Key Concepts & Self-Assessment15 Key Facts
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#1
The Regulating Act of 1773 was passed under British Prime Minister Lord North to oversee the financial and administrative affairs of the East India Company.
#2
The 1773 Act designated the Governor of Bengal as the Governor-General of Bengal, vesting administrative authority in Warren Hastings alongside a four-member council.
#3
Under the Regulating Act of 1773, the Supreme Court of Judicature was established at Fort William, Calcutta in 1774, headed by Chief Justice Sir Elijah Impey.
#4
The Act of Settlement of 1781 was enacted to demarcate jurisdiction between the Supreme Court of Judicature and the Governor-General in Council.
#5
Pitt's India Act of 1784 established a system of double government by creating the Board of Control to supervise civil, military, and revenue affairs.
#6
The 1784 Act formally designated the Company's territorial acquisitions as the British possessions in India for the first time in official parliamentary drafting.
#7
The Declaratory Act of 1788 clarified the authority of the Board of Control to charge expenses of British troops stationed in India directly to Indian revenues.
#8
The Charter Act of 1793 renewed Company privileges for 20 years, mandating that salaries of the Board of Control be disbursed directly from Indian revenues.
#9
The Charter Act of 1813 ended the East India Company's commercial trade monopoly in India, preserving its monopoly solely over trade in tea and trade with China.
#10
The Charter Act of 1813 provided a statutory annual grant of 100,000 rupees for the revival of literature and the promotion of science among Indian subjects.
#11
The Charter Act of 1833 completely ended the commercial entity of the East India Company, transforming it into an exclusively administrative body.
#12
Lord William Bentinck became the first Governor-General of India under Section 39 of the Charter Act of 1833, depriving Bombay and Madras of independent lawmaking powers.
#13
Lord Macaulay was inducted as the first Fourth Legal Member of the Governor-General's Council under the Charter Act of 1833, subsequently chairing the First Law Commission in 1834.
#14
Section 87 of the Charter Act of 1833 declared that no native citizen should be barred from public employment based on religion, place of birth, descent, or color.
#15
The Charter Act of 1853 separated executive and legislative powers by establishing a 12-member Indian Legislative Council and introducing open competitive exams for the Indian Civil Service.
Subject Specialist Commentary
Analytical perspective & practical exam advice from the Master10 academic board
Between 1773 and 1853, the British Parliament enacted a series of Regulating and Charter Acts to transition the East India Company from a trading venture into a centralized colonial administration. The Regulating Act of 1773 appointed Warren Hastings as Governor-General of Bengal and established a Supreme Court at Calcutta. Subsequent Charter Acts progressively curtailed commercial monopolies. By 1833, the Company's trade functions ended entirely, and Lord William Bentinck became the first Governor-General of India with centralized lawmaking powers across the subcontinent.
For UPSC and State PSC exams, examiners frequently test the progressive transfer of legislative, executive, and commercial authorities across these acts. A recurring prelims trap mixes up the Charter Acts of 1813 and 1833: remember that 1813 ended the trade monopoly except for tea and China trade, whereas 1833 abolished the commercial monopoly completely. Another key question tests open civil service competitions; remember this was introduced by the Charter Act of 1853, not 1833.
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