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The British Parliament enacted The Pitt’s India Act in the year 1784 for resolving the shortages of the Regulating Act of 1773.
William Pitt got the opportunity to become the youngest Prime Minister of England in the year 1783 and in the year 1784 the act was passed. Thus, it was at the time of Pitt’s tenure only the act was passed. Thus the name.
The Aim and provisions of Pitt’s India Act, 1784
The primary goal of Pitt’s India Act can be described as overcoming the insufficiencies, the weaknesses of the 1773 Regulating Act by simply positioning the East India Company under the supervision of the British Government within India.
Apart from this notable objective, there are various provisions of the Pitt’s India Act, 1784. This Act distinguished the East India Company’s corporate activities from the Company’s political activity. The Court of Directors represented the company whereas the Board of Control represented the British Government. Apart from this, veto power was granted to the Governor-General. According to the Pitts Act, 1784 full access to the company’s records was given to the board of directors. The company was represented by the Court of Directors and the crown was represented by the Board of Control. Pertaining to the Property Disclosure, in a span of a couple of months of everyone taking their respective positions, the orders were sent for all the military and civil officers belonging to the company to show the whole inventory regarding their India and Britain’s property. Further, serious punishment for those officials who were corrupt got stipulated. Until the end of the Company’s authority in the country, that is till the year 1858, Pitt’s India Act’s constitution remained mostly unaltered.
The Shortcomings of Pitt’s India Act, 1784
The Pitt’s India Act forms a significant part of history and has various aspects attached to it. There are certain shortcomings of this law that are discussed over here. Firstly, the governor-general might conveniently act on one’s own initiative by simply putting one’s masters against one another. Apart from this, the jurisdiction under the statute was given to all, that is the Court of Directors, the Governor-General in Council and the Board of Control however unclear boundaries were there since the concern was not objective and instead it was subjective. Lastly, there were accusations pertaining to the nepotistic ways amongst the Board of Control.
Conclusion
As observed from above, the Pitt’s India Act established in the year 1784 forms a significant part of history. The act was enacted in the year 1784, by the British Parliament so as to overcome the shortcomings of the Regulating Act of 1773. The East India Company Act 1784 is another way for naming Pitt’s India Act 1784. It was during William Pitt’s tenure that the act had passed. As observed above, the various features of the act along with the shortcomings of the act have been clearly discussed. Thus, it can be concluded that one has clearly understood the various aspects of Pitt’s India Act 1784.
