The British East India Company initially operated as a commercial enterprise, but its influence expanded significantly. The company established its administrative system. This expansion and control were examined thoroughly in the Fifth Report, submitted to the British Parliament in 1813. It was part of a series of investigations into the East India Company’s activities in India. This comprehensive 1,002-page document focused on the company’s administration, including aspects like territorial holdings, revenue, and the judiciary. It also featured 800 pages of appendices, containing petitions from zamindars, riots reports, and statistical tables. The report emerged from a movement led by free traders and missionaries who advocated for the immediate abolition of the East India Company. While some groups in Britain opposed the company’s trade monopoly with India and China. Others, particularly industrialists, sought to expand British manufacturing opportunities in the Indian market. Its significance lies in providing a complete account of the internal administration of the East India Company. The report covers the period between 1765 (when the provinces of Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa were formally ceded to the company) and 1810 (when discussions regarding the charter renewal were underway). Additionally, the report provides useful information about the country’s resources and compares the merits of the Zamindari and Ryotwari systems of revenue administration.
The Battle of Plassey in 1757 marked an important moment in the British East India Company’s expansion in Bengal. The East India Company, once a mere trading entity, transformed into a significant political force in India. What were the key aspects of administrative systems? Between 1765 and 1786, the East India Company introduced various administrative systems to manage revenues and administer justice in its territorial possessions. In 1784, the British Parliament passed the Act (Pitt’s India Act) for the ‘Better Regulation and Management of the Affairs of the East India Company,’ aiming to establish permanent rules governing the tributes, rents, and services owed by native landholders, such as rajas, zamindars, polygars, and talukdars. This period marked a significant transformation in the Company’s administration, with the role of the factor being replaced by the Collector, and corporate trade practices, giving way to the freedom of individual trade.
How does the Fifth Report analyze the Permanent Settlement?
The Permanent Settlement, introduced during this time (1793), aimed to stabilize revenue collection by creating a class of landlords whose interests were tied to the welfare of the land. Historians often cite its outcomes as the establishment of this landlord class and an increase in Bengal’s prosperity. Part III of the Fifth Report provides a generally fair account of the immediate effects of the Permanent Settlement, focusing on the position of the zemindar, his relationship with tenants, and the realization of government revenue. However, the report primarily justifies the measures taken to address the challenges encountered, without exploring the broader implications. The objectives and immediate effects of the Permanent Settlement were more extensive and far-reaching than those detailed in the Fifth Report.
The larger zamindars strongly opposed the Permanent Settlement, not due to a dislike of permanence which they did not fully understand but because of the high revenue assessments and harsh enforcement methods. The law of sale (the sunset law), which threatened to seize estates for even minor arrears, made the settlement deeply unpopular. Zamindars faced significant challenges, including the threat of famine and tenant resistance. By 1797, a substantial portion of estates in Dacca, representing over two-thirds of the district’s revenue, was ordered for sale due to arrears. This issue was widespread across the permanently settled regions, with estates generating 11 percent of the total revenue put up for sale, yet the proceeds often failed to cover the arrears, leading to direct losses for the government.
While the Fifth Report acknowledges defects in revenue administration following the Permanent Settlement, it concludes that the measure was ultimately successful and that the government had addressed minor issues, which are common in significant reforms.
The increase in enaums, by the Bednore rajahs, reflects the complexities of land and revenue management. The Bednore rajahs’ adjustments such as redistributing land from Brahmins to the Mutis and Lingumuts demonstrate the influence of caste and personal affiliations on administrative decisions.
In the villages of Dindigul, the distribution of land and resources among various social groups, including village officers and hereditary occupants, highlights an internal policy aimed at sustaining traditional societal roles. The report also touches on the allocation of land to individuals such as dancing girls, poets, and musicians. These provisions reveal the extent to which cultural practices were attached in administrative processes.
Were the company’s administrative reforms efficient? An analysis by the Fifth Report
The introduction of the new internal government system in 1793 removed the roles of magistrate and judge from collectors, transferring these functions to the zillah and city judges. To address potential issues, magistrates had to qualify as justices of the peace and follow special rules for handling European British subjects. They were responsible for apprehending criminals and had the authority to pass sentences on minor offenses, with their powers expanded in 1807 by Regulation IX. The British government modified the existing Mahomedan law to better suit the administration of justice, especially regarding crimes like murder, perjury, and gang robbery and introduced measures to prevent certain barbaric practices. Courts of circuit, which included native law officers, were established. By 1806, the entire Bengal presidency was divided among these courts, with the Select Committee playing a significant role in overseeing the administration and ensuring that justice was dispensed fairly across the region.
Lord Charles Cornwallis
The British authorities struggled with the effectiveness of the police due to the challenging geography of the region, which facilitated escapes for criminals, and the entrenched culture of robbery among certain groups, particularly the dacoits (gang robbers). Dacoits were described as professional robbers, often operating in organized gangs, and their activities were deeply ingrained in the social structure, making them particularly difficult to control or eradicate. The report discusses earlier attempts to manage crime through local measures, such as the deployment of zamindari pykes and village watchmen, and the roles of zamindars in maintaining order. The shift to a European-style police system under Lord Cornwallis led to the appointment of darogahs (police officers) who were, unfortunately, corrupt and ineffective.
Effortswere made to reform the police system through regulations, including the appointment of aumeens (commissioners of police) and superintendents of police to coordinate efforts against dacoits. However, these measures were also met with limited success and faced criticism.
The reports highlighted the difficulty in prosecuting criminals due to a lack of specific evidence and the intimidation of witnesses, as well as the inefficiency of the new police structures compared to previous systems. The government resorted to employing goyendas (informers) and professional spies to tackle the problem of dacoits, which had previously been used with some success but was now formalized as part of the policing strategy. The Fifth Report offers an overview of the East India Company’s administration highlighting the expansion of its influence from a commercial entity to a governing power. The details presented in the report reveal the socio-economic structure and administrative practices of the period.
