National Law Institute University Bhopal

1997

ENGLISH
SEMESTER-1
IMPEACHMENT OF WARREN HASTINGS WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE

TO THE SPEECH DELIVERED BY EDMUND BURKE

Submitted To: Submitted By:

Prof. (Dr).Mukesh Shrivastava Pragya Somkunwar
FACULTY, NLIU Roll.No: 2021BALLB 117

Enrolment No: A-2414

 QUOTE

We are all born in subjection – all born equally, high and low, governors and governed in
subjection to one great immutable persistence law, prior to all our devices and prior to all our
controversies, paramount to all our ideas and to all our sensations, antecedent to our very
existence by which we are knit and connected in the eternal frame of the universe out of
which we cannot stir.

-Sir Edmund burke

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

First of all, I would like to express my special thanks of gratitude to Prof. Dr. MUKESH
SHRIVASTAV for providing me this golden opportunity to make a project on the topic
impeachment of Warren Hastings with reference to the speech delivered by Edmund Burke. I
came to know so many new things about this topic. . I also thank Gyan Mandir; NLIU
officials for helping me find the research material appropriate for this study. I also wish to
extend my thanks to the authority of the university.

I would also like to thank my parents and friends who helped me a lot in finalizing the project
within the given time frame. I acknowledge that this project without support of my parents,
teachers, library staff and friends would not have completed.

Yours sincerely

Pragya Somkunwar

2021BALLB 117

CERTIFICATE

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This is to certify that the project titled ‘impeachment of Warren Hastings with reference to
the speech delivered by Edmund Burke” is a bonafied work submitted by PRAGYA
SOMKUNWAR. This project is an outcome of my own independent research endeavor and
has been carried out under the guidance of Prof. Dr. MUKESHSHRIVASTAV. Literature
relied on by me for the purpose of this project has been fully acknowledged.

Date –

Signature of professor Signature of student

ABSTRACT

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On February 18, 1788, Hastings was charged with "serious crimes and misdemeanors" before
the House of Lords. By the time the verdict was delivered eight years later, the peerage had
undergone 180 changes (in their capacity as jurors), and the Lord Chancellor (as judge), Lord
Thurlow, had been replaced by Lord Loughborough, a supporter of Hastings. Outside of the
courtroom, the French Revolution had shattered Europe's political and social roots, providing
Burke with a new antithesis to his political ideology.

Warren Hastings' impeachment and trial, which began in 1787 and ended in 1795 with the
former Governor-acquittal, General's attracted unprecedented attention to Indian affairs in
Britain. It also revealed – in tragic terms for Burke – the visual difficulties that come with
creating an emotional representation of India. The distant and unknown subcontinent simply
escaped the sympathetic imagination of most of his hearers, and the British public at large, or
was too easily displaced by objects closer to home. And nor favored the cause of Burke the
tremendous duration of the trial.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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QUOTE...............................................................................................................................i

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.................................................................................................ii

CERTIFICATE ................................................................................................................iii

ABSTRACT......................................................................................................................iv

REVIEW OF LITERATURE ..........................................................................................vi

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM…………………………………………….....................vi

HYPOTHESIS………………………………………………………………...................vi

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT …………………………………………..................vii

RESEARCH QUESTIONS …………………………………………………..................vii

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY......................................................................................vii

INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................1

WHAT IS IMPEACHMENT...............................................................................................2

LIFE OF WARREN HASTING...........................................................................................3

IMPEACHMENT OF WARREN HASTINGS..............................................………..........5

ABOUT EDMUND BURKE.......................................................…....................................8

BURKE'S SPEECH ON HEATING'S IMPEACHMENT....................................................9

RESULT OF IMPEACHMENT TRIAL............................................................................10

CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTIONS..............................................................................11

BIBLIOGRAPHY................................................................................................................12

REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

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1) The works of the right honorable Edmund Burke in 12 th volumes, volume the tenth,
London John C. NIMMO 14, King William street, strand, W.C MDCCCLXXXVII,
Speeches in the impeachment of Warren Hastings1:
This is an eBook which contains the works of Edmund Burke and in its 10 th edition it had
speeches of Edmund Burke in the impeachment trial of Warren Hastings. This helped me
so much in understanding content of the Edmund Burke in the impeachment of Warren
Hastings. Burke’s speeches and his views can be seen in his this work. The allegations
which arouse against Warren Hastings and charges are given in this EBook. So this
EBook is actually collection of some of his works and its 10 th edition contains his speech
on Warren Hastings’s impeachment.

