Contribution of Governors in British India

The Contribution of Governors in British India were pivotal in administering British colonial policies and maintaining control over various provinces. Their significance lies in their influence over legislative decisions and law enforcement and their involvement in suppressing resistance movements across India. This article aims to study in detail their roles, impact, and the consequences of their governance during British rule.

Governor Generals of Bengal

• The Battle of Buxar (1764) marked a pivotal moment in Indian history. Following the victory, the East India Company acquired Diwani rights (the right to collect revenue) for Bengal, Bihar, and Odisha.
• This development introduced the Dual System of Government, wherein the Company exercised authority without taking responsibility for governance, while the Nawab served as a figurehead.
• This system fostered corruption among Company servants, who profited from private trade while the Company faced bankruptcy.
• The British government intervened, enacting the Regulating Act of 1773 to bring order to the Company’s administration.
• The Act created the post of Governor-General of Bengal, with Warren Hastings as the first to hold this office.

Warren Hastings (1772–1785)

Warren Hastings began structured British administration in India, with reforms targeting administration, revenue, judiciary, and commerce.

Administrative Reforms of Warren Hastings

• The Dual System was abolished, and the entire administration was transferred to Company servants.
• Hastings reduced the allowances of the Nawab of Bengal and ended payments to Emperor Shah Alam, asserting Company control.

Revenue Reforms of Warren Hastings

• Hastings inherited a chaotic revenue system. In 1772, he introduced a five-year settlement, leasing land to the highest bidders, but it led to exploitation and failure.
• In 1776, he shifted to annual settlements, again through open auctions. However, these measures left a legacy of famine, insurrection, and misery among peasants.

Judicial Reforms of Warren Hastings

• Diwani Adalats (civil courts) and Faujdari Adalats (criminal courts) were established at the district level, with Indian officers presiding.
• The Supreme Court of Calcutta was created under the Regulating Act of 1773, allowing all subjects to seek justice.

Commercial Reforms of Warren Hastings

• Hastings curtailed the misuse of Dastaks (free trade passes) by Company servants engaged in private trade.
• He also streamlined internal trade by removing barriers like zamindari custom houses.

Key Events and Legacy of Warren Hastings

• First Anglo-Maratha War (1775–1782): Hastings prevented a British defeat by negotiating the Treaty of Salbai.
• Second Anglo-Mysore War (1780–1784): Faced Haidar Ali’s onslaught but countered by dividing Indian alliances.
• Foundation of the Asiatic Society of Bengal (1784): This cultural initiative was spearheaded by Sir William Jones during Hastings’ tenure.

Hastings laid the groundwork for British administration but faced criticism for his controversial policies and corruption allegations, culminating in his impeachment trial in England.

Lord Cornwallis (1786–1793)

Cornwallis succeeded Hastings and focused on addressing corruption, judicial inefficiency, and revenue instability.

Civil Services Reforms

• Cornwallis enforced strict rules against private trade, bribes, and corruption among Company servants.
• He raised salaries, making civil service positions the highest-paid globally to ensure integrity.
• Introduced promotions by seniority and reserved higher posts exclusively for Europeans, embedding racial bias into the system.

Judicial Reforms

• Established Diwani Adalats in each district, presided over by District Judges.
• Separated the roles of revenue collection (Collector) and civil adjudication (Judge).
• Introduced Courts of Circuit to handle criminal cases in four divisions of Bengal.
• Codified laws and prohibited harsh punishments like mutilation.

Police Reforms

• Cornwallis relieved zamindars of police duties and introduced a modern police force, with darogas (Indian officers) heading local stations (thanas).
• Created the post of District Superintendent of Police, exclusively held by Europeans.

Revenue Reforms: Permanent Settlement (1793)

• Zamindars became landlords with hereditary and transferable rights over their lands.
• Fixed revenue payments were collected rigidly, even during crop failures, leading to distress sales of zamindari lands.
• While it ensured financial stability for the British, it reduced cultivators to tenants and resulted in the zamindar exploitation of peasants.

Key Events

• Third Anglo-Mysore War (1790–1792): Cornwallis defeated Tipu Sultan, culminating in the Treaty of Seringapatam.
• Advocated white supremacy, reserving administrative power for Europeans and excluding Indians from governance.

Cornwallis’s reforms laid a lasting administrative foundation but marginalised Indians and reinforced racial divides.

Lord Wellesley (1798–1805)

Wellesley expanded British control aggressively, transforming the East India Company into the dominant power in India.

Subsidiary Alliance System

• Indian states had to maintain a British military force within their territories and pay a subsidy.
• Prohibited the employment of Europeans without British permission.
• Key alliances: Hyderabad (first in 1798) and Awadh (1801).

Territorial Expansion

• Fourth Anglo-Mysore War (1799): Defeated Tipu Sultan, ending his reign in Seringapatam.
• Annexations: Took over Tanjore (1799), Surat (1800), and the Carnatic (1801).

Treaty of Bassein (1802)

• Secured British supremacy over the Marathas by aligning with Peshwa Baji Rao II.

Legacy of Lord Wellesley

• Wellesley centralised British authority, expanding their territory and influence significantly.
• Often described as converting the “British Empire in India” to the “British Empire of India.”

Contributions of Later Governor Generals

Sir George Barlow (1805–1807)

• Oversaw the Vellore Mutiny (1806), highlighting discontent among Indian soldiers due to cultural insensitivity.

Lord Hastings (1813–1823)

• Anglo-Nepal War (1814–1816): Concluded with the Treaty of Sagauli, securing British territory in the Himalayan region.
• Third Maratha War (1817–1819): Led to the Maratha Confederacy’s dissolution and the Bombay Presidency’s creation.
• Pindari War (1817–1818): Crushed the Pindari marauders, securing British dominance in central India.
• Introduced the Ryotwari System, granting ownership rights directly to cultivators under Thomas Munro.

Lord Amherst (1823–1828)

• Conducted the First Burmese War (1824–1826), expanding British territories in the northeast.
• Captured Bharatpur (1826), solidifying control over the north.

Conclusion

The governors and Governors-General of British India played a transformative role in shaping the subcontinent’s history. From Warren Hastings to Lord Amherst, their policies and administrative frameworks laid the foundation of British imperial rule. Their contributions ranged from reforms in administration, judiciary, revenue, and policing to aggressive territorial expansion through wars and alliances.

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