The Charter Act

The Charter Act 1813 or the East India Company Act 1813 was passed on the floor of the British Parliament to reinforce the charter of the East India Company to re-establish the rule of the Company in India. The Erstwhile Charter Act of 1793 permitted monopolies to trade with the East for a period of twenty years. However, the flourishing trade ceased with the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte; he implemented the Berlin decree 1806 and Milan decree 1807, which restricted the import of British goods in European countries. The British goods were banned in European countries that were an alliance of France; thus Continental System was shaped.

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Due to the prevailing chaos, the British traders demanded to anchor in Asian ports and end the East India Company's monopoly. The wide acceptance of the free trade doctrine by Adam Smith advocated ending the trade monopoly of the East India Company would be beneficial for the British economy. Despite fierce opposition, the East India Company Charter Act was passed, allowing private traders to operate and permit the East India Company to rule India.

What is the Charter Act?

Charter Act 1813 ended the trade monopoly of the East India Company but allowed control of the tea industry in India and trade monopoly with China. Thus trade with India except tea was opened to all British subjects.

One of the Features of Charter Act 1813 granted permission to Christians Missionaries to preach Christianity in India. This Charter Act affirmed the Queen`s sovereignty over British India by stating the constitutional position of Britain in India.

This Act authorised the local government to impose taxes on persons subjected to the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court. The provincial governments and courts enhanced the status of British subjects during this Act.

Charter Act 1813 in education promoted science and aided in the revival of Indian literature.

Features and provisions of the Act regulated East India Company`s territorial revenues and commercial earnings. The Company was asked to segregate and maintain territorial and commercial accounts discreetly.  

The dividend interest was fixed at 10.5% per annum, and the Company was recommended to reduce the debt. Further, there was a provision in the Charter Act 1813 that directed the Company to invest one lakh annually for the education of Indians.

What was the Charter Act Introduced?

The Charter Act 1813 was a consequence of a changed situation both in India and Britain. Warren Hastings and Wellesley extended territorial boundaries, administrative works, and a robust and effective settlement policy was required to uphold it. The educated society of India demanded a uniform law, as presidency towns and Mofussil had diverse rules. The civil society also asked for educational reforms. 

One of the most vital features and provisions of the Act was the allocation of one lakh sponsored by the East India Company for revival and enhancement of Indian literature, introduction, and promotion of science among inhabitants of British India. This is one of the milestone steps adopted by the British government regarding India. It was the first cornerstone towards accepting the state responsibility towards education.

Why the Charter Act?

The question here is why was the charter act of 1813 introduced? The Charter Act 1813 in education was not well defined; the Act did not delineate the means of a revival of Indian literature or imparting knowledge of science to native Indians. The ambiguity of clause 43 of the Charter Act 1813 encouraged Oriental-Occidental controversy. Two groups emerged from the early days of the 19th century; one was Orientalists or Classicists who advocated education through Sanskrit, Arabic, or Persian. Another group was (Occidentalists or Anglicists) who preferred the medium of English for imparting western education in India.

The differences between these groups about using one language started in 1823 and came to the surface in 1835. Asking for a resolution pertaining to this matter, they wrote a letter to the prevailing Governor-General. As a result, Lord Thomas Macaulay came to India as a law member of the Governor General's Executive Council. Later he was nominated as president of the General Committee on Public Instruction on the recommendation of Lord William Bentinck.

Lord Thomas Macaulay made an ardent plea to Lord William Bentinck, the prevailing Governor-General, to educate the upper class of India in western knowledge through the medium of English. Lord Macaulay thought it was possible to blend Eastern culture and Western science only through the medium of English. Lord William Bentinck accepted his proposal, and a new chapter in educational history in India was opened.

Charter Act meaning implies the end of the trade monopoly of the East India Company in India; many historians envisage it as a turning point in the emergence of British commitment to free trade. The Act implied free trade between Britain, India, and Southeast Asia to merchants outside London and E.I.C. The trade was permissible for ships of 350 tons capacity or above; the Act was acceptable only for E.I.C settlements; trade monopoly with China remained with the Company. To safeguard the interests of British textiles, severe conditions forced London to import Indian cotton goods. It was only allowed for re-export. The British textile industry took full advantage of the situation and made a hefty profit by selling goods to the new eastern market. This adverse condition slowly strangled the Indian cotton industry.

Christian Missionaries

Features of the Charter act of 1813 says it opened Indian shores to Christian Missionaries. The influx of them penetrated from 1813 in areas in possession of the Company. The first missionaries’ societies laid the foundation for new ones to enter and operate in those areas. The prime object of later missionaries was proselytization, not spreading education. Education was only a means to fulfil the end. The primary objective was to propagate Christian doctrines. 

The whole project of propagating Christian doctrines was for religious conversion. They imparted western education to the converted Christians. They trained Indian assistants to facilitate proselytization activities; however, they helped the progression of modern education in India.

The early Missionaries emphasised the revival and enhancement of Indian Languages. They used the mother tongue of students as a medium for education. But the latter Missionaries used English as a medium of instruction. The early missionaries worked with deprived people who could understand the only native language. But the missionaries who came later mixed with upper-class society with partial knowledge of English. They believed Christianity would flow from the upper class to the lower one.

As time progressed, the missionaries started giving secondary and higher education, which was mostly restricted to primary education. The early missionaries did a commendable job in the field of vocational training. But after the Charter Act 1813, they pioneered and patronized women's education in India. They laid a solid foundation for women's education in different parts of India, especially in parts of Bengal, Madras, and Bombay Presidencies.