Lord Mayo vs Ooka Tadasuke

Mayo implemented financial reforms to reduce the Indian budget deficit, including increasing taxes and cutting expenditures. He also established a famine relief system, creating a Famine Code and setting aside funds for relief works. These measures aimed to mitigate the impact of recurring famines in India.

Mayo supported the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, which significantly reduced travel time between Britain and India. He promoted Indian trade and agriculture, including the expansion of tea, coffee, and cotton cultivation. These efforts aimed to integrate India more closely into the global economy.

Lord Mayo was assassinated on February 8, 1872, by Sher Ali Afridi, a convict from the Andaman Islands, while visiting the penal settlement at Port Blair. The assassination was motivated by personal grievances. Mayo was the only Viceroy of India to be assassinated in office.

Mayo visited the Andaman Islands penal colony in February 1872 to inspect conditions. During this visit, he was assassinated by Sher Ali Afridi. The visit was intended to assess the administration of the penal settlement, but it ended tragically, leading to increased security measures for future viceroys.

Ooka Tadasuke was appointed as one of the two Edo machibugyo, the chief magistrates of the shogun's capital. This position gave him authority over civil and criminal justice in Edo, where he became known for fair and wise judgments.

Ooka presided over a famous case where he used a psychological trick to determine a child's true mother, ordering the child to be pulled between two claimants. The real mother released her grip to avoid hurting the child, revealing the truth. This case became legendary in Japanese folklore.

Ooka introduced reforms to reduce torture and ensure fair trials, emphasizing evidence and witness testimony over forced confessions. He also established procedures for appeals and review of death sentences, improving the shogunate's legal system.

Ooka was promoted to roju, becoming one of the highest-ranking officials in the shogunate under Shogun Tokugawa Yoshimune. In this role, he continued to influence legal and administrative policies until his retirement.