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Question 15 of 44 · British Acts & Policies
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The Governor-General who was impeached by the British Parliament (in a trial that lasted from 1788 to 1795, and ended in his acquittal) was:

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Answer: Option B — Warren Hastings

Detailed Solution

Warren Hastings, the first Governor-General of Fort William in Bengal, was impeached by the British Parliament; the trial lasted from 1788 to 1795, and ended in his acquittal.

NCERT on the impeachment:

  • NCERT notes that Warren Hastings was one of the many important figures who played a significant role in the expansion of Company power.
  • In the 1780s, the Company's officials were often accused of corruption and misgovernment.
  • When Hastings returned to England in 1785, Edmund Burke and others charged him with being personally responsible for misgovernment in Bengal.
  • This led to an impeachment proceeding in the British Parliament that lasted seven years.

The charges against Hastings:

  • The treatment of the Raja of Banaras.
  • The treatment of the Begums of Awadh, who were forced to give up their treasure.
  • The judicial murder of Nandakumar (Nand Kumar), a Bengali official who had accused Hastings of corruption; he was tried for forgery and hanged in 1775.
  • Corruption and accepting bribes.

The trial:

  • It was led by Edmund Burke, with Charles James Fox and Richard Brinsley Sheridan as other prosecutors.
  • Burke made famous speeches describing the misdeeds of the Company in India.
  • The trial attracted great public attention.
  • In 1795, Hastings was acquitted on all charges, but the costs of the trial ruined him financially.

About Warren Hastings:

  • He was born in 1732 and joined the Company as a clerk in 1750.
  • He became Governor of Bengal, and later Governor-General.
  • He was a patron of learning; he supported the translation of Sanskrit and Persian works and founded the Calcutta Madrasa.
  • He faced costly wars with the Marathas and Mysore.
  • He left India in 1785.

Why not the other options?

  • ✗Robert Clive was investigated by Parliament but not impeached.
  • ✗Cornwallis and Wellesley were not impeached.

Quick tip

Remember: Warren Hastings = impeached by the British Parliament (1788-1795; led by Edmund Burke; acquitted); charges included Nandakumar and the Begums of Awadh.

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British Acts & Policies — Preparation

This question tests your understanding of British Acts & Policies, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.

This topic covers the constitutional and administrative acts passed during British rule, from the Regulating Act of 1773 and Pitt's India Act of 1784 to the Charter Acts, the Indian Councils Acts, the Government of India Acts of 1919 and 1935, and the Indian Independence Act of 1947, along with British economic, land revenue and education policies. Exam questions usually ask what a particular act introduced: the Indian Councils Act 1909 introduced separate electorates for Muslims, the Government of India Act 1919 brought dyarchy to the provinces, and the 1935 Act provided for a federation and provincial autonomy. Land revenue systems (Permanent Settlement, Ryotwari and Mahalwari) and education milestones such as Wood's Despatch (1854) are also tested. Practise the British acts and policies questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.

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