Queen Elizabeth I granted a charter to the "Governor and Company of Merchants of London trading into the East Indies", giving it a monopoly of trade east of the Cape of Good Hope and the power to make laws, orders and ordinances for the good government of the Company and its servants, provided they were reasonable and not contrary to English law.
Granted by Elizabeth I.
Legislative power limited to the Company and its servants.
Quick check: The East India Company received its first charter from:
William III
Elizabeth I
James I
Charles II
Answer: B.
1661
The Charter of 1661
Judicial power to the Company
Charles II's charter of 1661 authorised the Governor and Council of each Company settlement to judge all persons living there in civil and criminal matters according to the laws of England, the first grant of judicial authority to the Company's officials in India.
1726
The Mayor's Courts
The first royal courts in India
The Charter of 1726, granted by George I, set up Mayor's Courts at Madras, Bombay and Calcutta, the first courts in India deriving their authority from the Crown rather than the Company. Appeals lay to the Governor and Council and, in larger cases, to the King in Council (the Privy Council) in England.
Charter of 1726 (George I).
Madras, Bombay and Calcutta.
First courts deriving authority from the Crown.
Quick check: The Mayor's Courts in the presidency towns were established by the Charter of:
1726
1753
1774
1661
Answer: A.
1772
Warren Hastings' Judicial Plan
Diwani and Faujdari Adalats
After the Company took over the diwani (revenue administration) of Bengal, Warren Hastings' Plan of 1772 set up a civil court (Mofussil Diwani Adalat) and a criminal court (Mofussil Faujdari Adalat) in each district, with appeals to the Sadar Diwani Adalat and Sadar Nizamat Adalat at Calcutta. It laid down that in suits on inheritance, marriage, caste and other religious usages, the laws of the Quran for Muslims and the Shastras for Hindus would be applied, a rule that shaped personal law in India.
Personal laws applied in matters of inheritance, marriage, caste and religion.
Pandits and maulvis advised the courts until 1864.
Quick check: Warren Hastings' Plan of 1772 laid down that in matters of inheritance, marriage and caste, courts would apply:
Local custom only
English common law
The personal laws of Hindus and Muslims
The Company's regulations
Answer: C.
1773
The Regulating Act, 1773
Parliament steps in
The first attempt by the British Parliament to regulate the Company's affairs in India. It made the Governor of Bengal the Governor-General of Bengal (Warren Hastings was the first), created a council of four, subordinated the Bombay and Madras presidencies to Bengal in matters of war and peace, and provided for a Supreme Court at Calcutta.
First Governor-General of Bengal: Warren Hastings.
Provided for the Supreme Court at Calcutta.
Quick check: Which Act provided for a Supreme Court at Calcutta?
Pitt's India Act, 1784
Charter Act, 1813
Charter Act, 1833
Regulating Act, 1773
Answer: D.
50 more entries under this heading
The Supreme Court of Judicature at Fort William · Sir Elijah Impey
The Trial of Maharaja Nanda Kumar · A "judicial murder"?
The Act of Settlement, 1781 · Curbing the Supreme Court
The Cornwallis Code · Separating revenue from justice
A Code of Gentoo Laws · The first translation of Hindu law
Sir William Jones · Judge, linguist and orientalist
Abolition of Sati · Bengal Regulation XVII
The Charter Act, 1833 · Centralisation and codification
The First Law Commission · Macaulay and the Penal Code
The Indian Penal Code, 1860 · Macaulay's code
The Procedural Codes · CPC and CrPC
The Evidence and Contract Acts, 1872 · Stephen's Evidence Act
The End of the Court Pandits and Maulvis · Judges interpret personal law themselves
Colonial Social Reform Laws · Widow remarriage to child marriage
The Ilbert Bill Controversy · Can Indians judge Europeans?
The Government of India Acts · From Company to Crown to Federation
Regulating the Legal Profession · Before the Advocates Act
The Special Marriage Act, 1872 · Marriage outside religion
The Caste Disabilities Removal Act, 1850 · The "Freedom of Religion Act"
Martial Law in Punjab and the Hunter Committee · After Jallianwala Bagh
Grant of the Diwani · The Company became the revenue authority of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa
Sadar Diwani Adalat and Sadar Nizamat Adalat · The Company's highest civil and criminal courts in Bengal
Pitt's India Act · Created the Board of Control over the Company
Permanent Settlement · Fixed land revenue in perpetuity with zamindars
Charter Act of 1813 · Ended the Company's trade monopoly with India
Bengal State Prisoners Regulation · Detention without trial
Ryotwari Settlement · Revenue settled directly with cultivators
Thuggee and Dacoity Suppression Acts · Special laws against the thugs
Macaulay's Minute on Education · English education for India
Indian Slavery Act · Abolished the legal status of slavery in British India
Charter Act of 1853 · Introduced open competition for the civil services
Doctrine of Lapse · Dalhousie annexed states without natural heirs
Hindu Widows' Remarriage Act · Legalised the remarriage of Hindu widows
Queen Victoria's Proclamation · The Crown took over from the Company
Indian Councils Act of 1861 · Added non-official Indians to legislative councils
Indian High Courts Act · Created the High Courts at Calcutta, Bombay and Madras
Female Infanticide Prevention Act · An early law against female infanticide
Indian Arms Act · Required licences for Indians to carry arms
Age of Consent Act · Raised the age of consent from 10 to 12
Indian Councils Act of 1892 · Indirect election to legislative councils
Indian Universities Act · Tightened government control of universities
Morley–Minto Reforms (Indian Councils Act of 1909) · Introduced separate electorates for Muslims
Nehru Report · An Indian draft constitution
Child Marriage Restraint Act (Sarda Act) · Set minimum marriage ages
Communal Award and Poona Pact · Separate electorates for the depressed classes, then a compromise
Cabinet Mission Plan · Proposed a united India and a Constituent Assembly
Mountbatten Plan · Announced partition on 3 June 1947
Radcliffe Boundary Commissions · Drew the borders of partition
Indian Independence Act · Created the dominions of India and Pakistan
Instruments of Accession · How princely states joined India
PlusAll 55 entries, and every heading in the LibraryYours from ₹1,499, till CLAT 2028See Plus
