Lord William Bentinck

Bentinck (1828–1835) is remembered for his social reforms, but politically he was far less aggressive than Hastings or Wellesley.

Policy Approach

• Non-intervention with Indian states unless there was misrule or instability.
• Expansion was selective, often justified as administrative necessity.

Major Political Actions

1. Mysore (1831)

• Wellesley had restored Hindu rule under Krishnaraja III after Tipu’s death.
• Initially governed well under minister Puranaiya, but later mismanagement set in.
• 1831: Bentinck assumed direct British administration, placing Mysore under a commissioner and giving the Raja a pension.
• The British ruled Mysore directly until 1881, when it was restored to the Wodeyars.

Sir Mark Cubbon (1834–1861):

• As Chief Commissioner of Mysore and Coorg, he:
  • Shifted capital to Bangalore.
  • Reformed revenue collection and administration.
  • Developed infrastructure.
• Cubbon Park in Bangalore is named after him.

2. Coorg (1834)

• Raja deposed for misrule; annexed to British India.
• Administered by Sir Mark Cubbon alongside Mysore.

3. Cachar & Jaintia

• These north-eastern regions had been under British “protection” after the Treaty of Yandabo (1826).
• Annexed by Bentinck for better administration.

Lord Auckland (1836–1842) – The Forward Policy and the Afghan Disaster

Auckland revived a forward policy, focusing on external threats, especially from the north-west.

The First Anglo-Afghan War (1838–1842)

• Aim: Install a friendly ruler in Afghanistan to block Russian influence (the “Great Game”).
• Action: British forces invaded Afghanistan, initially succeeded, but later faced disaster — a catastrophic retreat from Kabul in 1842.
• Outcome: Auckland was recalled; Lord Ellenborough succeeded him and ended the war.