Development of Police and Judicial Administration in British India (1772–1857): MCQs for Competitive Exams

The development of police and judicial administration under British rule was a gradual process involving Warren Hastings, Lord Cornwallis, William Bentinck and other administrators. The reforms created a more structured hierarchy of courts, introduced new policing arrangements and gradually expanded the use of codified laws and regulations. These developments are important for understanding the administrative transformation of British India before 1857. (Egyankosh)

20 MCQs with Answers and Explanations

1. Who is generally associated with the beginning of a systematic judicial reorganisation in Bengal in 1772?

A. Lord Cornwallis
B. Warren Hastings
C. William Bentinck
D. Lord Wellesley

Correct Answer: B. Warren Hastings

Explanation: Warren Hastings initiated major judicial and revenue reforms in Bengal in 1772. His plan sought to establish a more systematic structure of Diwani Adalats for civil cases and Faujdari Adalats for criminal cases. Although these arrangements were subsequently modified, they provided an important foundation for the judicial administration later reorganised under Cornwallis. Thus, Hastings is an essential name in questions concerning the early institutionalisation of British justice in Bengal. (Egyankosh)

2. The term Diwani Adalat was primarily associated with:

A. Criminal justice
B. Civil justice
C. Military administration
D. Police intelligence

Correct Answer: B. Civil justice

Explanation: A Diwani Adalat was a civil court dealing with matters such as property, contracts, inheritance and other civil disputes. The term Diwani was associated with civil administration and justice. In the judicial reorganisation under Cornwallis, the District Diwani Adalat became an important component of the civil judicial hierarchy. Its distinction from the Nizamat/Faujdari criminal system is a frequently tested examination concept.

3. Which institution was primarily concerned with criminal justice in the early British judicial system?

A. Diwani Adalat
B. Faujdari/Nizamat Adalat
C. Sadar Diwani Adalat
D. Provincial Civil Court

Correct Answer: B. Faujdari/Nizamat Adalat

Explanation: The Faujdari or Nizamat system dealt primarily with criminal justice. During the early British period, criminal justice continued to retain important elements derived from the existing Mughal legal framework, particularly Islamic criminal law, although British officials increasingly supervised and modified its administration. Cornwallis later reorganised the criminal judicial structure through the Courts of Circuit. (Egyankosh)

4. What was the main significance of Cornwallis’s judicial reforms of 1793?

A. They abolished all courts in Bengal
B. They established a more systematic hierarchy of civil and criminal courts
C. They introduced universal suffrage
D. They established the first High Courts in India

Correct Answer: B. They established a more systematic hierarchy of civil and criminal courts

Explanation: Cornwallis’s reforms of 1793 created a more structured judicial hierarchy. District civil courts were headed by European civil servants, appeals could move to higher courts, and Courts of Circuit were organised for criminal justice. The reforms also sought to separate judicial functions from revenue administration. High Courts came much later, in 1862, after the Indian High Courts Act of 1861, so they cannot be associated with the 1793 reforms. (Egyankosh)

5. Which court was the highest civil court in the Bengal judicial hierarchy under Cornwallis?

A. Sadar Diwani Adalat
B. District Diwani Adalat
C. Court of Circuit
D. Faujdari Adalat

Correct Answer: A. Sadar Diwani Adalat

Explanation: The Sadar Diwani Adalat functioned as the highest appellate civil court in the Bengal judicial structure. Appeals could move upward from district-level civil courts through the provincial appellate structure and ultimately reach the Sadar Diwani Adalat. This hierarchy was part of Cornwallis’s attempt to create a more organised and centralised judicial system. (Egyankosh)

6. The Courts of Circuit established under Cornwallis were primarily concerned with:

A. Revenue collection
B. Criminal justice
C. Municipal administration
D. Commercial taxation

Correct Answer: B. Criminal justice

Explanation: Cornwallis reorganised criminal justice by establishing four Courts of Circuit, associated with the major divisions of Bengal: Calcutta, Murshidabad, Dacca and Patna. These courts were presided over by European civil servants and dealt with serious criminal cases. Indian legal officers such as the qazi and mufti assisted in matters of law. (Egyankosh)

7. Under Cornwallis’s police reforms of 1792, who replaced the zamindars as the principal official responsible for police administration at the thana level?

