Warren Hastings

Warren Hastings took birth in a village named Churchill of Oxfordshire County. His mother Hester Hastings died in his infancy. Though struck by poverty, his father Penystone Hastings secured the rights of church living by birth till 1715.

Warren Hastings received his primary education from the Westminster School where he met a few remarkable companions who later on became poets, Duke, and even the Prime Minister. Hasting’s journey towards the Indian capital of Calcutta cropped up in 1750 after he joined the British East India Company as a clerk.

Early Days of Warren Hastings in India

Warren Hastings established a profound reputation through his persistent work ethic. He indulged himself in learning languages like Persian and Urdu. He also studied Indian culture inside out. His efforts were soon rewarded by promoting him to a more prominent job role. There he worked as an assistant to William Watts who was in charge of the Kasimbazar factory. 

Warren Hastings sensed the potential danger of the East India Company while he was staying at Murshidabad. The turbulence in the trading system existed as local Nawabs controlled the entire market. At the onset of the coronation of Siraj ud-Daulah, the situation became more adverse due to the anti-European mindset of Siraj. Siraj’s grandfather Nawab Alivardi Khan favored the British interests, unlike his grandson. After assuming power, Siraj ud-Daulah imprisoned Hastings and commanded the British forces and civilians to be jailed in the infamous dungeon of Fort William – the Black Hole. Siraj ud-Daulah marched with his army and annexed Calcutta. 

After serving the Nawab for a while, Warren Hastings fled to Fulta where he stayed with the other British refugees. Soon he was rescued by a band of British voyagers from Madras led by Robert Clive. 

Robert admired the works of Hastings. He prepared plans to help Warren Hastings regain his spot at Kasimbazar after defeating Siraj ud-Daulah in the Plassey battle of 1757. This solidified the grip of the British East India Company over the trade map of Bengal. 

Political Career

Gradually the East India Company started to gain defensive authority in Calcutta which put Warren Hastings in a position of power. He became the de facto Governor of the province who could pass orders to the Nawab. Robert Clive expressed his trust in him in maintaining a fruitful relationship with the contemporary Nawab Mir Jafar followed by his successor Mir Qasim. 

Hastings wisely observed the trade scenario all over Bengal and marked the departments that were subjected to fraud. To his surprise, the customs did nothing to check the trading abuses that deprived specific communities of traders of their deserved amount of profit. As he failed to bring a change he decided to return to England. As a result of Mir Qasim’s insurgent practices against the British East India Company his resignation went on standby. In 1764, an array of battles happened between Mir Qasim and the Company’s army which finally ended with the Buxar Battle where Hastings achieved victory. Mir Qasim was compelled to flee to Delhi. In 1765, the Buxar Battle ended with the Treaty of Allahabad that permitted the East India Company to levy and collect tax revenue from Bengal. After this Warren Hastings returned to Britain. 

The second phase of the political career of Hastings in India 

Unlike other members of the Company’s council, Hastings had not accumulated huge wealth from India. However, he was buried under enormous debt which left no other choice but to return to the Indian subcontinent. Although the Company’s senior secretaries rejected his initial application due to his former protests against some of the influential officers, later on, he was hired as the Deputy ruler of Madras under the suggestions of Robert Clive. 

In 1769, Warren Hastings arrived in Madras just after the first Anglo Mysore War that ended with the treaty of Madras. Three more wars took place between the British army and Hydar Ali, but each time there was no definite outcome. In Madras, he ensured the welfare of both the native people and the traders by cutting off the margin enjoyed by the middlemen. After this, he was again shifted to Bengal. After the inaction of the Regulating Act that was passed in 1773, he was made the first Governor-General of Calcutta. Calcutta was the most important center among the three Presidencies (Madras, Calcutta, and Bombay) of the British Empire. After coming to power, Warren Hastings restructured the prevalent laws to strictly punish the outlaws. After tediously serving the company for ten long years, Warren Hastings went bankrupt owing to the huge penalties that were levied on him to keep him out of perpetration. Warren Hastings was accused of numerous allegations one of which included the murder crime of Maharaja Nandakumar. Two apex opposing councils debated over Hastings’ fate for seven years. Ultimately, he was acquitted of his deeds in 1795 after which he was replaced by Lord Cornwallis. 

Conclusion

Warren Hastings consolidated the British East India Company’s grip over the trade map and later on the defense of the Indian subcontinent. Unlike other officials, he thought about the welfare of Indians to some extent. He returned to India to serve the company for ten more years.