UPSC Notes / Modern Indian History / Chapter 5
Chapter 5 of 29

British Administration and Policies

From Warren Hastings to the Government of India Act 1858 — the Governors-General, key administrative reforms, and the transition from Company rule to Crown rule.

📖 ~14 min read 🏛️ Modern Indian History

Introduction

As the Company's territory expanded, it needed a formal administrative structure — moving from a merchant-company model to a full-fledged colonial government, eventually transferring power to the British Crown after the Revolt of 1857.

Key Governors-General (Pre-1857)

Governor-GeneralTenureKey Contribution
Warren Hastings1772-85First Governor-General of Bengal (1773 Regulating Act); organised the administration, judiciary (Sadar Diwani/Nizamat Adalats); ended Dual Government
Lord Cornwallis1786-93Introduced the Permanent Settlement (1793) in Bengal; codified civil service rules ("Cornwallis Code"); separated revenue and judicial administration
Lord Wellesley1798-1805Introduced the Subsidiary Alliance system; founded Fort William College for training Company officials
Lord William Bentinck1828-35Abolished Sati (1829); suppressed Thuggee; introduced English education (Macaulay's Minute, 1835); first Governor-General of India (post-1833 Charter Act)
Lord Dalhousie1848-56Doctrine of Lapse; introduced railways, telegraph, and the postal system; annexed Awadh (1856)
Lord Canning1856-62Governor-General during the Revolt of 1857; became the first Viceroy of India after the Government of India Act, 1858

Transition: Company Rule → Crown Rule

Flowchart — From Company to Crown
East India Company (trading + ruling power since 1757)
↓
Regulating Act, 1773 & Pitt's India Act, 1784 — British Parliament begins overseeing Company rule
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Charter Acts (1793-1853) — periodic renewal, gradual loss of trade monopoly and legislative changes
↓
Revolt of 1857
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Government of India Act, 1858 — Company abolished, Crown rule begins, Secretary of State for India created

Key Early Acts

ActYearKey Provision
Regulating Act1773First step by British Parliament to control Company affairs; created the post of Governor-General of Bengal with a Council; established the Supreme Court at Calcutta (1774)
Pitt's India Act1784Established a Board of Control in London for political affairs, alongside the Company's Court of Directors for commercial affairs — dual control system
Charter Act1813Ended the Company's trade monopoly in India (except tea and China trade); allowed Christian missionaries
Charter Act1833Ended the Company's commercial activities altogether — became purely an administrative body; Governor-General of Bengal became Governor-General of India (William Bentinck first)
Charter Act1853Introduced open competition for civil service recruitment; separated legislative and executive functions of the Governor-General's Council
💡 Note: The Government of India Act, 1858 formally ended Company rule and transferred power to the British Crown, with a Secretary of State for India (based in London, assisted by a Council of India) replacing the Board of Control and Court of Directors.
✅ UPSC Focus: Governor-General to Governor-General/Viceroy transition points · Key reforms under Cornwallis, Bentinck, and Dalhousie · Charter Act sequence (1793, 1813, 1833, 1853) and what changed in each · 1858 Act ending Company rule.

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