Question

The East India Company Act of 1793 is also known as?
A)Charter Act of 1793
B) Pitt's India Act
C) Saint Helena Act
D) None of the above

Answer 1

Hint - The East India Company Act of 1793 was an act which renewed the earlier charter granted to East India Company. The Charter had been given to the Company in 1600 by Queen Elizabeth I and had given the company exclusive rights to trade in India.

Complete Step by Step Answer-
The EIC Act of 1793, also known as the Charter Act of 1793 was passed in the British Parliament to extend the monopoly of the East India company over trade in India for another 20 years.

OPTION A - Charter Act of 1793 had several important provisions regarding the power and authority of the Governor-General and the Presidencies, composition of the Board of Control etc. But the most important one was the extension of the company's monopoly over Indian trade for another 20 years.

OPTION B - Pitt's India Act was passed by the British government to correct the shortcomings of the Regulating Act of 1773. The act was passed in 1784 and is also known as the East India Act of 1784. Under the act, a Board of Control was set up. India was to be ruled jointly by the Company and the Crown. However, the final power lay in the hands of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was named after William Pitt, the then Prime Minister of Britain.

OPTION C - Saint Helena Act is another name for the Government of India Act 1833. The act was passed to extend the Royal Charter granted to the company. An important provision of this act was that the Governor-General of Bengal was now to be designated as the Governor-General of India. It also removed the legislative powers of the governors of Bombay and Madras reducing them to a subordinate position.

OPTION D - None of the above is correct since the correct answer is the Charter Act of 1793 which is Option A.

Note - Charter Act of 1793 is another name for East India Company Act of 1793. Under this act the Charter granted to the Company in 1600 was renewed for another 20 years. The act also stated very clearly that all the political functions being performed by the Company were only being done on behalf of the British Parliament.