2) P.J. Marshall, Rhodes Professor Emeritus of Imperial History, King's College,

University of London. Author of the Impeachment of Warren Hastings and others2:
This article states about the life of Warren Hastings and his ruling time as the Governor
General. It gives us the view about the journey of Warren Hastings from his birth to trial
of impeachment. It helped me in understanding the life of Warren Hastings in a better
manner.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

Warren Hasting’s trial of impeachment of was continued for 7 years. However, even after
such a long trial he was acquitted from every charge. The trial shows us a biased face of
British Government of that time which was partial and dishonest while making judgment.

HYPOTHESIS

1
The works of the right honorable Edmund Burke in 12 th volumes, volume the tenth, London John C. NIMMO
14, King William street, strand, W.C MDCCCLXXXVII, Speeches in the impeachment of Warren Hastings
2
P.J. Marshall, Rhodes Professor Emeritus of Imperial History, King's College, University of
London. Author of the Impeachment of Warren Hastings and others
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Warren Hastings was set free from every charge raised against him. Britishers had sympathy
for their own people and they supported him in setting free. There was injustice against
Indians by making him free from the charges.

OBJECTIVES OF PROJECT

1. To briefly know about Warren Hastings and Impeachment causes.

2. To understand the speech of Edmund Burke with reference to the Warren Hastings
impeachment.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1. What is the meaning of impeachment?

2. How many charges were against Warren Hastings?

3. What were the incidents and reasons which lead the trial of impeachment of Warren
Hastings.?

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

The project’s research methodology will be based on Scheme-B that is “Doctrinal

Approach.”Different books, articles etc are preferred. and reasons behind his trial of
impeachment.

INTRODUCTION

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Before stepping into the impeachment of Warren Hasting we should be aware about what
impeachment is. So generally the term impeachment is defined as the action of calling into
question the integrity or validity of something. In other words it is also known as charge of
misconduct made against the holder of a public office. Basically impeachment is a procedure
through which an administrative body tends to charges against a government official for
misconduct. We can say it a peculiar procedure which involves both political and legal
elements. However in some countries, this procedure is only applied or is only applicable
against the president of that country. We will discuss about impeachment and after that we
will also discuss the life of Warren Hastings. There were some reforms done by him in India
when he was the governor general of India. We will also see some main reasons and causes
which lead this impeachment process.

We will discuss a little about Rohilla war, Nand Kunar Case and Raja chait singh case as
well. Edmund Burkey played a very significant role in the impeachment trial of Warren
Hastings. He took four days to finish his charges against Warren Hastings. He brought around
22 charges against Warren Hastings, and even Warren Hastings once said that he was feeling
that he was the most culpable person in the world. Some of the actors also delivered the
speech in beginning of the trial. In this research project we will discuss the whole problem of
impeachment of warren Hastings. We will see that what were the allegations raised by the
Edmund Burke in his speech against the Warren Hastings. And in the end we will see that
what happened to the trial, why the charges raised against warren Hastings were dropped and
was releases free by the British parliament.

WHAT IS IMPEACHMENT?

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The word "impeachment" is likely to come from the Old French impeacher, which is derived
from the Latin word impeder, which means "to trap or ensnare by the foot" (pes, pedis). It has
modern French verb empêcher (to prevent) and modern English impede as analogues. It was
also identified (incorrectly) with derivations from the Latin impetere in mediaeval common
etymology (to attack).

