Lord Cornwallis, during his tenure as Governor-General of India from 1786 to 1793, implemented several significant reforms and policies that had a lasting impact on British India.
- Judicial Reforms: Lord Cornwallis introduced major reforms in the judicial system of British India. He established a system of civil and criminal courts known as the Cornwallis Code, which aimed to provide fair and impartial justice. The Cornwallis Code standardized legal procedures, improved the qualifications and training of judges, and established rules for the conduct of trials. These reforms laid the foundation for a more efficient and transparent legal system in British India.
- Land Revenue Reforms: One of Lord Cornwallis’s most significant achievements was the implementation of the Permanent Settlement of Bengal in 1793. This system aimed to address the instability and corruption in the land revenue administration of Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa. Under the Permanent Settlement, land revenue rates were fixed permanently, and landlords (zamindars) were granted hereditary rights to collect revenue from peasants. While the Permanent Settlement provided revenue stability to the British government, it also led to the impoverishment of peasants and the concentration of landownership in the hands of landlords.
- Military Reforms: Lord Cornwallis initiated reforms in the military administration of British India. He established a professional standing army known as the Bengal Native Infantry and introduced regulations to improve discipline, training, and recruitment in the army. Cornwallis’s military reforms strengthened the British military presence in India and laid the groundwork for future expansion and consolidation of British rule.
- Administrative Reforms: Cornwallis implemented administrative reforms aimed at improving governance and reducing corruption in British India. He introduced measures to centralize administrative control, streamline bureaucratic procedures, and establish checks and balances within the colonial administration. Cornwallis also initiated efforts to curb the influence of corrupt officials and enforce accountability in the administration.
- Legacy: Lord Cornwallis’s tenure as Governor-General of India left a significant legacy in the history of British India. His judicial, land revenue, military, and administrative reforms laid the foundation for the British colonial administration in India. While some of his policies, such as the Permanent Settlement, had mixed outcomes and long-term consequences, Cornwallis’s efforts to modernize and rationalize governance in British India were instrumental in shaping the trajectory of colonial rule in the subcontinent.
