The Preamble of the Government of India Act, 1935, was largely borrowed from which earlier constitutional document?

Introduction / Context:
This question relates to the constitutional evolution of British rule in India. The Government of India Act, 1935, was a major statute that introduced provincial autonomy and proposed a federation, among other changes. Examinations often ask from where certain features of this Act, especially its Preamble, were derived, in order to highlight the continuity in British constitutional policy toward India.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The focus is specifically on the Preamble of the Government of India Act, 1935.
• Options include the U.S. Constitution, the Australian Constitution, the Government of India Act, 1919, and Pitt's India Act, 1784.
• We assume familiarity with the sequence of major statutes: 1858, 1909, 1919 and 1935.
• We are looking for the immediate prior document whose Preamble language and ideas were substantially reused.

Concept / Approach:
The Government of India Act, 1935, did not invent its Preamble from scratch. Instead, it largely borrowed and expanded upon the Preamble of the earlier Government of India Act, 1919 (also known as the Montagu–Chelmsford Reforms Act). The 1919 Act had already declared the policy of “the progressive realisation of responsible government in India”. The 1935 Act continued and elaborated this policy, so its Preamble followed the same line of thought and wording to a significant extent. While the Indian Constitution after independence drew inspiration from various world constitutions, this question is specifically about the 1935 Act, not the 1950 Constitution.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that the Government of India Act, 1919, introduced dyarchy and stated in its Preamble a policy of gradually developing self-governing institutions in India.Step 2: Recognise that the Government of India Act, 1935, built on the same policy framework, extending provincial autonomy and proposing a federation, and therefore largely carried forward the earlier Preamble.Step 3: Understand that the U.S. and Australian Constitutions are sources for some features of the later Indian Constitution (1950), but they are not the direct sources for the Preamble of the 1935 British statute.Step 4: Note that Pitt's India Act, 1784, is an older regulatory law without a Preamble that resembles the 1935 Act's language about responsible government.Step 5: Therefore, the most accurate answer is that the Preamble of the 1935 Act was borrowed from the Government of India Act, 1919.

Verification / Alternative check:
Constitutional history textbooks and exam-preparation materials explain that the Government of India Act, 1935, continued the policy declared in 1919 regarding progressive self-government. They specifically note that the Preamble was based on and expanded from the earlier 1919 Act. Conversely, when discussing the Preamble of the independent Indian Constitution, these same sources mention inspiration from the U.S., Irish and other constitutions, clearly separating that issue from the 1935 statute.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
The Constitution of the United States of America: Influenced the Preamble of the independent Indian Constitution, not the Preamble of the 1935 British Act.The Constitution of Australia: Cited for certain federal features of the Indian Constitution, but not as the model for the Preamble of the Government of India Act, 1935.Pitt's India Act, 1784: A much earlier regulatory act without a Preamble that matches the later language about responsible government.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes confuse the Government of India Act, 1935, with the later Indian Constitution and automatically choose the U.S. Constitution whenever they see a question about a Preamble. To avoid this, carefully read whether the question is about the colonial statute (1935) or the post-independence Constitution (1950). For the 1935 Act, the immediate and correct source of the Preamble is the Government of India Act, 1919.

Final Answer:
The Preamble of the Government of India Act, 1935, was largely borrowed from the Preamble of the Government of India Act, 1919.