Q114 (IAS/2010) History & Culture › Modern India (Pre-1857) › British administrative reforms Answer Verified

By a regulation in 1793, the District Collector was deprived of his judicial powers and made the collecting agent only. What was the reason for such regulation ?

Lord Cornwallis felt that the District Collector's efficiency of revenue collection would enormously increase without the burden of other work

Lord Cornwallis felt that Judicial power should compulsorily be in the hands of Europeans while Indians can be given the job of revenue collection in the districts

Lord Cornwallis was alarmed at the extent of power concentrated in the District Collector and felt that such absolute power was undesirable in one person

The judicial work demanded a deep knowledge of India and a good training in law and Lord Cornwallis felt that District Collector should be only a revenue collector

Result

Your answer: — · Correct: C

Explanation

Cornwallis’ 1793 reforms explicitly separated revenue administration from judicial functions and removed magisterial powers from the collector, confining him to revenue work. This reorganization aimed to curb the excessive concentration of administrative, fiscal and judicial authority in a single official and to establish an independent judicial hierarchy headed by trained judges, thereby reducing abuse and enhancing accountability [2]. The creation of separate district judges and a graded system of civil courts confirms the intent to divide powers rather than merely to improve revenue efficiency or to allocate tasks on the basis of local knowledge alone [1].

Sources

[1] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 17: Effects of British Rule > 17.5 Reforms in Civil and Judicial Administration > p. 269
[2] Modern India ,Bipin Chandra, History class XII (NCERT 1982 ed.)[Old NCERT] > Chapter 6: Administrative Organisation and Social and Cultural Policy > Judicial Organisation > p. 111

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By a regulation in 1793, the District Collector was deprived of his judicial powers and made the collecting agent only. What was the reason for such regulation ?

Explanation

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