Professional Documents
Culture Documents
!
Year:2017-2018
History Project
Reforms of
Lord William Bentinck
Submitted By: Under the Guidelines Of:
Hariom Shran Bajpai. Ms.Deeksha Ingle
Roll.No:11. Assistant Professor
Ist Year Batch: B.A.LL.B(Hons.) Department of History
MNLU-A MNLU-A
History Project Semester-II Page 1!
Maharashtra National Law University, AURANGABAD
CONTENT TABLE
1 Cover Page 1
2 Contents 2
3 Certificate 3
4 Introduction 4
7 Administrative Reforms 9
10 Sati 15-17
14 Bibliography 25
CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that Hariom Shran Bajpai, student of First
Semester in MNLU Aurangabad, has completed the project titled
Reforms of Lord William Bentinck during the academic year
2017-2018 in the subject of History, and submitted the same in
compiled pages under my supervision.
………………………………
Department of History
MNLU-Aurangabad
INTRODUCTION
This project is on the reforms under Lord William Bentinck. Lord William Bentinck
assumed the office of the Governor- General in 1828. Born in 1774 he commenced his
career as a soldier and later at the young age of twenty two he became a Member of
Parliament. He was appointed the Governor of Madras in 1803. He supported Sir Thomas
Munroe on revenue administration. The Vellore Mutiny of 1806 had resulted in Bentinck’s
recall. However, his appointment However, his appointment again to the higher office as
Governor-General shows his real greatness. As Governor-General, Bentinck had initiated an
era of progress and reforms. He was undoubtedly the first Governor- General of British
India who acted on the dictum that “the welfare of the subject peoples was a main, perhaps
the primary, duty of the British in India”. Under the Charter Act of 1833 he introduced many
reforms for the betterment of the East India Company. His reforms proved to be the most
significant one, as it changed the whole economical and social scenario of the Bengal and
other provinces of East India Company. Apart from these changes his reforms also helped
the people to change their perspective towards women.
EARLY CAREER:-
The second son of the 3rd duke of Portland, Bentinck at age 17 received a commission as
ensign in the Coldstream Guards, and by 1794 he had become a lieutenant colonel. Born to
wealth and rank, he was a promising, if not outstanding, young officer. Nevertheless, his
appointment as governor of Madras (now Chennai) in 1803, at the early age of 29, caused
surprise.
Although he performed his duties satisfactorily enough, his administration was clouded by
his disagreements with his council and was abruptly terminated by the mutiny at Vellore. An
unwise order by the commander in chief of the Madras army had forbidden the native troops
to wear their traditional beards and turbans; Bentinck, even more unwisely, would not allow
the order to be rescinded. The consequence was a serious mutiny in July 1806, accompanied
by attacks on officers and British troops. The outbreak was suppressed with heavy loss of
life, and the ill-considered order was finally withdrawn. Bentinck was held responsible and
was recalled from his post in 1807. Believing he had been treated unjustly, he pressed for
the next 20 years for a chance to vindicate his name by service in India.
TOUR IN SICILY:-
With the Napoleonic Wars ongoing, he was next assigned to Spain, where he commanded a
brigade at Corunna, after which he was appointed commander of the British troops in Sicily.
Italy was then in the hands of Napoleon, but in Sicily the Bourbon monarchs of Naples still
reigned under the protection of the British fleet. Bentinck’s orders were to raise a Sicilian
GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF INDIA:-
He refused reappointment to the governorship of Madras in 1819, waiting to attain his real
ambition—the appointment as governor-general of Bengal, which came in 1827. Bentinck’s
immediate instructions were to rescue India from its financial difficulties; at this time the
government in India operated on an annual deficit of about £1.5 million. Bentinck soon
succeeded in turning the deficit into a surplus of about the same amount. The result of his
efforts was the renewal of the East India Company’s government by the Charter Act of
1833, whereby Bentinck became the first governor-general of India. He next turned to
personnel reforms, which included making more administrative and judicial positions
available to Indians and improving the salaries and status of Indian judges. Bentinck also
made English, instead of Persian, the language of the higher courts and of higher education
and arranged for financial aid to colleges, which were to be adapted to the Western models.