Impeachment is defined as an act of calling into question the integrity or validity of

something. The term impeachment means the process followed in deciding the removal of a
person in a position from exercising all the powers and responsibilities that the position
demands. The entire process of removal is impeachment. In common law, impeachment is a
procedure used by a legislative body to deal with serious wrongdoing by a public official. In
an impeachment trial in the United Kingdom, the House of Commons acts as prosecutor and
the House of Lords act as judge. In India impeachment is used in two context, first
impeachment of president and second impeachment of judges of Supreme Court. The
president and judges, including the chief justice of the Supreme Court and the high courts,
may be impeached by parliament for their misconduct and violating the Constitution before
the term ends. A president in office will face no other punishment than impeachment if he or
she violates Article 361 of the Constitution.

However the process of impeachment may be varied from state to state. It generally refers to
the President, judicial judges, and other constitutional officers. Impeachment refers to an
accusation of corruption leveled against a public official in a country with a federal
presidential Constitutional republic government. In other words impeachment is the method
of bringing corruption allegations against a public official by a legislative body or other
legally appointed tribunal. It is a one of kind of process that is a combination of of political
and legal elements.

LIFE OF WARREN HASTINGS

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Warren Hasting was born in the year 1732 in Churchill, Oxford shire. His father was name
was penystone hasting and mother name was Hester Hasting. His family was poor and
gentleman. Despite warren Hastings family was being lack of wealth but his family had been
lords of the manor and patrons of living of Daylesford in direct line from 1281 until 1715 3. It
was forgo after there had been a considerable loss of family wealth due to support given to
Charles 1. Warren Hasting joined Westminster school where he met with very recognized
person's after that he joined British east India Company. He joined the company as a clerk
and from there he came to India in Calcutta 1750. His hard work and dedication give him a
promotion when he was sent to Kasimbazar in 1752. He was a member of the Calcutta
Council, Bengal's highest legislative body, from 1761 to 1764. He attempted to reform abuses
in the transit system during this period, especially the practise of British officials passing
private consignments free of duty, resulting in excessive fiscal burdens on the Mughul nabob
Mir Kasim and his subjects.Hastings' compromise proposal failed, and a brief war ensued,
resulting in Mir Kasim's defeat and the return of the former nabob, Mir Jaffier. Hastings
returned to England in 1764, but financial difficulties forced him to seek reemployment with
the Company, which appointed him to the Madras Council in 1769. He was elevated to the
governorship of Bengal two years later. He was an English statesman and was also the first
governor of presidency of Bengal or Fort William From 1772 to 1785 4. He was the head of
the supreme council of Bengal, and thus first de facto governor general of Bengal. Warren
Hasting was a competent, fair, and foresighted manager whose decisions firmly shaped and
established the future Anglo Indian relations, which were often contentious. His organization
scandal made him the target of impeachment and prosecution in the United Kingdom. His
organization's scandal also made him the target of impeachment and prosecution. He is
credited with laying the foundations of British Empire in the India with Robert Clive. He was
a reformer and activist with lot of energy. He led the east India company's native forces
against the powerful alliance of native states and the French from the the year 1779 to 1784 5.
He was found to be accused of corruption in the year 1787 and therefore impeached. But after
a long trial he was impeached in the year 1795. He was made a privy councilor in 1814. He
started his carrier as clerk in east India Company at Calcutta in 1750. He also became

3
www.encyclopedia.com
4
P.J. Marshall, Rhodes Professor Emeritus of Imperial History, King's College, University of
London. Author of the Impeachment of Warren Hastings and others

5
www.wikipedia.org

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resident of British India at Murshidabad. The first Anglo Maratha war and first Anglo
Mysore war were fought in his tenure. The regulation act of 1773 was also passed in his
duration. He supported Sir William Jones in the formation of Asiatic society of Bengal in
1785.