A. Qazi
B. Mufti
C. Daroga
D. Amin

Correct Answer: C. Daroga

Explanation: Cornwallis introduced the daroga system in 1792, reducing the police authority previously exercised by zamindars and their retainers. Districts were divided into thanas, each placed under a government-appointed daroga. Village-level personnel such as chowkidars assisted in crime prevention, apprehension of offenders and intelligence gathering. This was a major step toward a more centralised colonial police organisation. (Egyankosh)

8. What was the principal purpose of establishing police thanas under the daroga system?

A. To conduct land surveys
B. To organise military recruitment
C. To create defined local jurisdictions for policing
D. To administer civil courts

Correct Answer: C. To create defined local jurisdictions for policing

Explanation: Under the reforms associated with Cornwallis, districts were divided into thanas, each constituting a defined police jurisdiction. A government-appointed daroga headed the police administration at the thana level. This arrangement reduced reliance on the private armed retainers of zamindars and brought policing more directly under state authority. (Egyankosh)

9. Which traditional local personnel continued to perform important village-level policing functions under the colonial system?

A. Chowkidars
B. Governors
C. Collectors-General
D. Judges of Circuit

Correct Answer: A. Chowkidars

Explanation: Chowkidars were village-level watchmen who continued to perform policing and intelligence-related duties. Under the daroga system, they assisted in identifying and apprehending criminals and maintaining local information networks. Thus, British reforms did not eliminate every traditional village institution; instead, some were incorporated into the new administrative structure. (Egyankosh)

10. Why did Cornwallis seek to remove much of the police authority previously exercised by zamindars?

A. Zamindars were responsible for running universities
B. The existing arrangement was associated with private power, exploitation and local conflicts
C. Zamindars refused to collect customs duties
D. The British wanted to abolish all villages

Correct Answer: B. The existing arrangement was associated with private power, exploitation and local conflicts

Explanation: Before the reorganisation, policing was substantially connected with zamindari authority and local armed retainers. Cornwallis’s administration regarded this arrangement as problematic because private interests could influence policing and the system could be used for personal disputes or coercion. The reforms therefore sought to bring police authority under direct government supervision. (Egyankosh)

11. Which position became increasingly important in the district-level administration of criminal justice?

A. District Magistrate
B. Nawab of Bengal
C. Village Zamindar
D. Provincial Governor

Correct Answer: A. District Magistrate

Explanation: The District Magistrate became a key official in maintaining law and order and administering criminal justice. The evolution of the magistracy was closely connected with the restructuring of police and judicial administration. Earlier, the functions of collector, magistrate and judicial officer had at times been combined, but Cornwallis’s reforms increasingly sought clearer functional distinctions, while later reforms under Bentinck altered the arrangement again. (Egyankosh)

12. Which reform is associated with William Bentinck in 1831?

A. Establishment of the Supreme Court at Calcutta
B. Abolition of the Provincial Courts of Appeal and Courts of Circuit
C. Introduction of the Permanent Settlement
D. Creation of the Sadar Diwani Adalat

Correct Answer: B. Abolition of the Provincial Courts of Appeal and Courts of Circuit

Explanation: William Bentinck undertook important administrative and judicial reforms. In 1831, the Provincial Courts of Appeal and Courts of Circuit were abolished, and their functions were transferred to other administrative and judicial authorities. Bentinck also increased the participation and status of Indians in subordinate judicial positions, including appointments such as Deputy Magistrates and Subordinate Judges. (Egyankosh)

13. Which of the following was an important feature of Bentinck’s judicial reforms?

A. Complete exclusion of Indians from all subordinate judicial offices
B. Greater employment of Indians in subordinate judicial positions
C. Abolition of all Indian judges
D. Restoration of zamindari control over criminal courts

Correct Answer: B. Greater employment of Indians in subordinate judicial positions

Explanation: Bentinck expanded the role of Indians in the lower and subordinate branches of the judicial administration. Indians were appointed to positions such as Deputy Magistrates, Subordinate Judges and Principal Sadar Amins. This represented a gradual departure from the highly restrictive approach associated with the Cornwallis era, although Indians remained largely excluded from the highest levels of colonial administration. (Egyankosh)

