Lord Cornwallis and his reforms (1786-1793)
Posted on : 22-11-2018 Posted by : Admin

Introduction

Lord Cornwallis, a warrior-statesman. He succeeded Warren Hastings as Governor-General in 1786. He belonged to an influential and aristocratic family which had wider political connections. He was also a close friend of Prime Minister Pitt. Dundas, the most influential member of the Board of Control was also one of his close friends. He famed himself as a remarkable soldier in the American War of Independence.

Although he surrendered at York Town in 1781 before the American troops, his reputation was not spoiled. He still enjoyed the confidence of the authorities at Home. After his return from America he was offered the Governor-Generalship in India.

Cornwallis was prompted by a strong sense of public duty and enjoyed the respect as well as the confidence of his fellow countrymen. The Parliament was prepared to give him extraordinary legal powers to carry out essential reforms in the administration of Bengal. It amended Pitt’s India Act in 1786 so as enable him to overrule the decision of the majority of his council, if necessary.

With his appointment, a new tradition of choosing a person from an aristocratic family for the post of Governor-General was initiated. It was his good fortune that he had an excellent team of subordinates comprising John Shore, James Grant, and Sir William Jones. Although Cornwallis commenced his work under beneficial circumstances, he had to carry out his policies with great care.

Tipu Sultan and the Third Mysore War (1790-92)

The Treaty of Mangalore (1784) exhibited the military strength of Mysore, exposed English weaknesses and increased strength of Tipu. Like his father he wanted to eliminate the English from India. His other desires were to take revenge on the Nizam and on the Marathas as they had betrayed his father during the hour of need.

Chief causes for the Third Mysore War

1. Tipu Sultan strengthened his position by undertaking various internal reforms. This created worries to the British, the Nizam of Hyderabad and the Marathas.
2. Moreover, Tipu made attempts to seek the help of France and Turkey by sending envoys to those countries.
3. He also expanded his territories at the cost of his neighbors, particularly the Raja of Travancore, who was a supporter of the British.
4. But finally in 1789, the British concluded a tripartite alliance with the Nizam and the Marathas against Tipu.

War broke out in May 1790 between the English and Tipu. It was fought in three phases.

The first phase commenced when Medows, the Governor of Madras, initially directed the campaign to invade Mysore but Tipu’s rapid movements halted the progress of the English troops and inflicted heavy losses on them.

During the beginning of the second phase, Cornwallis himself assumed command in December 1790. Marching from Vellore, he captured Bangalore in March 1791, but brilliant strategies of Tipu delayed the war and Cornwallis was forced to retreat to Mangalore due to lack of provisions.

The third phase of the war began when timely aid from the Marathas with plenty of provisions helped him to resume his campaign and marched against Srirangapattinam again. This time Tipu was at a disadvantage. Swiftly the English forces occupied the hill forts near Srirangapattinam and seized it in February 1792.

Reforms under Lord Cornwallis

The internal reforms of Cornwallis can be studied under three main heads.

1. Administrative reforms
2. Revenue reforms or Permanent Settlement
3. Judicial reforms
4. Police reforms
5. other reforms

Administrative Reforms: The greatest work of Cornwallis was the purification of the civil service by the employment of capable and honest public servants. He aimed at economy, simplification and purity. He found that the servants of the Company were underpaid. But they received very high commissions on revenues. In addition to that they conducted forbidden and profitable private trade in the names of relatives and friends.

Cornwallis, who aimed at cleansing the administration, abolished this malicious system of paying small salaries and allowing enormous perquisites. He persuaded the Directors of the Company to pay handsome salaries to the Company servants in order that they might free themselves from commercial and corrupting activities.

Further, Cornwallis inaugurated the policy of making appointments mainly on the basis of merit thereby laying the foundation of the Indian Civil Service. To cut down on extravagances, he abolished a number of surplus posts.

Another major reform that Cornwallis introduced was the separation of the three branches of service, namely commercial, judicial and revenue. The collectors were deprived of their judicial powers and their work became merely the collection of revenue.

Revenue reforms: Lord Cornwallis’ most conspicuous administrative measure was the Permanent Land Revenue Settlement of Bengal, which was extended to the provinces of Bihar and Orissa.

Cornwallis at the time of his appointment was instructed by the Directors to find a satisfactory and permanent solution to the problems of the land revenue system in order to protect the interests of both the Company and the cultivators. It obliged the Governor- General to make a thorough enquiry into the usages, tenures and rents prevalent in Bengal.

After prolonged discussions with his colleagues, he decided to abolish the annual lease system and introduce a decennial settlement which was subsequently declared to be continuous. The main features of the Permanent Settlement were as follows:

1. The zamindars of Bengal were recognized as the owners of land as long as they paid the revenue to the East India Company regularly.
2. The amount of revenue that the zamindars had to pay to the Company was firmly fixed and would not be raised under any circumstances. In other words the Government of the East India Company got 89% leaving the rest to the zamindars.
3. The ryots became tenants since they were considered the tillers of the soil.
4. This settlement took away the administrative and judicial functions of the zamindars.

Judicial Reforms: In the work of judicial reorganization, Cornwallis got the services of Sir William Jones, who was a judge and a great scholar. Civil and criminal courts were completely reorganized.

1. At the top of the judicial system, the highest civil and criminal courts of appeal, namely Sadar Diwani Adalat and Sadar Nizamat Adalat were functioning at Calcutta. Both of them were presided over by the Governor-General and his Council.
2. There were four provincial courts of appeal at Calcutta, Dacca, Murshidabad and Patna, each under three European judges assisted by Indian advisers.
3. District and City courts functioned under a European judge. Every district was provided with a court and District Judges were appointed.
4. Indian judges or Munsiffs were appointed to all the courts at the bottom of the judicial system.

In criminal cases, Muslim law was improved and followed. In civil cases, Hindu and Muslim laws were followed according to the religion of the petitioners. In suits between Hindus and Muslims, the judge was the deciding authority. Cornwallis was merciful by temperament. He hated barbarous punishments and abolished those like mutilation and trial by ordeal.

Cornwallis was better known as a law giver than as an administrator. With the help of his colleague, George Barlow, Cornwallis prepared a comprehensive code, covering the whole field of administration’, judicial, police, commercial and fiscal. This Code was based upon the principle of Montesquieu, “the Separation of Powers”, which was popular in the West in 18th century. In order to curb undue exercise of authority Cornwallis made all officials answerable to the courts.

Police Reforms: The effective implementation of judicial reforms required the reorganization of police administration. The District Judge controlled the police. Each district was divided into thanas or police circles each of which was about 20 square miles. It was placed under an Indian officer called the daroga who was ably assisted by many constables.

However, the police organization was not effective. In the words of Marshman, ‘the daroga enjoyed almost unlimited power of extortion and became the scourge of the country”.

Other important Reforms: Cornwallis reformed the Board of Trade which managed the commercial investments of the Company. With the aid of Charles Grant, he eradicated numerous abuses and corrupt practices. Fair treatment was given to weavers and Indian workers. He increased the remuneration for honest service.

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