BRITISH SETTLEMENT AT CALCUTTA

ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE
(1690-1727)
Geographical location
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 in
1690 On 24 August 1690
Job Charnock with
• Company Agent 30 Soldiers landed
• Founder of Calcutta ⬇️
Sutanuti

There were three large

villages along the east bank
Job Charnock of the river Ganges, named,
Sutanuti, Gobindapur and
Kalikata. These three villages
were bought by the British
from the local land lords
 Why Sutanuti was selected as the
primary residential place by job ?
Out of Sutanuti, Kalikata and Gabindapur, Job
Charnock favoured Sutanuti as a settlement
because of the security of the location.

It was protected by the Ganges river on the west

and by impassable marshes on the east or salt lake

On the north, there was Circular canal and the

south was protected by Adi ganga, now called the
Tolly Nallah on which Kalighat was there
 The Mughal emperor granted East India
Company freedom of trade in return for a
yearly payment of 3,000 rupees.

In January 1692 Job charnock

Died

Job Charnock establishing the Trading post 1690.

Calcutta
Where are Sutanuti, Kalikata and Gabindapur today in Kolkata
Sutanuti today: It today is in the area with the
Circular Canal on the north and the Howrah
Bridge on the south, along the Ganga. On the
west of course was the Ganga and on the east
it included Shyambazar, Bagbazaar etc.

Kalikata today: It was the area from the

Howrah Bridge to the Fort Williams along the
Ganges on the west. Today it would include
BBD Bag, Chowringhee, Park Street, Maidan,
Race Course etc.

Gabindapur today: Appears like it was where

Alipur, Khidirpur, Kalighat are today,
Use Map
There is much discussion about the origin of
the name

The name came into being when Job Charnock asked a farmer the
name of the area around Hooghly River.

The farmer misunderstood due to language problems and thought

that he was referring as to when he harvested his paddy.

He proudly replied “Kal Kaata hoe chhilo” meaning “I cut it yesterday.”

Job Charnock thought that the name of the place is Calcutta

Some say the city’s name derives from the location of its original
settlement on the bank of a canal (khal).

Another theory is that the name derives from Kalighat.

The most accepted view is that it comes from the Hindu
goddess Kali and the original name was KaliKshetra, “the place
of Kali”.
 1696:- Fort William was started Built

Fort Name was on th king William III

of England

The original Fort William was built in

1696 by the British East India
Company, and it was rebuilt by
Robert Clive after the Battle of
Plassey in 1758.
 East India company Obtained Zamindari Rights of Three Village
⬇️
1698 Fo Annual Revenue of 1195 Rupees

From
⬇️
Grandson of Aurangzeb
⬇️
Prince Azimushanshan :- He was the subedar
of Bengal at that time

Calcutta was declared a Presidency

So, Calcutta Need President/Governor and Council
1699 ⬇️
President/Governor and Council was appointed to administer the Calcutta
Presidency
 1702:- Fort was
Completed
⬇️
Fort William administer
Calcutta Presidency
 Administration of justice in Calcutta/Fort William

Having Acquired the Zamindari Rights from the

Moghuls
The Company Function of a Zamindar
⬇️
• Under the Moghuls Rule
1698 • Zamindar of Bengal were empowered to
1. Collect land Revenue
2. Maintain Law and Order
In their zamindari/territory
 JUDICIAL SYSTEM

• Head of the kazi Court:- kazi

Kazi Court • Kazi Court handled civil and criminal
Were established in matters
each • Kazi Never got salary
District,Paraganh& • So kazi Court fined the criminal earned
Village money
• Justice was Purchased
• Corruption

Moghul king never paid any attention to judicial system that time nothing was organised
Zamindar Court

• Zamindar Court called

Cutcherry
• Decide Civil cases
• Appeal from this Court
lay to the Nawab Court
at Murshidabad
• Capital Punishment
could be awarded by
the Zamindar Court but
Need Confirmation by
the Nawab Court
 In The East India Company appointed and English
1700 member of the Governor Council as
Collector

• Collector Empowered to
• Collect Revenue
• Decide Civil, Criminal
• Revenue cases
 Collector:- Maintained Criminal Court
⬇️
For Administration of Criminal Justice
Collector:- tried Petty • Trial held in court without use of jury
crime • Punishment awarded by this court
1. Whipping
Governor and Council:- 2. Imprisonment
Criminal
tried serious offences cases
3. Fine
Work on road

Appeal from collector Death sentence could also be awarded not by

Court lay to Governor hanging but whipping or lashing (kora lagana)
and Council Court
Use hindu custom, Muslim Custom, convention and
English law in Judicial Process
Collector decide civil cases in his
Court Cutcherry
For Execution of death sentence required
confirmation by governor/President and Council
 Case upto Rupees 20 Decided by Panchayat

Case upto Rupees 100 Decided by Cutcherry

Case more than Rupees 100 Decided by Governor

This System and Council
Continued till
1727 Collector was also empower to settle revenue
cases ,dispute related land
 CONCLUSIO
N
The administration of justice in the settlement of East India Company before 1726 was excutive oriented

there was no separation between the executive and the Judiciary and the executive overriding power to
appoint or remove the judges

Judiciary was subordinate to executive

Same situation exist in all the settlement of company:-

• Surat
• Madras
• Bombay
• Calcutta

Judges were do not have adequate knowledge of law

Though by the end of 17th century and effort was made to induct a person well versed in law as the judge
advocate in Madras and Bombay
British settlement at Calcutta