Q. Which of the following were the unintended or immediate evil effects of the Dual Government (1765–1772) in Bengal?
1.The complete decline of trade and industry in Bengal due to the unchecked monopolization of internal trade by the EIC’s private servants.
2.The systematic oppression of the peasantry as EIC agents maximized revenue collection with total disregard for the cultivators’ welfare, leading to widespread distress.
3.The abolition of the system by Warren Hastings was driven solely by a desire to install a more efficient Indian administrator in Bengal.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Answer: A
Notes:
Explanation:
- Statement 1 is correct. The EIC’s servants used their political power to enforce monopolies on critical items (like raw silk and salt) and misused the Dastak, destroying the independent business of Indian merchants and artisans.
- Statement 2 is correct. Since the EIC had the power to collect revenue (Diwani) but no responsibility for administration, its agents resorted to maximum extortion, devastating the agricultural sector and leading directly to the widespread suffering during the Great Bengal Famine of 1770.
- Statement 3 is incorrect. Warren Hastings abolished the Dual System in 1772 to centralize power and bring the revenue and administrative functions directly under the EIC’s control, thereby replacing the Indian administrators (like Muhammad Reza Khan) with English collectors, not just to appoint a better Indian administrator.
