BRITISH GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS [7] {topic 2}

Question 1

Why did the British government begin restricting the powers of the East India Company in the late 18th century?

Answer 1

• The British government wanted to turn India into a formal colony, not just a trading outpost.
• Trade alone was no longer effective for control, and managing India became a matter of British prestige.
• The Regulating Act of 1773 made the Company accountable to Parliament, and Warren Hastings was appointed Governor-General of Bengal.

Question 2

How did corruption and mismanagement within the East India Company lead to greater British government control?

Answer 2

• EIC officials were reported to be corrupt, demanding bribes from local rulers like the Nawab of Bengal and misusing state revenues.
• This hurt Britain’s reputation.
• In 1784, the India Act was passed, and a Governor-General was appointed to control Bengal, Bombay, and Madras.
• New posts like Commander-in-Chief and provincial governors were also created.

Question 3

Why did the British government feel the need to take military control from the East India Company in the early 19th century?

Answer 3

• The British feared a Russian invasion through Afghanistan, which had historically been used as a route to attack India.
• To defend the northwestern frontier and counter the Russian threat, the British needed to deploy a regular army and take military and political control from the EIC.

Question 4

What final event led the British government to fully take over the East India Company’s control of India?

Answer 4

• After the failure of the War of Independence in 1857, the British government ended the East India Company’s rule through a declaration in 1858.
• India was placed directly under British Crown rule, beginning the British Raj.