Warren Hastings (1773 85)
• Quinquennial settlement of land revenue in 1772 farming out lands to the highest bidder, later on he reversed to Annual Settlement (1777) on the basis of open auction to the highest bidder.
• Treasury was transferred from Murshidabad to Calcutta, misuseof Dastak was checked.
• Dismissed Deputy Diwans Muhammad Reza Khan (Bengal) and Raja Shitab Rai (Bihar).
• Appointed Munni Begum as regent of minor Nawab Mubarak-ud-Daulaof Bengal.
• Signed treaty of Faizabad (1775) with Asaf-ud- Daula of Awadh.
• The Rohilla War was fought in 1774 and Rohilkhand was captured by the Nawab of Awadh with the help of the British.
• The First Maratha War (1775-82) was concluded with the Treaty of Salbai. • The Second Mysore War (1780-84) was concluded with the Treaty of Mangalore.
•Stopped annual allowance of Rs 20 lakh to Shah Alam II on charges of seeking protection from the Marathas.
• Took away Allahabad and Kara from Mughal Emperor and sold it to Nawab of Awadh for Rs. 50 Lakh.
• Codified Hindu and Muslim laws.
• Trial of Nand Kumar and his judicial murder in 1775.
• Foundation of Asiatic Society of Bengal with the help of Sir William Jones in 1784.
• Associated with the Chait Singh (Banaras Raj) affair (1778) wherein the Raja of Benaras was executed without any crime.
• After his return to England in 1785, impeachment proceedings were initiated against him in the House of Lords but after a long trial of 7 years he was eventually acquitted.
• Associated with the Begums of Oudh Affair (1782) wherein the Begums were thrown out of the palace to place a puppet king.
• In 1776 Manu's Law was translated into English as the Code of Gentoo Laws.
• Fatawa-i-Alamgiri was also translated.
• Three important Acts introduced during his time that defined the early constitutional development in India:
1. The Regulating Act of 1773
2. The Act of 1781 and
3. The Pitts India Act of 1784
Lord Cornwallis (1786 - 93)
• Third Anglo-Mysore War (1790-92) was concluded with the Treaty of Seringapatnam (1792).
• Set up courts at different levels and separation of revenue administration from judicial administration in order to reform the judiciary.
• Introduction of the civil Services in India.
• Introduced Cornwallis Code based on the principle of separation of powers in 1793.
• Superintendent of Police was made the head of district police and became the incharge of an area of 1000 sq. km.
• Besides the English magistrates were given police powers. And the Zamindars were divested of all police powers.
• Introduction of the Permanent Settlement in Bihar and Bengal (1793) which was also called as the Zamindari System.
• A ten-year settlement was concluded with the Zamindars in 1790 which was made permanent in 1793.
• Raised salaries of the ofticials.
• Collectors were to get 1% of the revenue collection in addition to their salary of Rs. 1500.
• This administrative system remained in force till 1858.
Sir John Shore (1793- 98)
• He was the main person instrumental in designing the Permanent Settlement under Lord Cormwallis and was the President of the Board of Revenue under Cornwallis.
• First Charter Act of 1793 was passed.
• Played an important role in the introduction of the Kharda which took place between the Nizam and the Marathas which resulted in the defeat of the Nizam. amous for inter vention.
• Ahmad Shah Abdali's grandson named Zaman Shah attacked India in this period.
Lord Wellesley (1798- 1805)
• Described himself as Bengal Tiger.
• Created Madras Presidency after the annexation of the Kingdoms of Tanjore and Camatic.
• Introduced the system of Subsidiary Alliance in 1798.
• Signed Treaty of Bassein (1802) with the Peshawa and fought Second Anglo-Maratha War during8 1803-05.
• The Fourth Mysore War (1799) concluded with the death of Tipu Sultan and Mysore as a state was fînished.
• Lord Lake captured Delhi and Agra in 1803 and the Mughal Emperor was put under Company's protection.
• Sir George Burlow (1805 07) Followed a policy of non-intervention.
• Sepoy Mutiny at Vellore in 1806 when Willam Bentinck was Governor of Madras Presidency.
• Third to restore peace between Scindhia and Holkar. Holkar accepted Subsidiary Alliance by Treaty of Rajpurghat in 1805.
• End of Second Anglo-Maratha War
Lord Minto I (1807 13)
• Signed Treaty of Amritsar in 1809 between Ranjlt Singh and English.
• Sent in 1808 Mission of Malcolm to Persia and that of Elphinstone to Kabul.
• The Charter Act of 1813 was introduced. Lord Hastings (1813 - 23)
• Adopted the policy of intervention and war.
• Success in the Gorkha war of the Anglo-Nepalese War (1813 1823). Signed Treaty of Sogauli after defeating the Gorkha leader Amar Singh.
• Hastings was awarded the title of 'Marquis of Hastings' in 1816.
• Abolished Peshwaship and annexed all his territories and created the Bombay Presidency after the Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817-1818).
• Pindari War fought (1817-1818).
• Appointed Darogas in districts after forcing zamindars to surrender their police force.
• The Company signed separate treaty with Raja of Sikkim in 1817 by which the Company handed over the territory between Hechi and Tista rivers.
• Introduction of Ryotwari Settlement in Madras Presidency by Governor, Thomas Munro (1820).
• Mahalwari (village community) system of land revenue was made in North-West Province by James Thomson.
Lord Amherst (1823 - 28)
• Received by Emperor Akbar II on terms of equality in 1827.
• Signed Treaty of Yandaboo in 1826 with lower Burma or Pegu by which British merchants were allowed to settle on southern coast of Burma and Rangoon.
• The First Burmese War was fought (1824-26). • Acquisition of territories in Malay Peninsula.
• Capture of Bharatpur (1826).
Lord William Bentinck (1828 - 33)
• He was the last Governor General of Bengal.
• Known as the Benevolent Governor-General.
• Introduced a number of social reforms. Banned the practice of Sati in 1829 (pioneering efforts made in this connection by Raja Ram Mohan Roy), suppressed Thugi in 1830 (Military operation led by William Sleeman).
• Annexed Mysore (1830), Kachar (1832), Jaintia (1832) and Coorg (1834).
• The raja of Mysore was deposed (1831).
• Concluded a treaty of perpetual friendship.
• The Regulation of 1833 on land revenue settlement by Mertins Bird (called father of land-revenue settlement in the North). Use of field maps and filed registers were prescribed for the first time.
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