Lieutenant-Colonel Elliot James Dowell Colvin, CIE (27 July 1885 in London, England – 1950 in Delhi, India) was a British Indian Army and Indian Political Service officer who served as Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir.^[1]

Early life and education

Colvin was educated at Windlesham House School, Charterhouse and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.^[2] He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the British Indian Army in January 1904.^[3]

Career

Colvin remained on active service with the 117th Mahrattas regiment until July 1908, when he was appointed personal assistant to the Resident, Hyderabad.^[4] He was appointed a political officer in the Indian Political Department of the British Raj in February 1912 and promoted agent to the Governor-General in Central India, June, 1915. Colvin was appointed political agent, Baghelkhand, in March 1921, and Under-secretary to the agent to the Governor-General in Central India in April 1922.^[1]

In February 1924, Colvin was appointed adviser to the Maharaja of Rewa, which was considered "foreign service" by the Indian Political Department; then, in April 1930, was appointed officiating (i.e. acting) Resident, Gwalior, and officiating political agent, Eastern Rajputana States.^[5] In the aftermath of communal violence in Kashmir, Hari Singh, the Maharajah, was forced to ask the British Indian government to dispatch troops to the state to quell the rebellion. Lt.-Col. Colvin was chosen as prime minister of Kashmir State in March 1932 and reappointed in March 1935 to give British India more influence in the princely state.^[6][1]

Later life

Colvin was awarded the title of Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire in June 1933.^[7] He became Resident to Baroda and the Gujarat States in January 1938, before retiring in July 1940.^[1] Colvin retired from the Indian Army with the rank of lieutenant-colonel.