- india Constitutional Development -
- Charter Acts -
These were the laws implemented by the East India Company (EIC).
- Government of India Acts -
These were the laws implemented by the British Crown after the end of the EIC's rule in India.
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1600 – British Queen Elizabeth I granted permission to the East India Company to trade in India.
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1773 – Regulating Act
Under this Act, the Governor of Bengal was given a new title: Governor-General of Bengal.
Warren Hastings became the first Governor-General of India.
First Governor of Bengal – Robert Clive.
First Governor-General of Bengal – Warren Hastings.
1774 – Establishment of the Supreme Court in Calcutta.
It had one Chief Justice and three other judges.
First Chief Justice – Elijah Impey.
The Governors of Bombay and Madras were made subordinate to the Governor-General of Bengal.
The Executive Council of the Governor-General of Bengal included four members.
Prime Minister of Britain at this time – Lord North.
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1784 – Pitt's India Act
British Prime Minister at this time – William Pitt.
The functioning of the EIC was divided into two parts:
1. Commercial functions – Controlled by EIC under the Board of Directors (BOD).
2. Political functions – Controlled by the British Government through the Board of Control (BOC) (23 members).
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1858 – Government of India Act
This Act ended the rule of the East India Company in India.
Both BOD and BOC were abolished.
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1813 – Charter Act
The EIC’s trade monopoly in India was abolished.
Exception – Monopoly on tea trade and trade with China remained.
For the first time, Rs. 1 lakh was allocated for education.
Sacred Religious Policy – Christian missionaries were allowed to propagate Christianity in India.
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1833 – Charter Act
The EIC’s trading rights were completely abolished.
The Governor-General of Bengal was now called the Governor-General of India.
First Governor-General of India – William Bentinck.
An Act was passed to abolish slavery.
Slavery officially ended with the Slavery Abolition Act in 1843.
For the first time, a Law Commission was formed in an organized manner.