Governor Generals Of Bengal - NCERT Notes

GOVERNOR - GENERAL OF BENGAL ( 1772 - 1828 )

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Note : The office of Governor General of Bengal was created in 1773 ( not in 1772 ) by Regulating Act 1773.

WARREN HASTINGS ( 1772 - 1785 )

1. Made Calcutta the capital of Bengal in 1772.
2. Became first Governor-General of Bengal in 1773, through the Regulating Act 1773.
3. Founded Civil court and Criminal court in each district - Established India's first Supreme Court in Calcutta in 1774.
4. Founded two Appellate courts viz -

Sardar Diwani Adalat for civil cases, and

Sardar Nizamat Adalat for criminal cases

5. In 1781, he founded the Calcutta Madrasa for promotion of Islamic studies - First educational institute established by the Company’s government.
6. Abolished the system of dastaks ( free passes ) and dual system of administration.
7. Founded Asiatic Society of Bengal with William Jones in 1784 - Imposed Pitts India Act was of 1784.

LORD CORNWALLIS ( 1786 - 1793 )

1. Laid foundation of Indian administrative services - Known as the father of Civil Services in India.
2. Founded Permanent Settlement of Bengal ( Zamindari System ).
3. Undertook police reforms - Created the post of District Judge.
4. The Sanskrit College, established by Jonathan Duncan at Benaras in 1791 - For the study of Hindu law and philosophy.
5. Cornwallis Code 1793 - Laid Separation of powers between Commercial, Judicial and Revenue officials.

SIR JOHN SHORE ( 1793 - 1798 )

1. First civil servant to become Governor-General.
2. Most of the reforms in the revenue administration between 1786 - 1790 were introduced by Shore.
3. Followed Non Intervention policy with other States / Territories.

LORD WELLESLEY ( 1798 - 1805 )

1. Reversed the Non intervention policy of John Shore - Called himself “Bengal Tiger”.
2. Introduced subsidiary alliance in 1798 to remove French - First alliance with Nizam of Hyderabad.
3. Death of Tipu Sultan in 1799.
4. Imposed the Censorship of Press Act, 1799.
5. Opened Fort William College at Calcutta in 1800 - But it was closed in 1802.

SIR GEORGE BARLOW ( 1805 – 1807 )

1. White mutiny of Vellore in 1806 in which the Indian soldiers killed many English officials.
2. Pursued the policy of non-intervention with the princely states - established peace relationship with the Marathas.

LORD MINTO I ( 1807 - 1813 )

1. Treaty of Amritsar in 1809 with Raja Ranjit Singh.
2. Charter act of 1813 was passed during his period.

LORD HASTINGS ( 1813 - 1823 )

1. Establishment of Hindu college at Calcutta  by Raja Rammohan Roy and David Hare in 1817 - Government also set up three Sanskrit colleges at Calcutta, Delhi and Agra.
2. Encouraged freedom of press and abolished censorship.
3. First vernacular newspaper Samachar Patrika published by the Baptist Missionary Society in 1818 - Ceased publication in 1841.
4. Ryotwari System of Land Revenue was introduced by Thomas Munro in 1820.

LORD AMHERST ( 1823-1828 )

1. Mutiny of Barrackpore in 1824.