Lord Cornwallis

Lord Cornwallis surrendered his British army of about 8,000 men to American and French forces at Yorktown, Virginia, on October 19, 1781. This decisive defeat effectively ended the American Revolutionary War and led to the recognition of American independence.

Cornwallis was appointed Governor-General of India in 1786, serving until 1793. He implemented significant administrative and judicial reforms, including the Cornwallis Code, which established a permanent settlement system and separated revenue collection from judicial functions.

Cornwallis led British forces in the Third Anglo-Mysore War against Tipu Sultan. The war ended with the Treaty of Seringapatam in 1792, which ceded half of Mysore's territory to the British and their allies, significantly weakening Tipu Sultan's power.

Cornwallis enacted the Permanent Settlement of Bengal in 1793, fixing land revenue rates in perpetuity. This reform aimed to create a stable revenue system and encourage agricultural investment, but it also entrenched the zamindar class and led to peasant exploitation.