Indian Polity: Company Rule and Early Acts

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering the transition from the Dual System of Government in Bengal to the Regulating Act of 1773 and the Amending Act of 1781.

Dual System of Government

A governance structure implemented in Bengal by Robert Clive (1765–1772) where authority was divided between the East India Company and the Nawab.

Diwani rights

The power held by the East India Company in Bengal to collect taxes under the Dual System of Government.

Nizamat rights

The legal and political authority held by the Nawab in Bengal during the period of the dual system of governance.

Regulating Act of 1773

The first step taken by the British government to oversee and regulate East India Company operations, establishing central administration and acknowledging political responsibilities.

Governor-General of Bengal

A title created by the 1773 Act to replace the Governor of Bengal, supported by a four-person Executive Council.

Lord North

The Prime Minister of Britain during the 1770s when the Regulating Act of 1773 was passed.

Lord Warren Hastings

The first Governor-General of Bengal (1773–1785) who abolished the Dual system of government and Dastaks.

Dastaks

Trade permits given to the East India Company by Farruksiyar's Farman of 1717, allowing for duty-free trade.

Collector

A post created by Lord Warren Hastings specifically for the purpose of revenue collection.

Supreme Court of Calcutta (1774)

A judicial body established following the 1773 Act consisting of one chief justice and three other judges.

Sir Elija Emphey

The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court established in Calcutta in 1774.

Court of Directors

The governing body of the East India Company required by the 1773 Act to submit reports on financial, civil, and military operations to the British Government.

Amending Act of 1781

Commonly known as the Act of Settlement, it was enacted by the British Parliament to address shortcomings of the Regulating Act of 1773.

Judges of the 1774 Supreme Court

The three judges serving alongside the Chief Justice: Stephen Caesar Le Maistre, John Hyde, and Robert Chambers.