The Indian Political Service was one of the departments of the former Indian Civil Service, also known as the Imperial Civil Service. The Indian Civil Service (ICS) or the British India Civil Service was the civil service of the Government of India during the era of the rule of British Empire in India. The members of the civil service were appointed under Section XXXII of the Government of India Act, 1858 of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The political officers, who were assigned to the Indian Political Service, were primarily officers of the British Army, as well as British Indian Army officers on secondment. These officers were responsible for the civil administration of frontier districts. Employees of the Indian Political Service were mainly European, even though small numbers of native Indians were also employed. After the withdrawal of the British Government and the Indian Independence on 15th August 1947, a diminutive number of British political officers continued to serve as employees of the Union of India.

The Indian Political Service also served as residents of British India. They acted as senior officials of the British administration, who were positioned in the capital of the Princely States of India, and conducted consular duties, liaison functions and maintained political contacts with local monarchs, nizams, Maharajas, sultans, nawabs, chiefs and others. These Indian Political Service officers of the British East India Company took up residence in a princely state and conducted several official diplomatic functions that aided in the British indirect rule. They were also responsible for making the Indian Prince to sustain the association and alliance.

The Indian Political Service officers had various functions which included intervening in succession disputes, forming diplomatic alliances with other states and advising in governance. Further more they ensured that the native ruler did not retain military forces, but only for internal policing. The officers also tried to develop the Indian princely states by propagation of British concept and philosophy of progressive government.

Indian Political Service Officers
The names of the Indian Political Service Officers who also served as British Residents are mentioned as follows-
* Arnold Wilson
* Arthur Meek
* Basil Gould
* Charles Aitchison Smith
* Kenneth O'Connor
* Norval Mitchell
* Percy Cox
* Ralph Griffith
* Sir Edward Bradford, 1st Baronet
* William Francis Frederick Waller