Bentinck showed great courage and humanity by his decision to abolish suttee (sati), the
Hindu custom of burning widows alive with the corpses of their husbands. Previous
governors-general had shrunk from prohibiting the custom as an interference in religion and
one particularly likely to upset the Indian army, but Bentinck cut through these hesitations
without facing much open opposition. He was also responsible for the measures taken to
suppress the murder of unwanted children, human sacrifice, and the thags—bands of
robbers, bound together by oaths and ritual, who murdered unsuspecting travellers in the
name of the goddess Kālī. Flogging in the Indian army was also abolished, long before it
ended in the British army.
LEGACY:-
Bentinck left India in March 1835 and returned to England, where he refused a peerage and
was again elected to the House of Commons. He died in Paris in 1839. It has been argued
that the reforms he initiated and those that followed in the next 20 years—which accelerated
the westernisation of India—were partly responsible for the Indian army’s Mutiny of 1857.
Bentinck was not an original thinker; his philosophical masters were the utilitarians Jeremy
Bentham and James Mill; his practical instructor, especially in the field of education, was
the historian Thomas Babington Macaulay, among others. He borrowed useful elements
History Project Semester-II Page 6!
Maharashtra National Law University, AURANGABAD
from the creed of his liberal Whig ancestors and of Bentham and combined them in policies
that were sensible, practical, and humanitarian. Toward the end of his career, he had lost the
impetuosity that had characterised his earlier years in Sicily and the tactlessness that had
appeared when he first held office in Madras. Though certainly not the most brilliant of the
governors-general, in solid achievements and in utilising the resources available to him, he
ranks among the most successful.
EDUCATIONAL REFORMS:-
"Of all the acts associated with the administration of Lord William Bentinck” thus writes
his biographer Demetrius C. Boulger, "there was none more important or of greater
consequence than the new education policy inaugurated in 1834, which was based on the
establishment of English as the official language of the country." A brief review of the early
developments in this field before we discuss the changes brought about in the time of
Bentinck may not be out of place.
“It is a historical fact, that the Ancient India from the period of Gautama Buddha and
Mahavira Jain to that of Yuan Chwang was a well-educated country by modern standards."
The Indian Universities like Nalanda and the Taxila were famous and many foreign students
came to them to secure higher education. With the decline of the Hindu power, however, the
ancient glory of India declined though education was not entirely neglected, and it
continued, if less by State patronage, at least by sufficient private efforts, so that when the
East India Company founded its power, there were numerous Pathshalas attached to the
Hindu religious institutions, and as numerous Maktabs linked with mosques, etc. which
imparted education to the country's children. But these educational institutions were
As the Company developed its power, in the initial stages no interference was made
in the existing system of education, and the endowments of the Indian princes for the
purpose were recognised It was Warren Hastings who for the first time got directly
interested in the subject, and founded a College at Calcutta in 177.2 under the name of
Calcutta Madrasa to train the Muslims for the Company’s services. In 1785 the Bengal
Asiatic Society was established by Sir William Jones for the encouragement of historical
researches. And in 1791 Duncan, a Resident of Benaras, opened a Sanskrit College in that
city, "for the preservation and cultivation of the Laws, Literature and Religion of the nation,
to accomplish the same purpose for the Hindus as the Madrasa for the Mohammedans and
specially qualified Hindu Assistants to European Judges." The efforts of John Owen, the
Chaplain to the Bengal Presidency, how ever, to set up schools for teaching English to the
people, failed.
At the time of the renewal of the Charter of the Company in 1793, the matter came
up for discussion in the House of Commons where Wilberforce tried to win over the House
towards sending missionaries and teachers to educate the Indians, though he did not
succeed. A couple of years later, Charles Grant, one of the. Directors of the Company, also
insisted that English language and literature should be brought to India just as the Muslims
had brought and spread Peraian in that country. And in 1811, Lord Minto complained that
the development of science and literature was being completely neglected in India. So did
his colleague, T. Lumseden.
It was in these circumstances that the Charter Act of 1813 was passed which
instructed the Indian Government that "a sum of notices than one lakh rupees in a year shall
be set apart and applied to the revival and improvement of literature and for the introduction
and promotion of knowledge of the sciences among the inhabitants of the British territories
in India." But for more than twenty years, there being no definite plan for educational
development, the sum of one lakh rupees earmarked every year went on accumulating, and
could not be used.
As a result of all these activities the English language and education developed their
popularity. The demand for them increased while that for purely Sanskrit and Arabic
learning declined, so that even those institutions meant for the latter purposes had to attach
English classes to meet the popular demand.