Hastings consolidated British power over native authorities, restored order to the province's
justice system, abolished Lord Clive's Mughul pension, and established a new, more effective
method for collecting land revenues, which was a major source of the company's financial
solvency, from 1772 to 1774.The English collectors were replaced with native officers with
demonstrated skills and skill because they were inexperienced and extortionate. By grouping
the districts and subordinating them to provincial councils run by non-Indian administrators,
six divisions were created.Like so many of Hastings' theories, this scheme was to become an
indelible part of the British rule in India.

Lord North's Regulating Act of 1773 divided India into three presidencies, each with one
governor-general, which Hastings retained from 1774 to 1784. Hastings was aided by a
newly formed council of five, three of whom were foreigners to India and were hostile to his
policies.With just one vote, Hastings' attempts to avoid further corruption and enact changes
were often overruled. His fellow councilors ultimately conspired against him, led by Sir
Phillip Francis, fabricating allegations of corruption and brutality that led to his
impeachment.Despite the opposition, Hastings led military expeditions to defeat the Marathas
conspiracy, which challenged Britain's imperial rule, quelled provincial revolts, continued his
financial reforms, and founded the Asiatic Society of Bengal and the Calcutta Madrisa, a vital
centre of Muslim culture.He also had to deal with the threat posed by Haidar Ali's sultanate,
which plotted insurgency against British rule with the help of the French and Dutch. Hastings
replaced the inept governor of Madras with the veteran militarist Sir Eyre Coot, who defeated
Ali's forces at Porto Novo, on his own authority.The rebels were chased out of the Carnatic
by a simultaneous naval operation (a region in southeastern India). Hastings signed the Treaty
of Salbai after Haidar Ali's death in 1782, which recognized British dominance in India and
calmed the situation in Madras.In December 1784, Hastings resigned his position and
returned to England on June 13 of the following year. Edmund Burke (working with
Hastings' enemies) filed impeachment charges against him in 1787. The prolonged trial,
which began in 1788 and ended in 1795, resulted in Hastings' acquittal, but it greatly

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damaged his reputation, destroyed his health, and cost him £50,000. Hastings advocated for a
peerage and a constitutional reversal of the impeachment in his later years, but none of these
things came to pass.

IMPEACHMENT OF WARREN HASTINGS

In 1787 warren Hastings was impeached in the parliament by Edmund Burley and andWighs
for administrative excess. Edmund Burley brought 22 charges against Warren Hastings. The
most important of them were related to the Rohilla war, case of Nand Kumar, the treatment of
raja chaitsingh of Benaras and the pressures on Begum of Oudh. At the bar of the House of
Lords, Edmund Burke, the English Demosthenes, charged Hastings, with the injustice and
crime and further more for the sake of humankind, the English country and the Indians
considered him as a destroyer of mankind. After a long trial whigh lasted till 1795, warren
Hasting was completely quitted. He also received the pension from the company and lived till
1818.

Between 1787 and 1795, the Parliament of Great Britain tried to impeach Warren Hastings,
the first Governor-General of Bengal. During his time in Calcutta, Hastings was accused of
misconduct, especially mismanagement and personal corruption.Edmund Burke led the
impeachment trial, which sparked a larger debate about the East India Company's position
and the empire's expansion in India. The trial became a debate between two fundamentally
opposing conceptions of empire: Hastings' focused on ideas of total dominance and conquest
in pursuit of the colonizer's exclusive national interests, and Burke's, of sovereignty based on
recognition of the rights of the colonized. For the Hastings, the British government's passing
of the Pitts India Act in 1784 was a rude shock and bitter disappointment. Warren Hastings
saw the prime minister's speech condemning the British government's policy in Bengal as a
sign of his personal character. In England, his name and image were tarnished, and he was
consequently lowered. As a result, in 1785, he resigned and left India.

