The Fall of Warren Hastings and the Arrival of Cornwallis

The late 18th century marked a critical juncture in British India’s governance. Warren Hastings, the first Governor-General of Bengal, had left behind a legacy tainted by corruption and administrative decay. His policies, aimed at cost-cutting, slashed official salaries, inadvertently encouraging bribery and exploitation of Indian subjects. By 1786, the British Crown sought reform, appointing Charles Cornwallis—a seasoned military officer—as his successor.

Cornwallis arrived in India under reluctant circumstances. A veteran of the American Revolutionary War, where he famously surrendered to George Washington at Yorktown, his aristocratic background ensured political favor in Britain. Unlike Hastings, who relied on alliances with local elites, Cornwallis wielded absolute authority, backed by Prime Minister William Pitt’s reforms that centralized power in the Governor-General’s hands. His dual role as military commander further solidified his dominance.

The Third Anglo-Mysore War: A Clash of Ambitions

Cornwallis’s tenure was immediately tested by regional conflicts. The powerful kingdoms of the Marathas and Mysore, long at odds, presented a volatile landscape. Tipu Sultan of Mysore, a fierce opponent of British expansion, sought to expel colonial forces. In 1788, Cornwallis exploited divisions by allying with the Nizam of Hyderabad and the Marathas, forming a coalition against Tipu.

The war reached its climax in 1792. After initial setbacks, Cornwallis led a decisive campaign, besieging key fortresses and forcing Tipu to capitulate. The Treaty of Seringapatam stripped Mysore of half its territory, imposed crippling reparations, and took Tipu’s sons as hostages. While Cornwallis avoided annexing Mysore outright—fearing backlash in Britain—the war cemented British supremacy in southern India.

Reforming a Corrupt System: Cornwallis’s Administrative Legacy

Cornwallis’s domestic reforms targeted three critical areas:

### 1. Purifying the Civil Service
Under Hastings, low salaries had bred corruption. Cornwallis overhauled the system, significantly raising wages while enforcing strict anti-bribery laws. His logic was simple: well-paid officials would resist graft. This “Cornwallis Code” laid the foundation for a more professional bureaucracy.

### 2. Judicial Separation
Traditional Indian governance merged judicial and executive powers. Cornwallis introduced European-style courts, appointing British judges to oversee districts. Though criticized for disregarding local customs, this reform established judicial independence—a radical departure from Mughal-era practices.

### 3. The Permanent Settlement: A Flawed Agrarian Revolution
India’s agrarian economy relied on oppressive land taxes. Cornwallis’s “Permanent Settlement” (1793) aimed to stabilize revenue by recognizing zamindars (tax collectors) as landowners. Inspired by British landlordism, the policy backfired: peasants, now at the mercy of zamindars, faced eviction, while revenue plummeted. The experiment revealed Cornwallis’s limited understanding of rural India.

Cultural and Social Ramifications

Cornwallis’s policies reshaped Indian society. The civil service reforms created a British-dominated elite, while judicial changes alienated traditional leaders. The Permanent Settlement entrenched landlordism, exacerbating rural inequality. Meanwhile, his refusal to allow Christian missionaries or English education—fearing dissent—delayed cultural exchange.

The Imperialist Turn: Wellesley and the Expansionist Era

Cornwallis returned to Britain in 1793, succeeded by John Shore, a weak administrator. By 1798, Richard Wellesley (Cornwallis’s protégé) escalated expansion, defeating Tipu in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War (1799) and subduing the Marathas. Wellesley’s aggressive tactics, though controversial, fulfilled Cornwallis’s vision of British hegemony.

Legacy: The Paradox of Reform and Exploitation

Cornwallis’s tenure was a study in contradictions. He curbed corruption yet imposed alien systems; he avoided outright conquest but enabled future annexations. His reforms, though flawed, defined British India’s administrative framework for decades. Today, debates persist: Was he a reformer or an agent of imperial consolidation? The answer lies in the duality of his legacy—a blend of progress and exploitation that shaped colonial India’s trajectory.

Image: A portrait of Lord Cornwallis, depicting the aristocrat who reshaped India’s governance.