14. The Charter Act of 1833 was significant for the development of Indian law because it:

A. Abolished the East India Company
B. Provided for a Law Commission for the consolidation and codification of laws
C. Established the first High Courts
D. Created the Indian National Congress

Correct Answer: B. Provided for a Law Commission for the consolidation and codification of laws

Explanation: The Charter Act of 1833 marked an important stage in the development of a more unified legislative and legal system. It provided for the establishment of a Law Commission, and Lord Macaulay became its first Law Member and played a leading role in the first Law Commission. The Commission’s work contributed to the later development of codified laws in India. The Legislative Department of the Government of India also identifies the Charter Act of 1833 as the foundation for the Law Commission and the consolidation and codification of Indian laws.

15. Who was the principal figure associated with the First Law Commission of British India?

A. Thomas Munro
B. Lord Macaulay
C. Holt Mackenzie
D. Charles Metcalfe

Correct Answer: B. Lord Macaulay

Explanation: Lord Macaulay became the first Law Member of the Governor-General’s Council under the Charter Act of 1833 and headed the First Law Commission. The Commission worked toward the consolidation and codification of Indian laws. Its work ultimately contributed to major legal developments, including the drafting of the Indian Penal Code, although the Code itself was enacted later in 1860 and therefore belongs to a period beyond the lesson’s 1813–1857 timeline.

16. Which of the following pairs is correctly matched?

A. Thomas Munro — Courts of Circuit
B. Holt Mackenzie — Police Daroga System
C. Lord Cornwallis — Police reforms of 1792
D. William Bentinck — Permanent Settlement of 1793

Correct Answer: C. Lord Cornwallis — Police reforms of 1792

Explanation: Lord Cornwallis is associated with the important police reforms of 1792, including the establishment of police thanas headed by darogas. Thomas Munro is primarily associated with Ryotwari revenue administration, Holt Mackenzie with the Mahalwari settlement, and Cornwallis with the Permanent Settlement and judicial/police reforms of the late eighteenth century. (Egyankosh)

17. Which pair correctly identifies the two major categories of justice administered through the early colonial court system?

A. Diwani — Civil; Faujdari/Nizamat — Criminal
B. Diwani — Criminal; Faujdari — Revenue
C. Diwani — Military; Faujdari — Commercial
D. Diwani — Police; Faujdari — Civil

Correct Answer: A. Diwani — Civil; Faujdari/Nizamat — Criminal

Explanation: This distinction is fundamental to understanding early British judicial administration. Diwani courts handled civil matters, while Faujdari/Nizamat courts handled criminal matters. Cornwallis reorganised both branches and established a hierarchy of appellate institutions. Questions asking candidates to distinguish Diwani, Faujdari, Sadar Diwani Adalat and Courts of Circuit are common in Indian history examinations.

18. Which statement best describes the significance of the British judicial reforms before 1857?

A. They completely replaced every existing Indian legal custom immediately
B. They gradually created a more centralised hierarchy of courts and increasingly codified legal administration
C. They abolished written laws
D. They transferred all judicial authority to village panchayats

Correct Answer: B. They gradually created a more centralised hierarchy of courts and increasingly codified legal administration

Explanation: The transformation was gradual rather than instantaneous. British administrators retained, modified and reorganised elements of existing legal traditions while creating new courts, regulations and administrative procedures. From Hastings through Cornwallis and Bentinck to the Law Commission of 1833, the system increasingly moved toward centralised administration and legal codification. (Egyankosh)

19. Which source would be most useful to a historian researching the operation of British police administration in nineteenth-century India?

A. Police regulations, administrative correspondence and district records
B. Only prehistoric cave paintings
C. Only Gupta-period coins
D. Only medieval temple sculptures

Correct Answer: A. Police regulations, administrative correspondence and district records

Explanation: Colonial administrative records are particularly valuable for studying the development of police stations, darogas, district administration, crime reporting and official policies. Such records can be supplemented by district gazetteers, contemporary reports, legal regulations and archival correspondence. These sources also help historians understand how administrative institutions interacted with local communities and existing social structures. The National Archives of India preserves extensive historical public records that support research into colonial administration.

