Railway
The powers and responsibilities of the various organs of the East India Company in India were first defined by the:
Answer (Detailed Solution Below)View answer ▾Hide ▴
Answer: Option A — Regulating Act, 1773
Detailed Solution
The Regulating Act of 1773 was the first step taken by the British Parliament to control and regulate the affairs of the East India Company in India. It defined, for the first time, the powers and responsibilities of the Company's various organs.
Why the Act was passed:
- After the Battle of Plassey (1757) and the Battle of Buxar (1764), the Company became a territorial power in India.
- There was widespread corruption among Company officials, and the Company faced financial difficulties.
- The British government wanted to bring the Company's political functions under its control.
Main provisions of the Regulating Act:
- The Governor of Bengal was made the Governor-General of Bengal, with a Council of four members.
- Warren Hastings became the first Governor-General of Bengal.
- The Governors of Bombay and Madras were made subordinate to the Governor-General of Bengal.
A Supreme Court was established at Calcutta in 1774, with a Chief Justice and three other judges. Sir Elijah Impey was its first Chief Justice.
Company servants were prohibited from engaging in private trade and from accepting presents or bribes.
The Court of Directors of the Company had to report on revenue, civil and military affairs to the British government.
Importance:
- It was the first time the British Parliament regulated the Company's affairs.
- It recognised for the first time the political and administrative functions of the Company.
- It laid the foundations of central administration in India.
Defects:
- The Governor-General could be overruled by his Council, which caused conflicts.
- The jurisdiction of the Supreme Court and the Council was not clearly defined.
Amending Act:
The Act of Settlement, 1781 corrected some defects of the Regulating Act.
Later Acts:
- Pitt's India Act, 1784 set up a Board of Control and created a system of double government.
- The Charter Acts of 1813 and 1833 made further changes in the Company's powers and trade.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Pitt's India Act and the Charter Acts came later and built on the Regulating Act.
Quick tip
Remember: Regulating Act, 1773 = first parliamentary control over the Company; Warren Hastings first Governor-General of Bengal; Supreme Court at Calcutta (1774).
💬 Discussions on this question
Ask a doubt ›Still stuck on this question? Ask our faculty and fellow students — answers appear here.
Ask a doubtMore Governors-General & Viceroys Questions
View all ›- Q1.Who is known as the 'Father of Civil Services in India'?
- Q2.Who is known as the 'Father of Local Self-Government in India'?
- Q3.Who was the first Viceroy of India?
- Q4.Who was the Viceroy of India when the Indian National Congress was founded in 1885?
- Q5.The first railway line in India (1853) was started during the time of which Governor-General?
More General Knowledge Questions
- Q1.The techniques of Rasa and Bhava used in Indian classical dance trace their origin to which ancient text?Indian Dance Forms
- Q2.Lavani, Powada, Koli, Waghya Murali and Dhangari Gaja are folk dances of which state?Indian Dance Forms
- Q3.The one-act play associated with the Sattriya tradition of Assam is called:Indian Dance Forms
- Q4.Which dance form of Goa is known as the 'Warrior Dance'?Indian Dance Forms
- Q5.Manipuri dance is based on the Rasleela themes of:Indian Dance Forms
Governors-General & Viceroys — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Governors-General & Viceroys, 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 Governors of Bengal, the Governors-General and the Viceroys of India from Warren Hastings to Lord Mountbatten, and the major reforms, policies, acts and events of each tenure. Questions almost always link a Governor-General or Viceroy to an event or reform: the Permanent Settlement under Cornwallis, the abolition of sati under William Bentinck, the doctrine of lapse under Dalhousie, the partition of Bengal under Curzon, and the Vernacular Press Act under Lytton. Revise the list in chronological order, with one or two key events for each. Practise the Governors-General and Viceroys 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.