Company Rule (1773-1858)

Governor-General: Warren Hastings

First British Regulation: Marked the beginning of British control over East India Company’s affairs in India.
Central Administration: Laid the foundation for centralised governance.
Company’s Role: Officially recognized the Company’s political and administrative authority.
Governor-General Appointment: Appointed Lord Warren Hastings as Governor-General of Bengal with a 4-member Executive Council.
Supreme Court Establishment: Set up the Supreme Court in Calcutta (1774).
Prohibition of Private Trade: Banned private trade and bribes among Company servants.
British Oversight: Required the Court of Directors to report on revenue, civil, and military matters.
Presidency Subordination: Bombay and Madras presidencies were made subordinate to Bengal’s Governor-General.

Governor-General: Warren Hastings

Governor-General and Council: Exempted from Supreme Court jurisdiction for official acts.
Revenue Matters: Excluded revenue issues from Supreme Court’s jurisdiction.
Personal Law: Court to apply Hindu/Mohammedan law for respective defendants.
Appeals: Provincial Court appeals directed to Governor-General-in-Council.
Regulations: Governor-General-in-Council empowered to frame regulations for Provincial Courts and Councils.

Governor-General: Warren Hastings

Function Distinction: Separated commercial and political functions of the Company.
Dual Government: The Act established:

Board of Control: Managed political affairs and supervised civil and military operations or revenues.
Court of Directors: Oversaw commercial affairs.

British Possessions: First referred to Company territories as ‘British possessions in India’, granting the British Government supreme control.

Governor-General: Lord Cornwallis

Governor-General Appointment: Lord Cornwallis appointed as Governor-General of Bengal and the Commander-in-Chief.
Override Authority: Cornwallis was granted power to override council decisions in special cases.

Governor-General: John Shore

Extended Power: Overriding powers granted to Lord Cornwallis were extended to future Governors-Generals and Governors of Presidencies.
Increased Authority: Enhanced Governor-General’s control over Bombay and Madras Presidencies.
Trade Monopoly: Extended the Company’s monopoly in India for an additional twenty years.
Council Membership: Specified that the Commander-in-Chief would not be a council member unless appointed.
Financial Provisions: Mandated payment for Board of Control members and staff from Indian revenues.

Governor-General: Lord Minto I

Ended the trade monopoly of the East India Company, allowing all British merchants to trade in India, except for trade with China and trade in tea.
Asserted British Crown sovereignty over Company territories in India.
Empowered local governments to impose taxes and punish defaulters.
Extended the Company’s rule for another 20 years.
Enhanced the powers of the Board of Control.
Allowed Christian missionaries to promote moral and religious improvements in India.
Mandated an annual investment of Rs. 1 Lakh in Indian education.
Regulated the Company’s territorial revenues and commercial profits, requiring separate accounts.

Governor-General of India: William Bentinck

Marked the final step towards centralization in British India, giving it an All-India character.
Legalised British colonisation; the East India Company became an administrative body, holding territories “in trust for His Majesty, His heirs and successors’.
Ended the Company’s monopoly on trade with China and in tea.
The government of the Governor-General came to be known as the “Government of India,” and the council as the “India Council.”
Designated the Governor-General of Bengal as the “Governor-General of India”, granting full civil and military powers; Lord William Bentinck was the first appointee.
Transferred legislative powers from Bombay and Madras to the Governor-General of India, with laws termed “Acts”.
Empowered the Governor-General to amend or repeal laws in British India.
Proposed an open competition system for civil servant selection, but faced opposition from the Court of Directors.
Established the Indian Law Commission (1834) for legal codification, chaired by Lord Macaulay.

Governor-General of India: Lord Dalhousie

The last in a series of Charter Acts (1793-1853).
Separated legislative and executive functions of the Governor-General’s council.
Introduced local representation in the Indian Legislative Council with six new legislative councillors, totalling 12 members.
Reduced the Board of Directors from 24 to 18, with 6 nominated by the British Crown.
The legislative council functioned as a “Mini Parliament”, mirroring British procedures.
Implemented an open competition system for civil service recruitment, allowing Indian participation; the Macaulay Committee was appointed in 1854.
The fourth law member gained voting rights as a full member.