The Orientalists argued that the original intention of the Charter Act of 1813
development of Oriental learning and, therefore, this money could not be expended for any
other purpose than this. The Oriental learning was the best for the Orientals and suited to
their inclinations and aptitudes and it developed their best qualities.Moreover any effort to
develop English learning would seriously injure the existing efforts of the private agencies
in Pathshalas, and Madrasas and other such institutions, and education would thereby
receive a set-back. Nor was the Sanskrit and Arabic literature inferior to the English. There
were great treasures in the ancient Hindu thought which India could not afford to neglect. A
silent argument was that their ignorance of English thought would keep the Indians
submissive to the British.
On the other hand the arguments of the English School, too, were no less strong and
weighty. A committee appointed under Lord Macaulay as Chairman in 1835 to make
recommendations reached a deadlock, while Lord Macaulay in a brilliant Minute expounded
Born and brought up in an English society, we do not know how far Macaulay had
tasted the ancient Indian lore and learning. But his understanding of India and her past
definitely does not seem to have been impressive; for had it been otherwise he should not
have made his preposterous remarks that India did not possess much of her own in which
she could take pride. Nor is it clear how he claimed his interpretation of the Charter Act of
1813 to be true The words "revival and improvement of literature" definitely imply a
different meaning than what was construed by Macaulay.
Be that as it may, there is no doubt that the modern Western learning had its merits.
Lord Bentinck was prepared to be influenced by Macaulay and his followers, and ultimately
on 7 March 1935 he passed a resolution in his Council "all the funds at the disposal of the
Government would henceforth be spent in imparting to the Indians a knowledge of English
literature and science.”
While "the colleges of Oriental learning were not to be abolished, the practice of
supporting their students during their period of education was to be discontinued," and the
"Government funds were not to be spent on the printing of Oriental works.”
Later on when the Muslims of Calcutta in a petition to Lord Bentinck expressed their
fear of Indians being converted to Christianity under the new policy, the Governor-General
declared in definite words that the "mingling direct or indirect teaching of Christianity with
the system of instruction, ought to be positively forbidden," and that there should be
absolutely no interference with the religious beliefs of the students. Yet the students were
inculcated with Christian beliefs and thoughts.
The merits and demerits of the English learning are too well known to be discussed
in detail. In its favour we could say that it threw open the floodgates of the treasures of
History Project Semester-II Page 14
!
Maharashtra National Law University, AURANGABAD
English knowledge and revolutionised the whole gamut of thought in this country. A new
class of literates arose, which, inspired by the English ideas of liberty and democracy,
fought for these privileges in India. The common language and common thought gave
Indians a political unity, and that alone is worth anything India can pay for. Yet on the other
hand, under the glamour of the Western self-assertive attitude of life, India began to lose the
characteristic features of her ancient thought, which were obligation, duty and mutual
service. Under the impact the English education in India, Indian behaviour and mode of life
and habits, and this created wide markets for the consumption of English goods has
changed.India began to apt the West in her food, dress in this country. India began
economically to be exploited even more.
ABOLITION OF SATI:
“A memorable act of Lord
William Bentinck's
government, and the one with
which his name will be most
prominently associated in
history, was the abolition of
widow-burning.”
The Sati as it was under the British, was committed particularly by higher classes, as
also among the ancient Greeks, Germans, Slavs and other races, and it was attended by
recitation of verses and special rituals. It was supposed to be voluntary and was unlike the
custom sustained in Central and Western Asia, and in Eastern Europe, where after the death
of a man his widows and slave-girls were purchased at his grave. At the time of Sati, a
widow put on her best ornaments and dress, and decorated herself. All her ornaments and
costly attire fell to the Brahmins before she jumped into fire, or after she had been reduced
to ashes. We have an instance of the widows of Jawahir Singh, the wazir of Punjab after the
death of Ranjit Singh, who committed themselves to fire, and the Sikh soldiers who stood
guards, as in the words of Latif, "remorselessly plundered them, and as the unfortunate
women were mounting the funeral pyre, these villainous guards tore away their nose and ear
ornaments (which were worn in strict conformity with their religion) from their
persons….snatched from the fire the trinkets and embroidery on their costly attire.”
Be that as it may, it should be very much obvious that vested interests had created the
custom, which were bound to opposed any proposal at reforming the evil. Akbar had tried to
reform, but So did Albuquerque in Goa. In 1823 the Court of Directors failed. hinted at its
abolition, provided there was no active opposition Amherst demanded the opinion of his
officers on the subject, but there was no unanimity.
