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Francis (Rawdon) Hastings (1813–1823)

Profile:- Governor-General (1813–1823); associated with a phase of rapid British expansion and consolidation.

Wars, Expansion & Internal Security

  • Anglo–Nepal War (1814–1816): A major frontier war that expanded British influence in the Himalayan region.
  • Suppression of the Pindaris (1817–1818): Large-scale operations to eliminate Pindari raiding bands, strengthening internal security.
  • Third Anglo–Maratha War (1817–1819): Decisive conflict that broke Maratha power and confirmed Company supremacy over large parts of India.

Police & Administrative Changes

  • Police arrangements: Reorganised policing in Company territories; changes affected the daroga system and subordinate staff (with Bengal treated differently in many administrative arrangements).
  • Bombay Presidency (1818): Administrative reorganisation led to the formal structuring/strengthening of Bombay Presidency governance (as noted in your points).

Education & Cultural Institutions

  • Hindu College, Calcutta (1817): Established to promote English and Western education, linked with efforts of David Hare and support from Indian reformist circles (often associated with Raja Rammohan Roy in broader educational reform).
  • Sanskrit Colleges: British support expanded for Sanskrit learning, with institutions mentioned at Calcutta, Delhi, and Agra (traditional learning encouraged alongside new education).

Press Policy

  • Press liberalisation (1818): Encouraged freedom of the press and removed/relaxed restrictions that had tightened earlier (including censorship associated with the late Wellesley period).

Land Revenue Reform

  • Ryotwari System (1820): Expanded/regularised in parts of the south under Thomas Munro (Madras)—settlement made directly with the cultivator (ryot) rather than intermediaries.

1823: Acting Governor-General John Adams & Press Restrictions

  • John Adams (Acting GG, 1823): Brought in strict Press Licensing Regulations:
    • Running or starting a press without a license was made illegal.
    • The move particularly targeted Indian-language newspapers.
    • Raja Rammohan Roy’s paper Mirat-ul-Akbar was forced to stop publication due to these restrictions.
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