- The British came to India in 1600 as Traders in the form of East India Company
- They had exclusive right of trading in India under a charter granted by queen Elizabeth -1.
- In 1765 company obtained the ' Diwani ' (i.e. rights over revenue and civil justice ) of Bengal,Bihar & Orissa.
- In 1858 in the wake of the " Sepoy mutiny " the British Crown assumed direct responsibility for the governance of India.
- With Independence came the need of a constitution.. As suggested by M N Roy ( a pioneer of communist movement in India ) in 1934, a constituent Assembly was formed for the purpose in 1946 and on January 26,1950, the Constitution came into being.
The company Rule (1773-1858)
Regulating Act of 1773
This Act is of great constitutional importance as :
- It was the first step taken by the British Government to control and regulate the affairs of the East India Company in India.
- It recognised, for the first time the political and administrative functions of the company
- It laid the foundations of central administration in India.
Feature of the Act :
- It designated the Governor of Bengal as the ' Governor-General of Bengal ' and created 4 member Executive council. (First Governor-General was Lord Warren Hastings)
- It made governors of Bombay & Madras presidencies subordinate to the governor-general of Bengal.
- Establishment of a Supreme Court at Calcutta (1774) comprising one cheif justice and three other judges.
- It prohibited the servants of the company from engaging in any private trade or accepting presents or bribes from natives
- It stregthened the control of the British Goverment over the company by requiring the Court of Directors (governing body of EIC ) to report on its revenue,civil & military affairs in India.
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