Warren Hastings

Hastings implemented the Regulating Act of 1773, which established the office of Governor-General and a Supreme Court in Calcutta. This act aimed to curb corruption and bring British rule in India under greater parliamentary oversight, though it led to conflicts between the Governor-General and the Council.

Warren Hastings was appointed the first Governor-General of Bengal in 1773 under the Regulating Act. He centralized British administration in India and oversaw the East India Company's territories, implementing judicial and revenue reforms that shaped British colonial governance.

Hastings authorized the East India Company's military intervention in the Rohilla War, supporting the Nawab of Awadh against the Rohilla Afghans. The war resulted in the annexation of Rohilkhand and was later criticized as an unjust aggression, contributing to Hastings' impeachment charges.

Hastings was impeached by the British Parliament in 1788 on charges of corruption, extortion, and mismanagement during his tenure in India. The trial, led by Edmund Burke, lasted seven years and became a landmark in British legal history. Hastings was ultimately acquitted in 1795.