---
title: "Government of India Act 1919: Dyarchy Explained"
description: "The Government of India Act 1919 introduced dyarchy and a bicameral legislature, marking a significant step in Indian self-governance during colonial rule."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/government-of-india-act-1919"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- The Government of India Act 1919 was a British statute that introduced dyarchy in the provinces and a bicameral central legislature to expand Indian participation in colonial governance.
- What was dyarchy under the Government of India Act 1919?
- How did the 1919 Act differ from the Morley-Minto Reforms of 1909?
- Why is the Government of India Act 1919 linked to the Simon Commission?
- Why did dyarchy in the provinces fail?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

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## Timeline

1. 23 December 1919

   The Government of India Act 1919, commonly styled the Montagu–Chelmsford Reforms after Secretary of State Edwin Montagu and Viceroy Lord Chelmsford, received…

2. 20 August 1917

   The Government of India Act 1919, commonly styled the Montagu–Chelmsford Reforms after Secretary of State Edwin Montagu and Viceroy Lord Chelmsford, received…

3. 13 April 1919

   The mandatory ten-year review clause produced the all-white Simon Commission, whose composition provoked nationwide boycotts and the slogan "Simon, go back."…

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Example

In November 1920 India held its first elections under the Act's widened franchise, but the Indian National Congress, under Mahatma Gandhi at its Nagpur session, resolved to boycott the new councils.

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