HPAS/ N.T. Allied Mains 2022-23 Answer Writing Challenge: Model Answer

Question: How did British Parliament changed the role of East India company from 1600 to 1857?

Answer: 

ADVENT OF ENGLISH IN INDIA

FOUNDATION OF EAST INDIA COMPANY

• In 1599 a group of English merchants established East India Company (nickname – John Company) to trade with the East.
• In 1600, East India Company (EIC) was granted a ‘Royal Charter’ by Queen Elizabeth giving it the exclusive privilege of trading in areas east of the Cape of Good Hope for a period of 15 years.

ENGLISH TRADING ACTIVITIES

• In the beginning, EIC was concentrated on spices’ trade.
• Initial voyages were made to the spice islands of Indonesia.
• Soon, the English discovered the importance of Indian goods especially textiles as a barter commodity for spice trade (just like the Dutch did).

SETTING UP TRADE IN INDIA

• In 1608, Surat in Gujarat was established as trade transit point and the company’s ships were docked there.
• To consolidate the trade in India, the company planned to set up a factory in Gujarat and Captain Hawkins played an important role in the achievement of this objective

Administrative Reforms

• Regulating Act, 1773
• Pitts Act, 1784
• Charter Act, 1793
• Charter Act, 1813
• Charter Act, 1833
• Charter Act, 1853

Administrative Reforms: Regulating Act, 1773

Regulating Act of 177

Features:

1. It was the first step taken by the British Government to control and regulate the affairs of the East India Company in India
2. It recognized, for the first time, the political and administrative functions of the Company
3. It laid the foundations of central administration in India.
4. It designated the Governor of Bengal as the ‘Governor-General of Bengal’ and created an Executive Council of four members to assist him. The first such Governor-General was Lord Warren Hastings.
5. It provided for the establishment of a Supreme Court at Calcutta (1774) comprising one chief justice and three other judges.
6. It prohibited the servants of the Company from engaging in any private trade or accepting presents or bribes from the ‘natives’.
7. It strengthened the control of the British Government over the Company by requiring the Court of Directors (governing body of the Company) to report on its revenue, civil, and military affairs in India.
8. It made the governors of Bombay and Madras presidencies subordinate to the Governor General of Bengal, unlike earlier, when the three presidencies were independent of one another.

• Limitations under Act of 1773
• Inefficient Governor-General-in Council
• Vague Provisions for Central Administration
• Vague Provisions regarding Supreme Court

Factors Responsible

• Administrative Chaos in Bengal
• Socio-Political Corruption
• Jealousy Among Englishmen In Britain
• Financial Crisis in East India Company
• Immediate Context of Regulating Act Of 1773

Administrative Reforms: Pitts Act 1784

• Pitt’s India Act 1784
• Provisions of the Act
• Features of the Act
• Drawbacks of the Act

Provisions of the Act

1.For political matters, the Board of Control was created and for commercial affairs, the Court of Directors was appointed.

2.The Board of Control took care of civil and military affairs. It comprised of 6 people:

I.Secretary of State (Board President)

II.Chancellor of the Exchequer

III.Four Privy Councillors

3.In this dual system of control, the company was represented by the Court of Directors and the British government by the Board of Control.

4.The act mandated that all civil and military officers disclose their property in India and Britain within two months of their joining.

5.The Governor-General’s council’s strength was reduced to three members. One of the three would be the Commander-in-Chief of the British Crown’s army in India.

6.The Presidencies of Madras and Bombay became subordinate to the Bengal Presidency. In effect, Calcutta became the capital of the British possessions in India.

Features of the Act

1.This act made a distinction between the commercial and political activities of the East India Company.

2.For the first time, the term ‘British possessions in India’ was used.

3.This act gave the British government direct control over Indian administration.

4.The Company became subordinate to the British government unlike as in the previous Regulating Act of 1773, where the government only sought to ‘regulate’ matters and not take over.

Drawbacks of the Act

1.The act was deemed a failure because there was no clarity on the boundaries between the company’s powers and the government’s authority.

2.The Governor-General had to serve two masters i.e. East India Company and the British Crown

3.There were no clear boundaries between the responsibilities of the Board of Control and the Court of Directors of the company. The Governor-General had to take on the spot decisions exercising his discretion.

Administrative Reforms: Act of 1786

Key Provisions of Amendment Act of 1786

1.The Act allowed the unification of the offices of the Governor-General and Commander in Chief.

2.It gave overriding powers to the Governor-General over his council in extraordinary situations.

3.It provided that the King’s approval for selecting the Governor-General was not required anymore.

Permanent Settlement of Bengal

Features of the Permanent Settlement

1.Landlords or Zamindars were recognised as the owners of the land.

2.They were given hereditary rights of succession of the lands under them.

3.The Zamindars could sell or transfer the land as they wished.

4.The fixed amount was 10/11th portion of the revenue for the government and 1/10th was for the Zamindar.

5.The Zamindar also had to give the tenant a patta which described the area of the land given to him and the rent he had to pay the landlord.

Administrative Reforms: Act of 1793

Features of the Act

1. This act was made only fairly minimal changes to either the system of government in India or British oversight of the Company’s activities.
2. Most importantly, the Company’s trade monopoly was continued for a further 20 years.
3. Salaries for the staff and paid members of the Board of Control were also now charged to the Company.

Administrative Reforms: Charter Act 1813

Provisions of the Charter Act of 1813

1.Finally, British merchants were allowed to trade in India under a strict licensing system under the Charter Act of 1813.

2.But in trade with China and the tea trade, the company still retained its monopoly.

3.This Act asserted the Crown’s sovereignty over British possessions in India.

4.The company’s rule extended to another 20 years.

5.Their trade monopoly was ended except for the trade in tea, opium, and with China.

6.The Act gave more powers for the courts in India over European British subjects.

7.Permission to the missionaries to come to India.

8.The act provided for a financial grant towards the revival of Indian literature and the promotion of science.

9.It was to set aside Rs.1 Lakh for this purpose.

Administrative Reforms: Charter Act 1833

• Factors behind the Act of 1833
• Philosophy of Laissez Faire
• Impact of Liberal Wave in Britain

Charter act of 1833

Features:

1.The charter act of 1833 legalized the British colonization of India.

2.it became a administrative body.’

3.It made the Governor-General of Bengal as the Governor-General of India and vested in him all civil and military powers.

4.This made Lord William Bentinck the first Governor-General of India { centralization of the administration of India}

5.The Governors of Bombay and Madras lost their legislative powers. Governor-General of India had legislative powers over entire British India.

6. The laws made under the previous acts were called as Regulations while laws made under this act were called as Acts.

7.Indian Law Commission was established to codify all Indian laws.

—–The first Law Commission had Lord Macaulay as its chairman.

8. This act also directed the Governor General-in-Council to adopt measures to mitigate the state of slavery, persisting in India since sultanate Era.

Administrative Reforms: Charter Act 1853

• Charter Act of 1853
• Company Rule at Mercy of British Parliament
• Separation of GG’s Executive & Legislative Council
• Powers of Court of Directors

Revenue Administration

• Permanent Settlement
• Areas: Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, Banaras division of modern UP, and Northern Carnatic in the 18th century Zamindari Or Taluqdari system
• Mahalwari System
• Areas: North-west provinces, parts of central India and Punjab The Mahalwari system was introduced by Holt Mackenzie in 1822
• Ryotwari System
• Areas : Malabar, Coimbatore, Madras and, Madurai by Sir Thomas Munro. Maharashtra, East Bengal, parts of Assam and Coorg.