Pitts India Act of 1784

Key features of the Pitts India Act of 1784 would highlight the various intricacies of the act passed by the British. The Pitts India Act of 1784, also known as the East India Company Act, 1784, was passed by the British Parliament to address the Regulating Act of 1773. By passing the Pitts India Act of 1784, the British achieved dual control of the possessions of the East India Company. Moreover, the Pitts India Act of 1784 ensured that the final authority of these possessions rested with the East India Company.

The Pitts India Act of 1784 continued and remained in effect till 1858. To be precise, this act was named after William Pitt. William Pitt was the Prime Minister of England when this act was passed. The sole aim of the Pitts India Act of 1784 was to make the administration of the East India Company’s Indian territories more effective. It was an act that provided the British with supreme control over the affairs and administration in India. To eliminate the drawbacks of the Regulating Act, the Pitts India Act of 1784 was enacted. 

Moreover, a series of inquiries were implemented along with some measures from the British Parliament’s end during the next decade in which this act was passed. With these things in mind, let’s take a glance at some of the critical features of the Pitts India Act of 1784. 

Overview of the Key Features of Pitts India Act of 1784 

Under the rule of the British, the Government of India Acts were passed. These acts provided the British rulers to administer Indian provinces more effectively. To be precise, a series of acts were given between 1773 and 1935 to enforce various types of regulations. The acts, passed in 1773, 1780, 184, 1786, etc., were known as the East India Company Acts. 

However, acts passed in 1833, 1853, 1858, etc. were entitled as Government of India Acts. To know the key features of the Pitts India Act of 1784, you should be aware of the Regulating Act. As per the Regulating Act, the British have set up a governor-general at Fort William in modern-day Kolkata. The governor-general exercised supervisory powers over Chennai and Mumbai. 

On the other hand, the Pitts India Act of 1784, named after Prime Minister William Pitt, helped in establishing the dual control system by the British Government and the East India Company. In simple words, both the British Government and the East India Company can now control and carry out administrative tasks in India. 

Moreover, the East India Company was delegated powers to retain control of commerce and other day-to-day administration. However, the essential political matters were usually supervised by the secret committee formed by three directors who belonged to the British Government. Note that this system lasted until 1858. 

The act passed in 1813 was able to break the East India Company’s trade monopoly. This also allowed the missionaries to enter the Indian hinterland. The Pitts India Act of 1784 was deemed a failure. The main reason why it failed is that the boundaries between the control of the Government and the powers of the East India Company were highly subjective in nature. 

Moreover, the British Government felt obliged to respond to the humanitarian crisis that unfolded in the territories occupied by the British. Furthermore, the Board of Control was also accused of nepotism. 

Discussed Below are Some of the Features of the Pitts India Act of 1784. 

• The Pitts India Act of 1784 made a differentiation between the commercial and political activities of the East India Company 

• For the very first time, the British Government used the term “British possessions in India.”

• As per the Pitts India Act of 1784, the British Crown was able to establish its authority in the military and civil administration of the Indian territories

• The commercial activities still remained a monopoly of the East India Company 

• With the enactment of the Pitts India Act of 1784, the British Government was able to gain direct control over the Indian administration

• The East India Company evolved as a subordinate to the British Government, where the Government’s central role was to regulate matters

• The revenues were also supervised by the Board of Control 

The Board of Control and the Pitts India Act of 1784

The Pitts India Act of 1784 enabled the British to form the Board of Control. Note that in matters related to Indian politics, the East India Company was still working in a sovereign manner. With the introduction of the Pitts India Act of 1784, the East India Company emerged as the subsidiary of the British Government. 

As the Pitts India Act of 1784 introduced the notion of joint governance, the Board of Control was created. But do you know that the Board of Control also has another name? At that time, the Board of Control was known as the Board of Commissioners for the Affairs of India. 

Note that this Board of Control comprised six members. They are as follows:

• The Chancellor of the Exchequer

• Four privy councillors nominated by the King 

• The Secretary of the State 

To be precise, the Board of Control was empowered to supervise all matters related to military and civil administration. This board was also given the go-ahead to access the records of the East India Company and collect revenues. 

It also reserved the powers to send Governors to India. The Board of Control was the sole body that had the authority to transfer Governors. In the dual system of governance, the Company was represented by the Directors, and the Crown was denoted by the Board of Control.    

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Some Interesting Facts About the Provisions of the Pitts India Act of 1784

Here are some interesting facts which you should know about the provisions of the Pitts India Act of 1784. They are as follows:

• The territorial possessions of the East India Company were not touched. Only the public affairs and its administration in India were brought under the direct control of the British Government. 

• With the Pitts India Act of 1784, the political functions of the East India Company were differentiated from its commercial activities. 

• The Secretary of the State was known as the President of the Board of Control

• In the domain of political matters, the East India Company was still working in a sovereign manner. The Board of Control was able to regulate the activities of the East India Company. 

• The East India Company was to be represented by the Court of Directors. On the other hand, the Board of Control represented the Crown. 

• As per the Pitts India Act of 1784, the Court of Proprietors lost the right to suspend, rescind and revoke any type of resolution of the Directors which was earlier approved by the Board of Control. 

• Note that with the introduction of the Pitts India Act of 1784, the Board of Control had lost independent executive powers. It failed to possess patronage. Moreover, the emphasis was veiled. The Board of Control had access to all the papers of the Company. The Court of Directors reserved the right to retain their patronage and dismiss the workers. 

• In India, the Government of India was placed under the rule of the Governor-General along with the council of three. 

• The Council of the Governor-General was now decreased to only three members. The Pitts India Act of 1784 also modified the Councils of Madras and Bombay. 

The Pitts India Act of 1784 was naïve. This is because the act segregated the responsibility between the Board of Control, the Governor-General, and the Court of Directors. However, these responsibilities were divided without mentioning the clearly defined boundaries. In other words, the powers fixed as per the Pitts India Act of 1784 were subjective and not objective.