CASE OF RAJA CHAIT SIGH OF BENARAS: .Originally, Raja Chet Singh of Banaras
was a feudatory of Oudh. Shuja-ud-daula transferred Banaras to the Corporation in 1775,
making Raja Chet Singh a vassal of the business. He had to pay the Company Rs. 22.5 lakhs
per year as a vassal. Hastings, on the other hand, demanded an additional 5 lakhs as a war

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levy. In 1778, this demand was made, and it was repeated in 1779 and 1780.Hastings, on the
other hand, demanded additional subsidies and levied a fine of Rs. 50 lakh. Hastings marched
against Raja and imprisoned him because he was unable to do so. Raja's Indian troops, on the
other hand, rebelled and killed several British soldiers. Despite this, Raja was deposed, and
his nephew was appointed Raja of Banaras, with annual tribute increased from 22.5 to 40
lakh rupees.Chet Singh's treatment has been criticised for a number of reasons. For starters, it
was a breach of the 1775 Treaty of Amity. Second, the Raja was subjected to unnecessarily
harsh treatment. Raja remained modest throughout, and only Warren Hastings was to blame
for his ascension. In conclusion, Hastings' conduct was unwarranted.

RAJA NAND KUMAR CASE: Nand kumar was a big Zamindar and an influential official
in the presidency of Bengal. He was loyal to the British Company and also known as Black
Colonel of the company. Nand Kumar gave a letter to the complaint against Warren Hastings
of bribery and corruption. Francis placed the letter before council in its meetings. Nand
Kumar was called before the counsel and declared charges leveled against Hastings were
proved right. Hasting was directed to deposit the amount of Rs 354105 in him Treasury
Company. Event made Warren Hasting a enemy of Nand Kumar and now he was locking for
an opportunity to show him down. Soon after Nand Kumar was arrested and charged for
conspiracy at the instance of Hastings. In order to bring further disgrace to Raja Nand Kumar
Hasting also manipulated another case of Forgery against him. Supreme Court sentenced
Nand Kumar to death under an act of British Parliament. In this way Warren Hastings
succeeded in getting rid of Nand Kumar through his friend Sir Elijah Impey who was the then
Chief Justice of Supreme Court. So the trial of Nand Kumar clearly indicated that S.C failed
to act with wisdom to impart justice to natives of India. Critics called execution of Nand
Kumar a judicial Murder. It was also called a scandalous travesty of decency.

PRESSURES ON BEGUMS OF OUDH: The mother and grandmother of Nawab Wazir of

Oudh were known as the begams of Oudh. Warren Hastings was in need of money the
Nawab Wazir of old used sum of money to the company. The nawab told that he would pay
the money if he was allowed to the Jagir and Treasures head by the begums of Oudh. By the
Treaty of chana of 1781 both the jaggies and Treasures were guaranteed to the pagans by the
Calcutta Council. Even though Hastings allowed the Nawab of order to take possession of
them. The navab hesitated to take action against his mother and grandmother but he was

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forced by Warren Hastings. the British to troops were sent to the place of Begum with the
money does securednavab paid the debttsof the company.

ROHILLA WAR: The tiny kingdom of Rohilkhand was ruled by Afghans or Rohillas at the
time. Rohil Khand wanted to become an independent kingdom after Aurangzeb's death, but
the Nawab of Oudh had taken it under his protection. The ruler of Rohil Khand, Hafiz
Rahmat Khan, consolidated his power and established a powerful and prosperous kingdom.
Marathas, on the other hand, had a thing for Rohil Khand.The Rohillas sought assistance
from the Nawab of Oudh because they were suspicious of their plans. The British also desired
that Rohil Khand be ruled by their friend, the Nawab of Oudh. If the Rohillas were threatened
by the Marathas, the Nawab decided to assist them. They will pay him Rs. 40 lakh in return
for his assistance.In 1773, the Marathas invaded Rohil Khand, but were forced to withdraw
without fighting due to the sudden death of Madhav Rao Peshwa. The Nawab of Oudh, on the
other hand, requested Rs. 40 lakh, which they agreed to pay, but Hafiz Rahman Khan
declined. The Nawab then asked the British for assistance in attacking Rohil Khand,
promising to pay for the army's expenses as well, he would also pay Rs 40 lakh to them.

