Why the Regulating act of 1773 (previously known as the East India Company Act 1773) was passed?
Regulating act was passed by the parliament of the British government to :
Keep check on the activities of the company and controlling the mismanagement prevailing in it. There were allegations of corruption and bribery on the officials and the company was facing financial crisis.
Address the problem of dual systems in the lands of Bengal in which Diwani rights were with the company and nizamat rights were with the Nawab.
Must read: Act of Settlement 1781 – the Amending Act of 1781
Why the Regulating Act of 1773 was regarded as of great constitutional importance?
This act was regarded as of great constitutional importance because:
(a) It was the first step taken by the British Government to control and regulate the affairs of the East India Company in India.
(b) It recognised, for the first time, the political and administrative functions of the Company.
(c) It laid the foundations of central administration in India.
Must read: Pitt’s India Act of 1784
What were the important features of the Regulating Act of 1773?
The features of this Act were as follows:
(a) It designated the Governor of Bengal as the ‘Governor- General of Bengal’ and created an Executive Council of four members to assist him. The first such Governor General was Lord Warren Hastings.
Must read: Charter Act of 1793
(b) 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.
(c) It provided for the establishment of a Supreme Court at Calcutta (1774) comprising one chief justice and three other judges.
Must read: Charter Act of 1813
(d) It prohibited the servants of the Company from engaging in any private trade or accepting presents or bribes from the ‘natives’.
(e) It strengthened the control of the British Government over the Company by requiring the Court of Directors (governing body of the Company) to report on its revenue, civil, and military affairs in India.
What were the demerits or defects in the Regulating Act of 1773?
The Regulating Act of 1773 had the following demerits:
(a) The provisions regarding the powers and jurisdictional issue of the supreme court at fort Williams were vague and defective.
Must read: Charter Act of 1833 – the final step towards centralisation
(b) The governors of Bombay and Madras presidencies were subordinate and ultimate powers were laid in the governor general hands. It led to centralisation and thus debilitation of administration at subordinate levels.
(c) The act rendered the Governor-General without any veto power and he was overruled most of the time by the majority decision of the members of his council.
In a bid to rectify the defects of the Regulating Act of 1773, the British Parliament passed the Amending Act of 1781, also known as the Act of Settlement.
External link: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Regulating-Act
PRACTICE QUESTIONS
QUES . Which one among the following was not a provision of the Regulating Act of 1773? CAPF 2014
(a) It introduced parliamentary supervision over the East India Company.
(b) The Government of Bengal was vested in a Governor General and the Council of four members.
(c) It changed the power of vote in the Court of Proprietors by removing all restrictions on qualifications.
(d) The Governor-General was vested with a casting vote.
(c)
QUES . Which one of the following British officials was elevated to the position of Governor General after the Regulating Act of 1773 ? CDS 2021
(a) Warren Hastings
(b) Lord North
(c) Mountstuart Elphinstone
(d) Philip Francis
(a)
QUES . Consider the following: UPSC 2005
1 . Warren Hastings was the first Governor General who established a regular police force in India on the British pattern.
2 . A Supreme Court was established at Calcutta by the Regulating Act, 1773.
3 . The Indian Penal Code came into effect in the year 1860.
Which of the statements is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2
(b) 2 and 3
(c) 1 and 3
(d) 1 , 2 and 3
(b) Lord Curzon was the first Governor General who established a regular police force in India on the British pattern.
