Supper 20-20 Classes: June 2022

This act was of great constitutional importance as it was the fist step taken by the British Government to control and regulate the affairs of the East India Company in India

* It recognized , for the fist time , the political and administrative function of the Company , it laid the foundations of central administration in India.

The features of this Act :-

1. It designated the Governor of Bengal as the 'Governor General of Bengal' .

2. The first such Governor General Was " Lord Warren Hastings" .

3. 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.

4. It provided for the establishment of a Supreme Court at Calcutta (1774) .

5. It strengthened the control of the British Government over the company by requiring the Court of Directors to Report on its revenue , civil , and military affairs in India.

2. Amending Act of 1781 :-

It is rectify the defects of the Regulating Act of 1773, It is also know as the act of Settlement .

The features of this Act :-

1. It exempted the Governor-General and the Council from the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court for the acts done by them in their official capacity.

2. It provided that the Supreme was to have jurisdiction over all the inhabitants of Culcutta. It also required the court to administer the personal law of the defendants.

3. Pitt's India Act of 1784 :-

The next importance act was the Pitt's India Act of 1784.

The features of this Act :-

1. It distinguished between the commercial and political functions of the Company.

2. It empowered the Board of Control to supervise and direct all operations of the civil and military government or revenues of the British Possessions in India.

4. Act of 1786 :-

In 1786, Lord Cornwallis was appointed as the Governor-General of Bengal. He placed two demands to accept that post

1.He should be given power to override the decision of his council in special cases.

2. He would also be the Commander-in-chief.

5. Charter Act of 1793 :-

The next important Act was Charter Act of 1793 .

The Features of this Act :-

1. It gave the Governor-General more powers and control over the governments of the subordinate presidencies of Bombay and Madras.

2. It extended the trade monopoly of the Company in India For another period of twenty years.

6. Charter Act of 1813 :-

The next important Act was Charter Act of 1813.

The Features of this Act :-

1. It allowed the Christian missionaries to come to India for the purpose of enlightening the people .

2. It provided for the spread of western education among the inhabitants the British territories in India.

3. It authorized the the Local Governments in India to impose taxes on persons. They could also punish the persons for not paying taxes.

7. Charter Act of 1833 :-

This Act was the final step towards centralization in British India.

The Features of this Act :-

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

2. It Created , for the first time, Government of India having possessed by the British in India.

3. Lord William Bentick was the fist Governor-General of India.

4. It ended the activities of the East India Company as a commercial body, which became purely administrative body.

5. The Charter Act of 1833 attempted to introduce a system of open competition for selection of civil servant and stated that the Indians should not be debarred from holding any place, office and employment under the company.

8. Charter Act of 1853 :-

This was the last of the series of Charter Acts passed by the British Parliament between 1793 and 1853.

The Features of this Act :-

1. It separated , for the first time, the legislative and executive function of the Governor-General's council .

2. It introduced and open competition system of selection and recruitment of civil servants . The Covenanted civil service was , thus , thrown open to the Indians also. Accordingly, the Macaulay Committee was appointed in 1854

3. It introduced , for the fist time, local representation in Indian (Central) Legislative Council. Of the six new legislative members of the Governor-General's council , four members were appointed by the local governments of Madras, Bombay, Bengal and Agra.

Some other topics

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