British Rule
Government structure on British rule over the natives, has an intense history and is full of controversy. British rule in Calcutta was very powerful; they had control of Calcutta with their rule along with the East India Company. The British dominion had complete command over the many people of not only Calcutta and the country of India. The British noticed that the East India Company was becoming a political and territorial power instead of the commercial farm that they had been put in place to be. The government had complete control of the natives until the Regulating Act of 1773. The Regulating Act of 1773 helped reorganize the government of Calcutta and a Supreme Court was established. Creating a new rule in India stating that Warren Hastings shall be the first Governor General and that Lt. General John Clavering, George Monson, Richard Barwell and Philip Francis shall be four first Councilors. This was the turning point the power of the East India Company over the natives. The Supreme Court established was applied not only to the native servants, but also all to the British who were residing there. The Act was put in place to stop the corruption of law and malpractice within the Company officials (EIC). Even though this Act was established, it did not stop the corruption, not only with Company officials but with all officials even at the lowest level. The inequalities that were apparent that the East India Company started to abuse their power within India, corruption started to take place and that made things hard for the natives. Warren Hastings was impeached for his corruption, this helped India but it also showed the inequalities that Calcutta had faced going forward. Consequently, Pitts India act, 1784 had to be enacted to fight corruption and to do that an incorruptible person, lord Cornwallis, was appointed with specific references to bring order in the corruption ridden polity established by the company. Lord Cornwallis watched over these changes with high praise from the British Government, he help with legal reform as well as civil administration and management strategies. He laid a new foundation for Calcutta and the British rule. there is a great example of the new changes put forth on the primary examples page. There is a court transcript showing the process of the whole judicial system.