para 1: education

similarity: both promote modern education and English as medium of instruction

differences: Dalhousie has a wider impact for establishing university accross different regions, while Bentinck only established one, despite being the first.

Bentinck

  • Calcutta Medical College: Lord William Bentick founded Calcutta Medical College in 1835. It was the first medical college in Asia and was the first to focus on a curriculum and teaching methodology based on Western medical practices.

Medical College Bengal—A Pioneer Over the Eras - PMC ‘On January 28, 1835, a new era commenced on the order of His Lordship William Bentinck. The first medical college of Asia was built … Fifty young men between the ages of 14 and 20, without distinction of caste or creed, were admitted to study for a period of 4 years.’ (Chatterjee)

Dalhousie

Lord Dalhousie was a strong advocate of education. Dalhousie implemented Charles Wood’s Dispatch in 1854, which laid the foundation for the modern education system in India. It emphasised the establishment of universities in Bombay, Calcutta, and Madras and promoted English as the medium of instruction. He supported the expansion of vernacular education to increase literacy among the Indian population.

-> make knowledge more accessible to wide public by including female education and promotion of vernacular language of teaching.

para 2: social

Bentinck

  • Abolition of Sati: Lord William Bentinck is best remembered for his efforts to abolish the inhumane Practice of Sati, the ritual burning of widows on their husbands’ funeral pyres.
    • The Regulation XVII of 1829, which Bentinck enacted, made Sati illegal and punishable as a criminal offence. The Regulation was expanded to include the presidencies of Madras and Bombay in 1830.
  • Abolition of Thuggee: Bentinck took strong measures to suppress the practice of Thuggee, a network of criminal gangs involved in robbery and murder under the guise of religious duty. 
    • Under his administration, Captain William Sleeman led extensive campaigns to apprehend and punish the Thugs, significantly reducing their activities.
  • Ban on Female Infanticide: Lord William Bentinck prohibited female infanticide, the practice of killing certain newborn girls, and human sacrifices. He not only prohibited female infanticide but also made it a criminal punishable offence.

Dalhousie

  • Widow Remarriage Act (1856): Dalhousie passed the Widow Remarriage Act, legalising the remarriage of Hindu widows and challenging traditional social norms.
  • Suppression of Female Infanticide: He took measures to suppress the practice of female infanticide, particularly in northern India.

similarity: Both imposed the modern ethics on India, strengthen British power in India

difference: Bentinck has a more concentrated focus and stronger effect on social reform, including more radical policies and more direct enforcement, while Dalhousie took a more moderate approach.

para 3: Administrative

Bentinck

  • Judicial Overhaul: The four Circuit Courts were abolished, and their functions were transferred to collectors overseen by the Commissioner of Revenue and Circuit. 
  • Codification of Laws: Bentinck initiated the process of codifying Indian laws, which laid the groundwork for the development of a unified legal system in British India. 
    • A Law Commission was established under Macaulay to codify Indian laws. As a result, in later years, the Civil Procedure Code (1859), Indian Penal Code (1860), and Criminal Procedure Code (1861) were drafted.
  • Police Reforms: Bentinck abolished the office of the Superintendent of Police (SP). The magistrate was now to lead the police force in his jurisdiction, with the commissioner in each division serving as the SP. This arrangement resulted in a disorganised police force, placing a significant burden on the collector/magistrate.

Dalhousie

Lord Dalhousie appointed a lieutenant governor to oversee Bengal’s administration, thereby allowing the governor-general to focus on broader, nationwide issues. Fredrick J. Halliday became the first Lieutenant Governor of Bengal. Similarly, the newly acquired territories, such as Punjab, were placed under the supervision of Commissioners to ensure effective governance and management.

The ==Doctrine of Lapse== was one of Lord Dalhousie’s most controversial policies. This doctrine stated that any princely state or territory directly influenced by the British East India Company would be annexed if the ruler died without a male heir. It prohibited such monarchs from adopting a son to ascend to their thrones. Dalhousie justified this policy as a means of preventing misrule by incompetent or corrupt rulers while also ensuring their subjects’ stability and prosperity.

  • Dalhousie annexed several states ( Satara, Jhansi, Nagpur, and Awadh ), expanding British territory in India by nearly a quarter million square miles. His actions expanded British power.

similarity: purpose of reinforce control and stability difference: Bentinck focuses more on BEIC itself, dealing with corruption and inefficiency, while Dalhousie has an implication on reducing local ruler’s power; Dalhousie used the policy to expand the territory, Bentinck instead avoid wars.