British Administrative Reforms

British administrative reforms fundamentally transformed the Indian governance system, replacing the decentralized and often informal structures of earlier periods with a centralized, bureaucratic framework. This was done to consolidate power, maximize revenue collection, and establish control over the vast empire.

Early Reforms (1773–1858)

  • Uniform Legal System: The Regulating Act of 1773 and Pitt's India Act of 1784 established a hierarchy of courts and a legal code, though it retained elements of traditional Indian law.
  • Codification of Laws: Later, British-style laws were systematically codified with acts such as the Indian Penal Code of 1860, standardizing criminal law across British-held territories.
  • Separation of Powers: ....
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