When Bentinck came, this rite was rampant. "The number of Satis steadily increased, and
the number of widows immolated in a single year in the lower Provinces alone sometimes
exceeded 800, while the average for the ten years prior to 1828 did not fall below 600.”
William Bentinck was determined to remove the crime, but like a wise man, in a matter so
intricately interwoven with religious beliefs, he proceeded cautiously. Before proceeding in
the matter he wanted to assure himself that no serious opposition was to be apprehended
from the people, particularly from the soldiery. Opinion of 49 important officers was invited
on the subject; and of these five opposed any interference; twelve favoured abolition, but no
absolute and direct prohibition under the Government authority; eight supported prohibition
by indirect interference of magistrates and other public officers; while the rest advocated a
total and immediate suppression of the crime.
The matter was precipitated in 1828 when four out of the five judges of the Nizamat
Adalat placed on their record that it was safe to suppress the crime immediately. Some
As a reaction to this, there were some disturbances, particularly in Bengal where some
people endeavoured to fight in the courts of law. A test case was submitted by them to the
Privy Council in London, while a petition to the King was drawn up. But their case was
weakened by persons such as Dwarkanath Tagore and Rammohun Roy who wrote letters
supporting the Government's action.
THE THUGS:
It was only in 1799 after the capture of Seringapatam that the British first realised
that the Thugs had an all-India association. Further investigations were made by officers like
Thornton and Captain Sleeman which showed that each band had a regular gradation of
History Project Semester-II Page 17
!
Maharashtra National Law University, AURANGABAD
officers to command them. A Jamadar, for instance, before he was ted so, must be expert in
bribing and hoodwinking the local officials, or he must belong to a family whose ancestors
have been following this profession from times immemorial, or he must enjoy a reputation
as an expert strangler, or should possess the qualities of a natural leader. If he did not
possess any of these qualifications, he could not be appointed a Jamadar. Only an
outstanding and experienced member was appointed a Subedar.
Further it was discovered that they had a very well defined system of dividing the
plunder amongst them. A special share was always set aside for the leader; the second
special share going to the local chieftain or an official in connivance with whom the crime
was perpetrated. Then a share went for religious ceremonies, which were an essential part.
For we learn from Captain Sleeman that the Thugs believed that the crime had originated
with the goddess Kali who always helped her worshippers in the matter, if she was properly
propitiated, and if the rules of Thugee were properly followed. After this then, the entire
plunder was divided into one share for each member; two parts going to the actual murderer.
After the discovery of a few facts about them, the Government of the East India
Company tried to suppress this crime. But proceedings were slow and hałf-hearted.
Moreover, the Company had not yet become a sovereign power in India, wielding its
authority over her territories far and wide so as to attempt a problem of an all-India
magnitude. It was, therefore, reserved only for William Bentinck, when the British power in
India was consolidated, to turn serious thought to the subject.
In 1829 Bentinck instructed his agent in the Narbada territories to take serious action
against the miscreants wherever found. Captain an, who had gathered a vast knowledge on
the subject, was appointed to assist him. Besides this, the officers of the Government all the
cases and further information regarding their practices. The entire Government all over the
country were issued a special order to report mental machinery was alerted on the subject.
As the matter was seriously proceeded with all over the country, further information
flowed to the Centre. Many difficulties were pointed out by different district magistrates and
other officers, which they came across in dealing with the Thugs. It was pointed out that the
connivance of the local officials and zamindars made it very difficult to apprehend the
culprits. In a case from Bundelkhand, it was reported that the local authorities had a definite
understanding with Thug leaders. Such collusions sometimes went very far and in one case
a Thug approver informed the authorities that they paid a tribute to the Gwalior State.
Another difficulty in distinguishing the miscreants was that they most of their time in
respectable professions, only occasionally indulge in crime. And when they did indulge in
it, they never did so within thirty miles of their abode. At times they made a journey of
hundreds miles, and for days together, taking with them their children below twelve' years
of age, so as to avoid suspicion; and taking along also bullocks and donkeys to pass as
History Project Semester-II Page 18
!
Maharashtra National Law University, AURANGABAD
merchants. The crimes were committed in secluded spots. As Thornton wrote: "Much
frequented roads, passing through extensive jungles, where the ground is soft for the grave,
or the jungle thick to cover them, and where the local authorities took no notice of the
bodies, were favourite spots.”
