The Age of Consent Act was signed in 1891 during the viceroyship of Lord Lansdowne. By this act, the age limit of girls was raised from 10 to 12 within which protection was given to them. Marriage of girls under the age of twelve was prohibited.
The British became a major power in the Indian sub-continent after the Treaty of Paris and began to show interest in Afghanistan to ensure that the Russian empire did not have an influence over Afghanistan.