Along with these case there were total 22 charges were put against Warren Hastings by
Edmund Burke and his trial was held in Westminster hall but finally he was acquitted
in the year 1795 from all charges.

ABOUT EDMUND BURKE

Edmund Burke was an economist, philosopher, and statesman from Ireland. Burke was born
in Dublin and served in the House of Commons of Great Britain as a member of parliament
(MP) for the Whig Party from 1766 to 1794 after moving to London in 1750 6. Burke believed

6
www.wikipedia.org

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in the value of religious institutions for the moral order and benefit of humanity, as well as
the importance of underpinning virtues with manners in society state.His views on natural
society were reflected in his book A Vindication of Natural Society. He chastised the British
government's treatment of the American colonies, especially its taxation policies. While he
opposed the attempt at independence, Burke supported the colonists' right to resist
metropolitan authority. His support for Catholic emancipation is recalled, the impeachment of
Warren Hastings from the East India Company, and his staunch opposition to the French
Revolution.

BURKEY'S SPEECH IN THE IMPEACHMENT TRIAL OF WARREN HASTINGS

Edmund Burke in the beginning of the speech asked that, the problem is not if the convict at
the bar will be found guilty or innocent, but whether millions of people will be unhappy or
happy. He asked the judges that you do not just make a decision but also you create a law.
For your Lordships will with out any doubt see, in the course of this case, that there is not
only a long, connected, series of wrongdoings, but also an equally connected system of
sayings and principles invented to explain them, upon which your Lordships must pass
judgment.He said that the whole law, nature, behavior, and character of future British
government in India will be determined by the judgment that you judges will make on India's
past transactions, which are also connected with those values.

Edmund Burke put forward that we have brought before your

Lordships the head, the chief, the captain-general in iniquity – one in whom are represented
and regulated all the frauds, crime, and oppression in India.Mr. Hastings was the first to
break through the service (of the East India Company) by establishing offices that were
superior in benefit to those gained by the highest gradation.He formed entire structures of
offices, and he filled them in the manner that best served his own views and intentions, so
that, in essence, the entire order, whatever value it had, was broken down and corrupted by
him7.He also took reference in his speech that in India, the East India Company is not the
British government. When the Turks made their way into China, when the Normans arrived
7
The works of the right honorable Edmund Burke in 12 th volumes, volume the tenth, London John C. NIMMO
14, King William street, strand, W.C MDCCCLXXXVII, Speeches in the impeachment of Warren Hastings

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in England, they did so as a party. In India, the Company does not exist as a country. They
are a republic, a state without people. They are a state solely made up of magistrates, country
being a kingdom of magistrates, it has a deep esprit de corps - the spirit of the body by which
they regard themselves as having a common interest, isolated both from the country that sent
them out and from the country in which they are, and where there is no regulation by
individuals who understand their language, manners, or can relate their conduct to the laws of
theSuch control does not exist in India.

These men, on the other hand, are sent to perform functions that would make a statesman in
this country tremble. Without any research, without any of the kind of practice that gradually
and insensibly moulds men into great leaders. Mr. Hastings has lamented his own condition
in particular in his de fence before the House of Commons. There was a lot to be sad
about.When we come to investigate his actions, we can see how far it forms an excuse for his
action. He was the head of that service for fourteen years, and there is not a single instance in
which he tried to detect wrongdoing or punish it, but the entire service, with its entire
enormity, slept, as it were, under his fear and protection.His fear of his ability to pick out
individuals and make a public example of them whenever he wished, and his safety if they
did not dare to step against him.

In his defense, he has claimed that actions taken in Asia do not have the same moral qualities
as actions taken in Europe. My lords, we categorically condemn that principle, we are to tell
your lordships that these gentlemen have invented a geographical morality scheme,Through
which men's duties in public and private circumstances are to be regulated not by their
relations to the great governor of the world, nor by their relations to men, but by climates,
degrees of longitude and latitude as if all virtues die when you cross the equinoctial line.

