includes members of three classes:# Knight Grand Commander # Knight Commander # Companion...
, CIE
Order of the Indian Empire
The Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1878. The Order includes members of three classes:#Knight Grand Commander #Knight Commander #Companion...
, OBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(17 December 1905 – 25 August 1983) was a British colonial civil servant who played a key part in the independence of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and provided administrative continuity after independence.
Christie was born at Poona, India, the son of Henry George Christie. He was a King's Scholar
King's Scholar
A King's Scholar is a foundation scholar of one of certain public schools...
at Eton
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
where he won the Newcastle medal, and went on to Kings College, Cambridge where he won the Winchester Reading Prize and took a first in part one of the classical tripos in 1926 and then another in part two of the historical tripos in 1927.
Christie joined the Indian Civil Service in 1928, and served in Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
at Asansol
Asansol
Asansol is a coal mining and industrial metropolis and one of the busiest commercial centres in India. It is the second largest city and urban agglomeration in West Bengal after Kolkata and the 19th largest urban agglomeration in India. Asansol is located in the western part of the Burdwan...
and Chittagong Hill Tracts
Chittagong Hill Tracts
The Chittagong Hill Tracts comprise an area of 13,295 km2 in south-eastern Bangladesh, and borders India and Myanmar . It was a single district of Bangladesh until 1984. In that year it was divided into three separate districts: Khagrachari, Rangamati and Bandarban. Topographically, this is the...
until 1937. He was then posted to New Delhi and after two years became one of the secretaries to the Viceroy of India Lord Linlithgow
Victor Hope, 2nd Marquess of Linlithgow
Victor Alexander John Hope, 2nd Marquess of Linlithgow KG, KT, GCSI, GCIE, OBE, PC was a British statesman who served as Governor-General and Viceroy of India from 1936 to 1943.-Early life and family:...
. In 1943 the Indian Food Department was established and Christie joined the department which was almost immediately overwhelmed by the Bengal famine of 1943
Bengal famine of 1943
The Bengal famine of 1943 struck the Bengal. Province of pre-partition India. Estimates are that between 1.5 and 4 million people died of starvation, malnutrition and disease, out of Bengal’s 60.3 million population, half of them dying from disease after food became available in December 1943 As...
and then challenged by the task of raising food production in India. He was Secretary of the Indian Delegation at the FAO Representative 2nd Session of the conference in 1946. In 1947 he was appointed Joint Private secretary with George Abell
George Abell (civil servant and cricketer)
Sir George Edmond Brackenbury Abell, KCIE, OBE was an English civil servant and cricketer. Although his civil service career was the more significant, he was an excellent all-round sportsman, who won Blues for Oxford at cricket, rugby union and hockey as well as playing county cricket for...
to the Viceroy Lord Wavell
Archibald Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell
Field Marshal Archibald Percival Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell GCB, GCSI, GCIE, CMG, MC, PC was a British field marshal and the commander of British Army forces in the Middle East during the Second World War. He led British forces to victory over the Italians, only to be defeated by the German army...
and worked on emergency plans for dealing with the possibility of a collapse of order on transition of power. Lord Mountbatten replaced Wavell as Viceroy with the objective of handing over power to a united India within a year. Christie and his colleague V. P. Menon
V. P. Menon
Vappala Pangunni Menon CIS CIE , also known as V. P. Menon, was an Indian civil servant who played a vital role during the partition of India and the integration of independent India, from the period 1945-1950....
realised partition
Partition of India
The Partition of India was the partition of British India on the basis of religious demographics that led to the creation of the sovereign states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India on 14 and 15...
was almost inevitable and decided to prepare a document to hold in readiness on the administrative issues involved in dividing all aspects of the state. Christie had the assistance of two civil servants Chaudhry Muhammad Ali
Chaudhry Muhammad Ali
Chaudhry Muhammad Ali Chaudhry Muhammad Ali Chaudhry Muhammad Ali (Punjabi, ; (July 15, 1905 - December 2, 1980) was a Pakistani statesman who served as the fourth Prime Minister of Pakistan from 1955 to 1956.-Early life:...
future Prime Minister of Pakistan, and Haribhai M. Patel future Finance and Home Minister of India. The implications of the thirty-three page document The Administrative Consequences of Partition stunned the party leaders, Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru , often referred to with the epithet of Panditji, was an Indian statesman who became the first Prime Minister of independent India and became noted for his “neutralist” policies in foreign affairs. He was also one of the principal leaders of India’s independence movement in the...
and Mohammad Ali Jinnah, to silence when presented it to them.
After Indian independence Christie remained in India as an adviser to the central government committee until 1952. In 1951 he became Steward of the Indian Polo Association when the sport of polo in India most needed revival. He was Vice Chairman of the British India Corporation
British India Corporation
British India Corporation Limited is a Public Sector Undertaking of the Government of India. The company manufactures textiles for both civilian and armed forces consumption. It manufactures the popular "Lal-imli" and "Dhariwal" brands of woolen products...
from 1952 to 1958 and President of the Upper India Chamber of Commerce from 1955 to 1956. He was then Vice President of the Employers Federation of India in 1956 and President of the UK Citizen’s Association in 1957. After India, he served on the Commonwealth development finance committee from 1959 to 1968 and became Adviser to the East African Development Bank
East African Development Bank
East African Development Bank is a development finance institution with the objective of promoting development in East Africa.-Overview:...
from 1969 to 1970.
On retirement he wrote several articles for Blackwood's Magazine
Blackwood's Magazine
Blackwood's Magazine was a British magazine and miscellany printed between 1817 and 1980. It was founded by the publisher William Blackwood and was originally called the Edinburgh Monthly Magazine. The first number appeared in April 1817 under the editorship of Thomas Pringle and James Cleghorn...
, wrote Menon's biography for the ONDB and published an autobiographical account of his service in Morning Drum. He lodged many of his papers in public archives where they have provided a source for works on Indian history. He was also referred to as John Christie and "Red Christie".
Christie married Elizabeth Louise Stapleton in 1934.
Publications
- Morning Drum (BACSA) 1983
- Oxford Dictionary of National Biography Menon, Vapal Pangunni (1894-1966)
- Contributions to Blackwood’s Magazine
- March 1970
- November 1970 A Taste of Freedom
- May 1971 St Cyprians Days
- June 1971 Little Victims