G. T. Boag
{{Short description|British Indian civil servant, statistician and administrator}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2017}}
{{Use Indian English|date=May 2017}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = Sir
| name = George Townsend Boag
| image =
| imagesize = 200px
| order1 = Diwan of Cochin
| term_start1 = 1943
| term_end1 = 1944
| predecessor1 = A. F. W. Dickinson
| successor1 = C. P. Karunakara Menon
| order2 = Chief Secretary to the Government of the Madras Presidency
| term_start2 = 1938
| term_end2 = 1939
| premier2 = C. Rajagopalachari
| governor2 = John Erskine, Lord Erskine
| predecessor2 = C. F. Brackenbury
| successor2 = S. V. Ramamurthy
| order3 = Governor of Odisha (acting)
| term_start3 = 11 August 1938
| term_end3 = 8 December 1938
| predecessor3 = John Austen Hubback
| successor3 = John Austen Hubback
| governor_general3 = Victor Hope, 2nd Marquess of Linlithgow
| premier3 = Bishwanath Das
| order4 = Chief Secretary of Madras Presidency
| term_start4 = 1938
| term_end4 = 1939
| governor4 =
| premier4 = C. Rajagopalachari
| predecessor4 = C. F. Brackenbury
| successor4 = S. V. Ramamurthy
| order5 = Municipal Commissioner of Madras
| term_start5 = 1923
| term_end5 = 1925
| birth_date = 1884
| birth_place =
| death_date = 1969 (age 85)
| death_place = United Kingdom
| nationality = British
| party =
| alma_mater =
| profession =
| occupation =
| spouse =
}}
Sir George Townsend Boag KCIE CSI (1884–1969) was a British Indian civil servant, statistician and administrator who served as the Acting Governor of Odisha from 11 August 1938 to 8 December 1938.
Early life
George Townsend Boag was born on 12 November 1884 to Rev. George Boag, the Vicar of Winster in Westmorland.{{cite book|title=The record of old Westminsters: a biographical list of all those who are known to have been educated at Westminster school from the earliest times to 1927|author1=George Fisher Russell Barker |author2=Alan Herbert Stenning |author3=Geoffrey Reynolds Yonge Radcliffe |author4=John Beach Whitmore |author5=David Crighton Simpson |pages=100|publisher=Chiswick press|year=1928}} He gained admission to Westminster School on 21 January 1897 and studied at the school from 1897 to 1903.{{cite book|title=The Times of India directory and year book including who's who|year=1948|publisher=Bennett, Coleman|pages=1150}} He was a Mure Scholar for the year 1901. He obtained his baccalaureate and master's degrees from the University of Cambridge. In 1907, he passed the Indian Civil Service examinations and was allotted to the Madras Presidency.{{cite book|title=A manual of archival systems and the world of archives|pages=225|publisher=Siva Publications|author=M. Sundararaj|year=1999}}
In India
= Madras Presidency =
Boag arrived in India in 1908 and served as a special settlement officer from 1912 to 1918. He was appointed to the Indian Nutrition Board and served as the Collector of Transtuffs from 1912 to 1918. From 1920 to 1922, Boag served as Superintendent of Census Operations for the Presidency succeeding J. C. Molony. Boag served as the Municipal Commissioner for Madras from 1923 to 1925. He was the Chief Secretary of Madras Presidency from 1925 to 1928 and 1934 to 1938.{{cite book|title=Who's who in India, Burma & Ceylon|pages=114|publisher=Who's Who Publishers (India) Ltd|year=1941}} Boag served as the District Collector of West Godavari in 1930 before being appointed the Superintendent of the Madras Presidency Archives succeeding A. V. Venkatarama Ayyar on 19 August 1930.{{cite book|title=A manual of archival systems and the world of archives|pages=254|publisher=Siva Publications|author=M. Sundararaj|year=1999}} Boag served as a member of the Indian Tariff Board from 1931 to 1933.