Mr. Hastings comes before your lordships not as a British Governor answering to a British
tribunal, but as a subahdar (Indian provincial governor), as a Pascha. He says: “I had an
arbitrary power to exercise; I exercised it. Slaves I found the people, slaves they are. They are
so by their constitution, and if they are, I did not make it for them. I was unfortunately bound
to exercise this arbitrary power and accordingly I did exercise it.

I accuse Mr. Hastings of destroying the entire structure of government by the six provincial
councils for private gain, which he had no right to do. I suspect him of accepting bribes from
Gunga Govind Singh (the Maharaja of Benares). I accuse him of robbing the citizens from

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whom he received bribes.I charge him with having fraudulently alienated the fortunes of
widows.

And last he accused him of taking orphans' lands and giving them to wicked people
under his control, as well as of destroying landed interests, cruelly harassing peasants,
burning their homes, seizing their crops, torturing and degrading their people, and destroying
the honor of the entire female race in that country.In the name of the English Commons,
Edmund Burke said that I charge Warren Hastings with all of this heinousness in this final
minute of my application to you.

RESULT OF THE TRIAL

From 1788 to 1795, all together for seven years, the impeachment process of warren Hastings
was continued. After giving a huge time for this trial warren hasting was still acquitted and he
was set free from all the allegations and charges. Even so this made great effect on his image
and reputation and he died with it. Edmund Burke was standing against his acquittal. He had
warned the Lords that it would be "to the perpetual infamy" of the House if they voted to
acquit and remained convinced of Hastings' guilt until his death in 1797.

CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTIONS

After going through the entire topic and every element related to the Impeachment process of
Warren Hastings we can say that his trial was not completely fair, in most of the charges he
was favored by the British government. The allegations arouse by Edmund Burke against him
and charges brought by him were completely denied by the judges. Despite Burke's
suggestion that Hastings will flee the country with the money he allegedly stole from India,
he was granted bail. The verdict of this trial gives us a clear hint about the type of justice
delivered by British Government at that time. If the charges are against any of the British
officer than there are very less chances that he will set free. We can also take the example of
General Dyer who was responsible for Jaliawalabagh Massacre was never given
imprisonment or any other punishment rather he was celebrated as a British Hero in British
Raj. Judges who were in opposition to the Hastings were removed and in placed of them

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supporter of Warren was placed in. Between 1787 and 1795, the Parliament of Great Britain
tried to impeach Warren Hastings, the first Governor-General of Bengal 8. During his time in
Calcutta, Hastings was accused of misconduct, especially mismanagement and personal
corruption. Edmund Burke led the impeachment trial, which sparked a larger debate about the
East India Company's position and the empire's expansion in India.The trial emerged into a
debate between two radically opposing conceptions of empire, one represented by Hastings,
focused on ideas of total control and conquest in pursuit of the colonizer's exclusive national
interests, versus one represented by Burke, of sovereignty based on recognition of the
colonized's rights. The case dragged on for seven years because the tribunal did not sit
continuously. Hastings was convicted by a large margin when the final verdict was delivered.
It has been described as "possibly the most famous, and certainly the longest, political trial in
the United Kingdom.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

 PRIMARY SOURCES
1. The works of the right honorable Edmund Burke in 12th volumes, volume the tenth,
London John C. NIMMO 14, King William street, strand, W.C MDCCCLXXXVII,
Speeches in the impeachment of Warren Hastings.
2. P.J. Marshall, Rhodes Professor Emeritus of Imperial History, King's College,
University of London. Author of the Impeachment of Warren Hastings and others
 SECONDARY SOURCES
1) www.britannica.com
2) www.wikipedia.org
3) www.encyclopedia.com
4) www.historydiscussion.net
5) www.cw.routledge.com
6) www.jstor.org

8
www.wikipedia.org

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