Warren Hastings (English: Warren Hastings, born- December 6, 1732, Oxfordshire; died- August 22, 1818, Gloucestershire) was an English politician, who was the first Governor of Fort William Presidency (Bengal) and President of the Supreme Council of Bengal. In this way, from 1772 to 1785 AD, he was the first real Governor-General of India. In 1750 AD, Warren Hastings reached Calcutta (present day Kolkata) as a clerk of the East India Company and due to his efficiency, he soon became the president of Qasim Bazaar. In 1772 AD he was made the Governor of Bengal. By the ‘Regulating Act’ of 1773 AD, he was appointed Governor-General of Bengal in 1774 AD. Under his administrative reforms, Warren Hastings first announced the end of the ‘dyarchy system’ in Bengal as per the orders of the ‘Court of Directors’ in 1772 AD, and transferred the government treasury from Murshidabad to Calcutta. Hastings was of the opinion that all the land belonged to the ruler. To organize revenue reforms he adopted the rule of trial and error.
Under ‘Revenue Reforms’, Warren Hastings handed over the right of revenue collection to the Company and dismissed two Indian Deputy Diwans, Muhammad Raza Khan and Raja Shitab Rai, who helped in revenue collection. Hastings established the ‘Board of Revenue’, in which the company’s revenue collectors were appointed. Under the land tax reform, till 1772 AD, the rights of collection were given to the high speaking landowners for 5 years and they were freed from land ownership. In 1773 AD, by making changes in the tax system, corrupt collectors were relieved and Indian Diwans were appointed. Farmers suffered huge losses due to this five-year land revenue system. Therefore, the system of collecting land revenue on five-year contract was abolished, and in its place the one-year system was re-implemented. Revenue collection rights were auctioned, and zamindars were now more trusted than before. Under the changes in 1781 AD, the Provincial Council was abolished, collectors were re-appointed in the districts and they again got the right to determine the tax. Thus, it is clear that, due to his extreme centralization policy, Warren Hastings proved completely unsuccessful in determining a definite tax system. In 1789, Lord Cornwallis had to say that, “The third part of the territory under the Company is only desolate and inhabited only by wild animals”.
During his tenure, Ren Hastings took away judicial rights from the landlords under ‘Justice Reforms’. Its judicial system was based on the Mughal system. In 1772 AD, he established a criminal and civil court in each district. Civil courts were under the control of collectors, where Rs 500. The cases were settled. Cases above Rs 500 were heard by the ‘Sadar Diwani Adalat’, which consisted of a Chairman and two additional members. The cases of Hindus were settled according to Hindu law and those of Muslims were settled according to Muslim law. The judge was prohibited from accepting gifts and fees.
Under social reforms, Hastings established a madrasa in Calcutta in 1781 for the development of Muslim education. Hastings provided shelter to the English translator of ‘Gita’, ‘Charles Willikins’. ‘The Asiatic Society of Bengal’ was established by ‘Sir William Jones’ in 1784 AD (at the time of Hastings). Warren Hastings also tried to give Hindu and Muslim methods in the form of a book. In 1776 AD, a book ‘Code of Geneto Law’ was published in Sanskrit. In 1791 AD, William Jones and Colebrook’s ‘Digestion of Hindu Law’ was published. Similarly, an attempt was also made to translate ‘Fatawa-e-Alamgiri’ into English. Hastings knew Arabic, Persian and could speak Bengali.
Under commercial reforms, Warren Hastings got the toll houses working in the area of landlords closed. Now only fee houses remained in Calcutta, Hooghly, Murshidabad, Dhaka and Patna. The fee was only 2.5 percent, which everyone had to pay. Warren Hastings abolished the immunity given to company officials on personal trading. Warren Hastings stopped the annual pension of Rs 26 lakh received by the Mughal Emperor. He established friendly relations with Awadh. 50 lakh rupees were given to the Mughal emperor in the districts of Allahabad and Kara. They were taken and given to the Nawab of Awadh. During his time, ‘Ruhela War’ (1774 AD), First Maratha War (1775-1782 AD) and Second Mysore War (1780-1784 AD) took place.
During the time of Warren Hastings, under the Regulating Act, a Supreme Court was established in Calcutta in 1774 AD, whose jurisdiction extended up to Calcutta. All the Indians and British living in Calcutta were within its ambit. He used to hear cases outside Calcutta only when both the parties agreed. Justice in this court was administered by English laws. ‘Nand Kumar’, a Bengali Brahmin, accused Warren Hastings in 1775 AD that he had taken a bribe of Rs 3.5 lakh from ‘Munni Begum’ (Mir Zafar’s widow) to make her the guardian of the Nawab. When the allegations were not proved, Warren Hastings falsely accused him and got him hanged from the court.
As Governor-General, Warren Hastings was infamous for two reasons – first, for demanding more money from Raja Chet Singh of Banaras without any reason, and later forcing him to give a certain number of horses and after getting a new post, he was removed and replaced by his nephew. Giving away the Nawabi of Banaras and secondly, looting the treasury of Awadh. When Warren Hastings reached England in February 1785 after resigning in protest against the Pitt Act, he was impeached by Burke. This impeachment in the British Parliament continued from 1788 AD to 1795 AD, but in the end he was acquitted of the charges.
