Warren Hastings

When Warren Hastings (1772-1785) took charge, the British in India were still far from being the unquestioned rulers of the subcontinent. They had a strong hold over Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa, plus some scattered coastal settlements, but the great Indian powers—the Marathas, Mysore, and Hyderabad—still dominated the political map.

Hastings’ period is important for two reasons:

1. It tested whether the British could survive against the strongest Indian coalitions.
2. It introduced a defensive political strategy—the Ring Fence Policy—to protect British interests without overextending military resources.

Major Wars under Warren Hastings

1. First Anglo-Maratha War (1775–1782)

• No decisive victory for either side.
• Ended with the Treaty of Salbai (1782), which gave 20 years of peace with the Marathas.
• This peace was not just a break from war—it was a strategic breathing space. Hastings used it to consolidate control in Bengal and avoid being dragged into continuous conflict with a far stronger Maratha power.

2. Second Anglo-Mysore War (1780–1784)

• Another war without a clear winner.
• Concluded with the Treaty of Mangalore (1783), which restored territories to both sides and released prisoners.
• Importantly, this treaty preserved the Company’s position in the south—showing the British could stand their ground even against Hyder Ali and later Tipu Sultan.

The Rohilla War (1774)

• Background: The Rohilkhand kingdom lay between Awadh and Maratha territories. Its ruler, Hafiz Rahmat Khan, sought protection from the Marathas and signed a defensive treaty with the Nawab of Awadh.
• When no Maratha attack came, the Nawab demanded payment. Rahmat Khan refused.
• With British military support, the Nawab invaded, defeating the Rohillas at the Battle of Miranpur Katra (1774).
• Hastings faced severe criticism in England for what many saw as an unjust intervention—foreshadowing the later impeachment case against him.

The Ring Fence Policy

• A defensive strategy to protect British-controlled Bengal by shielding neighbouring states—at their own expense.
• Example: Instead of directly confronting the Marathas, the Company allied with Awadh, promising military help against external threats. By defending Awadh’s frontier, they were indirectly defending Bengal.
• This policy reflected the Company’s limited resources—avoiding risky wars while still maintaining security.

The Dark Period of the 1770s

Hastings governed during a particularly challenging phase:

1. Simultaneous hostility from Marathas, Mysore, and Hyderabad.
2. The American War of Independence (1776) drained Britain’s global resources.
3. A looming French threat in Europe.

Despite this, Hastings kept British power intact. His diplomacy—like bribing the Nizam of Hyderabad with the Guntur district to break up the anti-British alliance—prevented a combined Indian front from crushing Company power.

Trial of Warren Hastings

When Hastings returned to England (1785), Edmund Burke accused him of corruption and misrule in Bengal.

• Impeachment proceedings began in 1787 and lasted seven years.
• In 1795, Hastings was acquitted, but the trial reflected growing scrutiny over Company governance.

Lord Cornwallis (1786–1793) – Military Supremacy in the South

If Hastings’ period was about survival and diplomacy, Cornwallis’ tenure was about establishing military dominance—especially in southern India.

Third Anglo-Mysore War (1789–1792)

• Cornwallis led British forces against Tipu Sultan.
• Ended with the Treaty of Seringapatam (1792):
  • Tipu had to surrender half his territory.
  • British supremacy in southern India was now firmly established.
• This war broke Tipu’s dominant position, making him less of a threat in the years ahead.

Cornwallis’ Background

• An aristocrat with strong political connections in Britain, a personal friend of Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger, and Henry Dundas of the Board of Control.
• A respected military commander despite surrendering at Yorktown during the American War of Independence—his reputation remained intact, showing the high regard he enjoyed in British politics.

If Hastings was the strategist who kept the British in the game during a dangerous decade, Cornwallis was the commander who turned that position into clear military supremacy—especially in the south.