Pitt’s India Act of 1784

This Rough draft is submitted in partial fulfilment of the project in “Legal History” for
the requirement of the degree of B.B.A. L.L.B(Hons.)

Submitted to: Submitted by:

Dr. Priya Darshini Supriya Kumari

Associate Professor of Law Roll No. - 2849

B.B.A. LL.B.(Hons.)

Semester – 2nd

Chanakya National Law University, Patna

January, 2023

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Contents
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ......................................................................................................................................... 3
DECLARATION ...................................................................................................................................................... 4
1.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................... 5
1.1.1. Review of Literature ................................................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.
1.2 Present Study:- .............................................................................................................................................. 7
1.2.1. Research Objectives .............................................................................................................................. 7
1.2.2. Research Questions ............................................................................................................................... 7
1.3 Hypothesis * .............................................................................................................................................. 7
1.4 Research Methodology.............................................................................................................................. 7
1.5 Scope & Limitation of Study ....................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
1.6 Tentative Chapterisation ........................................................................................................................... 8
Bibliography:- ...................................................................................................................................................... 9

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to express my profound gratitude and deep regards to my guide, Dr. Priya
Darshini Assistant Professor of History, for assigning me the topic I was most interested in.
It was under his guidance that I structured my project and built on my abilities to research on
the subject.

I owe the present accomplishment of my project to everyone, who helped me immensely with
materials throughout the project and without whom I couldn’t have completed it in the present
way.

I would also like to extend my gratitude to my friends, family members and all those unseen hands
that helped me out at every stage of my project either financially, intellectually or emotionally.

Thank You,
Supriya Kumari
Semester- 2nd
CNLU, Patna

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 DECLARATION

I hereby declare that the work reported in the B.B.A. L.L.B.(Hons.) project report entitled "Pitt’s

India Act of 1784" submitted at Chanakya National Law University, Patna is an

authentic record of my work carried out under the supervision of Dr Priya Darshini. I have not
submitted this work elsewhere for any other degree or diploma. I am fully responsible for the
contents of my project report.

(Signature of the candidate)

Supriya Kumari (2849)

B.B.A. LL.B.(Hons.)
2nd Semester
Chanakya National Law University, Patna

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 1.1 Introduction

Pitt’s India Act was passed in August 1784. The design was to eliminate absconds in the Regulating Act.
Its fundamental arrangement was something very similar. The organization’s public undertakings and its
organization in India were to come straightforwardly under preeminent control of the British
Government. The right of the Company to regional belongings was anyway not contacted, so it basically
implied a split the difference.

The Act laid out a Board of Control comprising six commissioners, including, two Cabinet clergymen.
The Board of Control was to guide and control crafted by the Court of Directors and the Government of
India. They were to control all matters of common and military Governor of the British regions in India.’
A confidential advisory group comprising three Directors was named to replace the Court ‘ of Directors
in political and military matters.

The Constitution of the East India Company’s administration in India was overhauled. The Act laid out
the rule that the public authority of India is set under the Governor General and a Council of three so that
if by some stroke of good luck one individual from the Council upheld him, he could have his direction.
The Governor General was given a making choice. The Act obviously expressed that the presedencies
of Madras and Bombay were to be subordinate to the Presidency of Bengal in all issues of war, strategic
relations furthermore, income

Objective

Pitt’s India Act placed the East India Company under British government control in India in an effort
to overcome the shortcomings of the 1773 Regulating Act. The East India Company’s political and
business activities were separated by the Pitts India Act of 1784. The Company’s public initiatives and
organizations in India were the only ones subject to extensive government scrutiny. The Board of
Control was designed to aid in a situation quite similar to this.

The members of this Board of Control are:

• The King has designated six authorities, including the Secretary of State, the Chancellor of the
Exchequer, and four Privy Councilors.

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 • The President of the Board of Control was chosen to be the Secretary of State.
• In this dual system of control, the Board of Control spoke to the British government and the
Court of Directors spoke to the Company.
• All friendly and military authorities were required, within two months of joining, to announce
their resources in India and the United Kingdom.
• There are now only three people in the General Assembly’s Governor-chamber. One of the
three individuals would serve as the military commander-in-chief for the British Crown in
India.
• The Governor-General was given the authority to blackball.
• Administrations in Madras and Bombay submitted to the Bengal Presidency. The capital of the
British Indian states was actually Calcutta.

Specialists gave to the Board of Directors as indicated through Pitts Act,1784. The governing physique
was once allowed completed admittance to the organization’s records. It had the strength to ship
Governors to India and to alternate them. The Court of Directors must tackle the organization, and the
Board of Control must tackle the Crown. In the span of two months of taking up their posts, all
thoughtful and army officers of the East India Company have been requested to furnish the Court of
Directors with a full inventory of their property in India and in Britain.specified severe self-discipline
for degenerate authorities. The charter laid out via Pitt’s India Act remained to a super extent unaltered
for the relaxation of the organization’s preferred in India in 1858.

Significance

There were significant two changes seen in the constitution of the organization with the section of the
Pitt’s India Act, they were:

• The committees of Madras and Bombay were altered on the model of the Bengal Council.
• The individuals from the Executive committee were diminished 3 while the Commander-in-
head of this leader chamber was the Governor-General himself.
• A different division, known as the Board of Control, was being comprised in England to control
the strategies of the Court of Directors.
• Presentation of double government that is by the organization as well as by the Parliament. This
arrangement of government endured till 1858.

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1.2 Present Study:-
1.2.1. Research Objectives

1. To analyse the Pitt’s India Act of 1784.

2. To explore the changes brought by this act.
3. To understand the significance of Pitt’s India Act of 1784.

1.2.2. Research Questions

1.) Who was William Pitt?

2.) What significant changes were made in British administration system in India?
3.) What shortcomings of Regulating Act of 1773 were fulfilled by introduction of Pitt’s
India Act of 1784?

1.3 Hypothesis

In this project report, the researcher presumes that Pitt’s India Act of 1784 played a
significant role in the political and business activities of the East India Company.

1.4 Research Methodology

The researcher has adopted a purely doctrinal method of research. The study is based on
various primary and secondary sources of data collection such as websites of numerous
organizations, books, journals, articles and research papers.

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1.4.1. Mode of Citation

The researcher has followed the citation style as mentioned in the Bluebook 20th Edition.

1.6 Tentative Chapterisation

1.6.1 Introduction

1.6.2 Pitt’s India Act of 1784

1.6.3 Shortcomings of the 1773 regulating act

1.6.4 Differences in Pitt’s India Act of 1784 and the 1773 regulating act

1.6.5 Changes brought by the Pitt’s India Act of 1784 in the administrative and
economic structure of East India Company in India

1.6.6 Conclusion and suggestions

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Bibliography:-

1. Sumir Sharma, ‘The History of Constitution of India: The Charter Acts during the Company
Rule in India 1773 – 1858’ , June 4, 2018.

2. C.H. Philips, ‘The East India Company 1784 – 1834’ 2008, Read Books.

3. John Malcolm, ‘Sketch of the Political History of India from the Introduction of Mr. Pitt's Bill,
A.D. 1784, to the Present Date’ 1811, W.Miller

4. John Darwin, ‘ Unfinished Empire The Global Expansion of Britain’ 6 September 2012,

Penguin Books.

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