KQ1: extent of control 1829

• East India Company:

  • trading company with Royal Charter granted in 1600s
  • 3 armies (1 per presidency) in 18th cent, highly lucrative
  • Govt took over in 1773 due to poor management
  • 1773 Regulating Act = board of control
  • 1786 Act allowed gov. gen. to override council
  • 1813 Charter Act ended monopoly, establishing change from commerce to admin
• Role of the governor:

  • theoretically limited by sovereign
  • 1773 Regulating Act established crown control over governor general, Bengal governor supremacy
  • 1784 Act allows governor general to control foreign policy
  • 1833 Govt of India Act allowed gov. gen to control all of India
  • New GG, Bentinck responsible for foreign policy + legislation
  • Board of Control in London supposed to oversee BUT slow communication
• Company army:

  • started to protect commercial interests, territorial expansion
  • 200k troops in India over 3 presidencies by 1820
  • British controlled 243k km in 1800, Wesserly (GG up until 1805)to increase EIC territory
  • North-west campaigns to eradicate Russian threat, started at 1829
  • 1838-42, First Afghan War where 20k lives lost
  • 1840s, Punjab under British control, Sikh admiration
  • Tensions between Punjabi soldiers so Sikhs support British in Indian Rebellion
• Bengal:

  • 1757 Battle of Plassey = land division + Code of Regulation (land split, tax fixed + collectors)
  • 1833 Govt of India Act, Bengal gov. gen. controls all areas
  • Caste groups in Bengal army had benefits, Bengal Army sepoys recruited from Awadh
  • Bengal army enmity of Sikhs to sepoys = 1867 British survival during Indian Rebellion