Thornton gives an interesting account as to how the strangling was done. "While
travelling along, one of the gang suddenly throws a rope or cloth round the neck of the
devoted individual and retains hold of one end; the other end being seized by an accomplice.
The. instrument of death, crossed behind the neck, is then drawn very tight, the two Thugs
who hold it pressing the head of the victim forwards: a third villain, who is in readiness
behind the traveller, seizes him by the legs, and he is thus thrown on the ground. In this
position there is li is aided by kicks inflicted in the manner most likely to produce vital
injury, and the sufferer is thus quickly dispatched." The murder of the victims made it yet
more difficult to get information and trace all little opportunity of resistance. The operation
of noose the criminals.
The greatest difficulty was that the law of the Company required a definite proof
before proceeding against a person. Mere suspicion however strong, could not help. And in
definite proof of the crime was not found.
In order, to obviate the above difficulties, a Regulation was therefore passed in 1830
whereby a mere association of a person with a robber, even if he had not committed a crime,
could lead to his arrest. The enactment of this measure made it now possible to take up the
matter more seriously, and within a few years after this thousands of these robbers were
arrested and punished by death, transportation for life, or were sent to the reformatory at
Jabalpur. Thus slowly ended the crime which had baffled the authorities for so long.
Some other reforms carried out during the time of Bentinck, related to the Public
Works Department. The construction of a road from Bombay to Agra was commenced.
Digging up of irrigation canals in North-West Provinces was undertaken, and the Grand
Trunk Road between Calcutta and Delhi was put under repair. A measure was also enacted
which enabled the Hindu converts to Christianity to inherit their ancestral property. sions to
Christianity smoother. This made conversions to Christianity smoother.
MYSORE:-
In Mysore, Hindu rule under Krishnaraja III was restored by Wellesley. In the beginning, the
young Raja functioned well along with his able minister Puranaiya. Later, when the young
raja assumed full control of the government he proved incompetent. The peasantry of the
state suffered from many grievances. There was no redressal. Consequently, a revolt of the
peasants broke out in 1830 and it was suppressed with the help of an army from Madras.
Nonetheless, the British authorities took over the administration of Mysore State and placed
it under the control of a commissioner. The Raja was given a pension.
Jaintia was one of the territories brought under the custody of the British after the rst Anglo-
Burmese War. The ruler of the small country behaved in an unruly way by abducting a few
subjects of British India with the evil intention of sacri cing them to the goddess Kali.
Therefore, the Governor-General acted promptly to avert any recurrence of such cruel
abhorrent act and annexed this country.
COORG :-
Vira Raja was a ruthless ruler of Coorg who treated his people with savage barbarity and
killed all his male relatives. Lord William Bentinck decided to deal with him effectively and
sent Colonel Lindsay to capture Mercara, the capital of the Coorg state. The Raja was
deposed in 1834 and the state was annexed.
In this atmosphere of liberalism and reforms the Parliament was called upon to renew
the Charter in 1833. There was a winding up of the Company and the British Crown should
take over the administration of India. But majority opinion in the Parliament did not share
this opinion which agreed with Lord Macaulay’s contention that the Company would
continue to exist with certain changes in matters of control and the renowned historian
James Mill, a Benthamite, was also associated with the India House. The Charter Act of
1833 is replete with their personal influence.
The Charter Act of 1833 gave another lease of life for twenty years to the East India
Company which was to administer the Indian territories “in trust for His Majesty, his heirs
and successors”. The Company’s commercial privileges were all abolished and henceforth it
was to function as a political organisation. India was to pay the Company’s debts and the
The Directors of the Company were to enjoy the right of patronage to a limited
extent, their nominations to seats in Haileybury College would be twice the number of
vacancies in services of the Company. Those joined the Haileybury College were appointed
to the Company’s services on merits and only the topmost among them were selected to fill
in vacancies. This loss of patronage so long enjoyed by the Directors who would select
persons for appointment to Company’s services became a sore point with the Directors and
the great row it gave rise to led to an amendment to the Charter Act of 1833 in 1834 by
which the patronage of the Directors was conceded for another twenty years.
Under the Charter Act of 1833, the President of the Board of Control became Minister for
Indian affairs. Other members of the Board were not to continue but the Minister was to
have two Assistant Commissioners who were not to be his colleagues but only his assistants.