20. Which sequence correctly represents important stages in the development of British judicial administration?

A. Hastings’ reforms → Cornwallis’s judicial reorganisation → Bentinck’s reforms → Law Commission of 1833
B. Law Commission of 1833 → Hastings’ reforms → Cornwallis’s reforms → Bentinck’s reforms
C. Cornwallis’s reforms → Hastings’ reforms → Bentinck’s reforms → Charter Act of 1773
D. Bentinck’s reforms → Cornwallis’s reforms → Hastings’ reforms → Law Commission of 1833

Correct Answer: A. Hastings’ reforms → Cornwallis’s judicial reorganisation → Bentinck’s reforms → Law Commission of 1833

Explanation: Warren Hastings’ judicial reforms of 1772 provided an early systematic framework. Cornwallis substantially reorganised the judicial system in the 1790s. William Bentinck introduced important administrative and judicial changes, particularly around 1831, including abolishing the Provincial Courts of Appeal and Courts of Circuit and expanding Indian participation in subordinate judicial offices. The Charter Act of 1833 subsequently provided for a Law Commission and strengthened the process of legal codification. (Egyankosh)

Key Revision Table

The broad transition from Hastings’s early arrangements to Cornwallis’s structured hierarchy and Bentinck’s subsequent reforms illustrates the gradual institutionalisation of colonial judicial administration. (Egyankosh)

Targeting Exams

CUET-UG / CUET-PG, UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE), SSC CGL, SSC CHSL, IBPS PO, SBI PO, RRB NTPC, RRB Group D, CDS, NDA & NA, CAPF, APSC CCE, All State Government Exams, Assam Government Grade III & IV, Assam Police Recruitment, CTET, UGC NET

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Who initiated the early judicial reorganisation in Bengal?

Warren Hastings initiated a major judicial reorganisation in 1772, establishing a more systematic arrangement of civil and criminal courts. (Egyankosh)

2. What was a Diwani Adalat?

A Diwani Adalat was a court dealing primarily with civil cases, including disputes concerning property and other civil matters.

3. What was the significance of Cornwallis’s judicial reforms?

The reforms of 1793 established a more systematic hierarchy of civil and criminal courts and strengthened the role of European civil servants in higher judicial offices. (Egyankosh)

4. What was the Daroga system?

The Daroga system, associated with Cornwallis’s police reforms of 1792, placed police thanas under government-appointed officers known as darogas. (Egyankosh)

5. What was the role of the chowkidar?

The chowkidar performed village-level watch and intelligence functions and assisted the police in identifying and apprehending offenders.

6. What did William Bentinck change in 1831?

Bentinck abolished the Provincial Courts of Appeal and Courts of Circuit and redistributed their functions, while also increasing Indian participation in subordinate judicial offices. (Egyankosh)

7. Why was the Charter Act of 1833 important for Indian judicial history?

It provided for a Law Commission and contributed to the process of consolidating and codifying Indian laws.

8. Who headed the First Law Commission?

Lord Macaulay was the principal figure associated with the First Law Commission and served as the first Law Member of the Governor-General’s Council.

9. What is the difference between Diwani and Faujdari justice?

Diwani concerned civil justice, while Faujdari/Nizamat concerned criminal justice.

10. Why are colonial police and judicial records historically important?

They provide evidence about the development of courts, police stations, officials, legal procedures, crime administration, local institutions and changing relationships between the colonial state and Indian society. Archival collections of the National Archives of India are important resources for researching such developments.

Authoritative External Sources

• Legislative Department, Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India — useful for historical legislation and the development of India’s legislative and codification framework.
• Legislative Department – Judicial Resources — Government of India resource for legal and judicial materials.
• IGNOU eGyanKosh – Historical Context — university-level material covering Cornwallis’s police and judicial reforms.
• IGNOU eGyanKosh – Administration and Law — useful for studying the development of colonial police, judiciary and administrative institutions.
• IGNOU eGyanKosh – Colonial Intervention in India — detailed academic material on the evolution of British judicial organisation and legal codification.