Cornwallis System
Quick Summary
The Cornwallis Code, enacted in 1793 by Lord Cornwallis, established the administrative framework for British India, known as the Cornwallis or Bengal system. This system divided the East India Company's service into revenue, judicial, and commercial branches. To prevent corruption, civil servants were forbidden from engaging in private trade and were instead compensated with a generous salary.12
A key aspect was the "permanent settlement," which fixed land revenue assessments with zamindars (hereditary revenue collectors). These zamindars were recognized as landowners if they paid taxes punctually, but they lost their magisterial and police powers, which were transferred to a new government police force. This created an Indian landed class that supported British rule. The judiciary was reorganized, with district judges overseeing civil and criminal cases, applying Hindu and Muslim personal laws and a modified Muslim criminal code. However, higher administrative positions were reserved for Europeans, limiting Indian participation in governance.1
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