Pitt's India Act (1784)

 Pitt's India Act(1784)

The Pitt’s India Act, 1784 also called the East India Company Act, 1784 was passed by the British Parliament to correct the defects of the Regulating Act of 1773. This act resulted in dual control of British possessions in India by the British government and the Company with the final authority resting with the government. This act continued in effect until 1858. This topic is very important for Civil Services Exam

The East India Company Act, also known as Pitt's India Act, was an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain intended to address the shortcomings of the Regulating Act of 1773 by bringing the East India Company's rule in India under the control of the British Government.

Pitt’s lndiaAct of 1784 brought about two important changes in the constitution of the company, first, itconstituted a department of state in England known as Board of Control, whose specialfunction was to controlthe policy of the Court of Directors. Secondly, the Act reduced the number of members of the Executive.council to three. It also modified the councits of Madras and Bombay on the pattern of Bengal.

ln the title of the Act, the Company's territories wee called 'the British .possessions in lndia'. This was the first clear assertion of the Crown's ctaim of ownership over the lndian Territory acquired by the company. Here was an unmistakable expression of the fundamental rr-rle that "the acquisition of sovereignty by subjects of the Crown is on behalf of the crown and not in their own right.

Provisions of the Act

ln the first instance, a Board of six commissioners was set up, which was popularly known as the Board of control. The Board consisted of the Chancellor of Exchequer, one of the secretaries of state and four privy councillors to be appointed by the crown. The Board was given the power to supeiintend, direct and control all civil, military and revenue affairs of the company.

 Thus, the controliing authority of this Board over the Directors was specialty laid down. The Act created a separate department of the British Govemment in England whose only function was to exercise control over the Directors of the company and the lndian administration. 

As time passed, the Chancellor of Exchequer, the -Secretary of State and the three ordinary councilors stopped attending the meeting of the Board altogetherand the president of the Board became all in all. He was invariably, a memblr of the British cabinet. This system of Government introduced by the Pitt's lndia Act is often described as the system of Double Governrnent in Engtand. 

Two sets of functionaries were recognized for controlling the Indian administratlon from England. On the one hand, there was the Board of Directors which was in immediate charge of the Indian administration. Patronage or appointments as well as the trading activities of the company remained in the hands of the Directors. on the other hand, there lvere tlre representatives of the crown i.e.,the Board of control, which was to exercise control on a, matters of poricy over the directors and the Indian administration' The Directors' no doubt, retained their previous status but they were low made subject to the indirect contror of the Government of Great Britain. The Board of control was' in a way, an annexed of the Ministry of the day. Its president changed with the change of the cabinet in England.

Secondly, a committee of secrecy of not more than three members was appointed out of the twenty-four directors. All secret orders of the Board were to be transmitted to India through this small body. The other members of the court of Directors could thus be ignored in important matters.

Thirdly, the number of councilors of the Governor-General was reduced to three, incruding the commander in chief. This was done to increase effectiveness of the casting vote of the Governor-Generar. In a body of four, the Governor-General courd have his way by getting only one memuer on his side. 

The difficulties experienced by warren Hastings in his council were thus sought to be approved' The councilors, henceforth, were to be appointed from the senior servants of the company . 

Fourthly, the presidencies of Madras and Bombay Were also given the form of Government prevailing in aengar A Governor and three councilors, including a commander-in chief was appointed in each of the two presidencies . Fifthry, the power of the Bengar Government to "superintend, direct and control" the affairs of the subordinate prelidencies was made more definite and real .

 Lastry, the court of proprietors were deprived of their contror over the Directors who were thus freec fnom the sinister influence of persons, whose only interest was to get huge dividends.

CONCLUSIONS: 

The pitts India Act was thus set up, for the first time, a regurar instrument of the British parliament to control the affairs of the East lndia company' By introducing the, cornmittee of secrecy, it made the working of the Directors more efficient' lt was a step in the right direction to deprive the proprietors of their power of interference in poritical matters.

 It was also good to sirengten the position of-the Bengal Government i.e., the Govemor-GJnerar in counril over the other two piesidencies' The system of Double Government introduced by the Pitt's lndia Act continued right upto the year 1858, when the dual system was scrapped' the Directors and the company were compretety wound up and the entire Indian administration was legally and formally ptaced unoer the direct charge of the crown.