= Odisha =
On 11 August 1938 the Governor of Odisha, Sir John Austen Hubback proceeded on a leave.{{cite book|title=Odisha, People, Culture, and Polity: People, Culture and Polity|pages=261|author=B. B. Jena|publisher=Kalyani Publications|year=1980}} Boag was appointed Acting Governor of Odisha in his stead and served from 11 August 1938 to 8 December 1938.{{cite web|title=Provinces of British India: Odisha|url=http://www.worldstatesmen.org/India_BrProvinces.htm#Odisha|publisher=World Statesmen}} As the Acting Governor of Odisha, he inaugurated the opening session of the Odisha Legislative Assembly on 29 August 1938.{{cite book|title=The Indian Review|pages=616|author=G. A. Natesan|author-link=G. A. Natesan|publisher=G. A. NAtesan & Co.|year=1938}}
On 12 September 1938 severe agitations broke out in the princely state of Dhenkanal demanding the abolition of stringent taxes.{{cite book|title=People's revolt in Odisha: a study of Talcher|pages=31|author=D. P. (Debi Prasad) Mishra|publisher=Atlantic Publishers & Distributors|year=1998|isbn=81-7156-739-8 |id={{ISBN|978-81-7156-739-3}}}} The situation turned violent as the agitations intensified. The Eastern States Agency, a federation of princely states of which Dhenkanal formed a part, resorted to police action. Large scale arrests were carried out and there was police firing in some areas. As a result of the disturbances in the neighbouring Dhenkanal, a large number of refugees poured into Odisha.{{cite book|title=People's revolt in Odisha: a study of Talcher|pages=32|author=D. P. (Debi Prasad) Mishra|publisher=Atlantic Publishers & Distributors|year=1998|isbn=81-7156-739-8 |id={{ISBN|978-81-7156-739-3}}}} Boag kept the Viceroy of India regularly updated with the events at Dhenkanal. The influx of refugees reached such alarming proportions that refugee camps had to be established along the border towns.{{cite book|title=People's revolt in Odisha: a study of Talcher|pages=33|author=D. P. (Debi Prasad) Mishra|publisher=Atlantic Publishers & Distributors|year=1998|isbn=81-7156-739-8 |id={{ISBN|978-81-7156-739-3}}}}
On 8 December 1938 Sir John Austen Hubback returned from leave and resumed his duties as Governor of Odisha. Boag was transferred back to Madras Presidency where he served as a member of the Special Advisory Council during Governor's rule and was given charge of the public, finance and revenue departments.{{cite book|title=Who's who in India, Burma & Ceylon|pages=9|publisher=Who's Who Publishers (India) Ltd|year=1941}} He served in the Council from 1939 to 1943.{{cite book|title=Portraits in the India Office Library and Records|pages=22|author=India Office Library and Records|publisher=British Library|year=1983|isbn=0-7123-0015-5 |id={{ISBN|978-0-7123-0015-5}}}} On 1943, he was appointed Diwan of Cochin and served from 1943 to 1944.{{cite web|title=Indian Princely States, Cochin - Dewans|url=http://www.worldstatesmen.org/India_princes_K-W.html#Kochin|publisher=World Statesmen}}
Honours
George Townsend Boag was made a Companion of the Indian Empire in 1928 and a Companion of the Star of India in 1936. He was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire in 1941.
Boag's residence
Boag's official residence in Madras city was located at T. Nagar.{{cite journal|title=Historic Residences in Chennai-2|journal=Madras Musings|author=V. Sriram|volume=18|issue=11|url=http://madrasmusings.com/Vol%2018%20No%2011/historic_residences_of_chennai_2.html|date=November 2008}} The street in which it was situated was named Boag Road in his honour. The house was later purchased by Kurma Venkata Reddy Naidu. In 1959, it was bought by Tamil film actor Sivaji Ganesan who renamed it Annai Illam. Today, the house is owned by the actor's family who continue to reside here.
Works
- {{cite book|title=The Madras Presidency, 1881-1931|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.203864|author=George Townsend Boag|publisher=Government Press|year=1933}}
Notes
{{Reflist|2}}
{{s-start}}
{{succession box|title=Collector of Transtuffs (Indian Nutrition Board)|before=|after=|years=1912-1918}}
{{succession box|title=Superintendent of Census Operations for the Madras Presidency|before=J. C. Molony|after=M. W. M. Yeats|years=1921-22}}
{{succession box|title=Municipal Commissioner of Madras city|before=|after=|years=1923-1925}}
{{succession box|title=Chief Secretary of Madras Presidency|before=|after=A. Y. G. Campbell|years=1925-1928}}
{{succession box|title=Governor of Odisha (acting)|before=John Austen Hubback|after=John Austen Hubback|years=11 August 1938 – 8 December 1938}}
{{succession box|title=Member of Governor of Madras Advisory Council|before=|after=|years=1939-1943}}
{{succession box|title=Diwan of Cochin|before=A. F. W. Dickinson|after=C. P. Karunakara Menon|years=1943-1944}}
{{s-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Boag, G.T.}}
Category:People educated at Westminster School, London
Category:Knights Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire
Category:Companions of the Order of the Star of India