Question

Explain the structure of civil administration under the company rule?

Answer 1

In 1772, when Hastings became the first Governor-General one of his first undertakings was the rapid expansion of the Presidency's army. Since the available soldiers, or Sepoys, from Bengal—many of whom had fought against the British in the Battle of Plassey – were now suspect in British eyes, Hastings recruited farther west from the "major breeding ground of India's infantry in eastern Awadh and the lands around Banaras including Bihar.[60] The high caste rural Hindu Rajputs and Brahmins of this region (known as Purbiyas (Hindi, lit. "easterners") had been recruited by Mughal Empire armies for two hundred years;[60] the East India Company continued this practice for the next 75 years, with these soldiers comprising up to eighty per cent of the Bengal army.[60] However, in order to avoid any friction within the ranks, the Company also took pains to adapt its military practices to their religious requirements. Consequently, these soldiers dined in separate facilities; in addition, overseas service, considered polluting to their caste, was not required of them, and the army soon came to recognise Hindu festivals officially. "This encouragement of high caste ritual status, however, left the government vulnerable to protest, even mutiny, whenever the sepoys detected infringement of their prerogatives."[61]