The Secretary to the Minister occupied considerable power as he represented and spoke in
the House of Common on behalf of his boss when the latter sat in the House of Lords. All
this was a prelude to the appointment of the Secretary of State for India. The Directors of
the Company were to act as expert advisers to the President of the Board of Control.
The Charter Act of 1833 centralised the Indian administration and the Governor-
General of Bengal was now made the Governor-General of India. The Governor-General in
Council was empowered to superintend, control and direct both the civil and military affairs
of the Company.
The Presidencies of Calcutta, Bombay and Madras and other territories of the
Company were placed under the fullest control of the Governor-General in Council and all
revenues were to be raised under the authority of the Governor-General in Council and
expenditure was also to be controlled by the same body. All powers—administrative and
financial—were centralised in the hands of the Governor-General in Council.
Before the Charter Act of 1833 there was much confusion in the administration of
law and justice as there were diverse laws of conflicting nature in force. For instance, the
Acts passed by the British Parliament, the Charter Acts, laws made by the Governors-in-
Council of different Presidencies, orders of the Supreme Court which differed in many
respects and were even conflicting in some cases and there was no uniformity between the
laws passed by different Presidencies.
All this created much confusion in the administration of law and justice. “The result
was utter chaos and confusion in administering criminal law” in particular. Influx of a large
number of Europeans who settled in different parts of India made it all the more necessary
that a uniform system of law should be introduced. The Charter Act of 1833, therefore,
The laws passed by the Governor-General in Council were to be enforced by all law
courts in British Indian territories. The Governor-General in Council was also empowered to
amend, repeal or otherwise modify laws passed hitherto before as also make laws for all the
servants of the Company, whether residing within the Company’s territories or in the
territories under the native Princes in alliance with the Company.
The Charter Act of 1833 enlarged the Executive Council of the Governor-General by adding
to it a fourth member—Law Member, for legislative purposes only and the fourth member
was to give professional advice to the Council in matters of law-making, and could cast his
vote only for the purpose. A special arrangement was, however, made in case of Lord
Macaulay who was the first Law Member and he was permitted to attend all meetings of the
Governor-General in Council. A Law Commission was formed for the purpose of
consolidating, codifying and improving the Indian Laws.
One of the most important provisions of the Charter Act of 1833 was that it removed
the distinction between Indian and the natural born subject of the British Crown residing in
India and no one would be disqualified for any place in the Company’s service by reason of
his religion, place of birth, descent, or colour. As the Directors pointed out the aim of this
provision was not to ascertain qualification but to remove disqualification. There was to be
no governing caste in British India and whatever might be the test of qualification,
“distinction of race or religion shall not be there”. Fitness would be only criterion of
eligibility.
It may be pointed out that this provision removed the short-sighted policy of
excluding Indians from the high posts in the Company’s service which was also endorsed in
the Charter Act of 1793. The Act of 1833 also enjoined upon the Government of India to
take measures for the abolition of slavery and improvement of the condition of the slaves.
This provision was acted upon in 1843.
The Law Commission appointed in pursuance of the Act of 1833 with Macaulay, the
first Law Member, prepared the Indian Penal Code which as Alfred Lyall remarks “is a
standing tribute to Macaulay’s legal acumen and proficiency”. Besides the Penal Code the
Commission codified the Civil and Criminal Procedures. These Codes simplified the
substantive and procedural laws of the land.
The Apt by abolition of distinction between the subjects by reason of caste, birth, race or
religion in matters of appointment to services of the Company had done away with the most
glaring injustice done by Lord Cornwallis and the Charter Act of 1793 by excluding the
Indians from the high posts of the Company’s services. This declaration of equality of the
subjects became the sheet-anchor of Indian political agitations in the subsequent history of
India.” Abolition of slavery was also a very commendable feature of the Act of 1833.
After William Bentinck, Lord Auckland (1836-42) became Governor- General. The First
Afghan War (1836-42) was fought during his administration. Due to his failure in
Afghanistan he was recalled in 1842. Lord Ellenborough succeeded him and ended the
Afghan War. He also annexed the Sindh. His successor, Lord Hardinge (1844-48) fought the
first Anglo-Sikh War (1845-46) and concluded the Treaty of Lahore.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
BOOKS REFERRED :-
INTERNET SOURCES:-
1. ARTICLE by MAHESH SHANTARAM: Charters Acts of Company and its Criticism on.
http://www.historydiscussion.net/british-india/charter-acts-of-company-1793-to-1858-
and-its-criticism/5942