Dual Government in Bengal, 1765-72
Modern History › British Conquest of Bengal · Topic 4.7
After Buxar, Robert Clive set up dual government in Bengal: the Company held the Diwani (revenue) and, through its deputy subahdar, the nizamat (police and justice), while the Nawab kept the form of rule. It ended in administrative breakdown, and Warren Hastings abolished it in 1772.
6 min read · UPSC Prelims · History · British Conquest of Bengal
At a Glance
- What it is The system of two rulers in Bengal, the Company and the Nawab
- Years 1765-72
- Introduced by Plassey…">Robert Clive
- Ended by Warren Hastings, 1772
- Exam link UPSC Prelims, Modern History: British Conquest of Bengal
Where Does It Fit?
This is the seventh topic of the category on the British conquest of Bengal. The previous topic described Buxar and the Diwani. This topic shows how the Company used that grant. The last topic of the category assesses Robert Clive. Previous topic: Battle of Buxar, 1764 and the Treaty of Allahabad, 1765.
What Was Dual Government?
After the battle of Buxar the East India Company became the real master of Bengal. Robert Clive introduced the dual system of government, the rule of two, the Company and the Nawab, in Bengal. Both the diwani, that is, collecting revenue, and the nizamat, that is, police and judicial functions, came under the control of the Company.
The Company exercised diwani rights as the diwan and nizamat rights through its power to nominate the deputy subahdar. It acquired the diwani functions from the emperor, as set out in Battle of Buxar, 1764 and the Treaty of Allahabad, 1765, and the nizamat functions from the subahdar of Bengal.
| Function | Who held it in form | Who controlled it in fact |
|---|---|---|
| Diwani (revenue) | The Company as diwan | The Company, through deputy diwans |
| Nizamat (police and justice) | The Nawab | The Company, through its power to nominate the deputy subahdar |
| Army | The Nawab | The Company |
Why Did the System Suit the Company?
The system held a great advantage for the Company. It left the appearance of authority to a puppet Indian ruler while keeping sovereign power in the hands of the Company. The Nawab was responsible for maintaining peace and order, but he depended for funds and forces upon the Company, because the latter controlled the army and the revenues.
- Power without responsibility The Company took the revenue and left the Nawab to keep order
- Little local resistance (an inference) The Nawab’s name may have kept Indian officials and zamindars loyal
- Indian deputies (an inference) Indian deputy diwans did the work, so fewer Company servants were needed
Who Ran the Diwani Work?
For the diwani functions the Company appointed two deputy diwans: Mohammad Reza Khan for Bengal and Raja Sitab Roy for Bihar. Mohammad Reza Khan also acted as deputy nazim, or deputy subahdar. The Company thus worked through Indian officials.
What Went Wrong?
The dual system led to an administrative breakdown and proved disastrous for the people of Bengal. Neither the Company nor the Nawab cared for administration and public welfare. The Company took revenue but did not accept the duty to govern, while the Nawab had the duty but no money or forces.
As an analytical point, responsibility and power were separated, which is usually the root of misrule. Officials who collected revenue answered to a distant Company, and officials who kept order answered to a Nawab with no means.
How Did Clive’s Arrangements Fit Together?
Dual government was one part of a wider settlement. Clive did not annex Awadh, because that would have burdened the Company with a long land frontier, and he turned it into a buffer state. He made the Mughal emperor a useful rubber stamp, whose farman legalised the Company’s gains. In Bengal he kept the Nawab as a puppet so that sovereign power stayed with the Company while the burden of public order fell on others. As an analytical point, all three steps follow one idea: take the revenue and the control, and avoid the cost and risk of direct rule.
How Did It End?
Warren Hastings did away with the dual system in 1772. The next stage of Company rule in Bengal, with direct administration of the revenue and of justice, is part of the later study of administration under the Company. For the legal framework of that period, see Regulating Act, 1773.
| Year | Step |
|---|---|
| 1764 | Battle of Buxar |
| 1765 | Treaty of Allahabad; the Company gets the Diwani; dual government begins |
| 1772 | Warren Hastings ends dual government |
Why Is This Topic Important?
- Core administration topic The dual system is a standard Mains and Prelims question on Company rule
- Direct facts The names of the deputy diwans and the year of abolition are asked in Prelims
- Link to the Polity series It leads into the first Acts that regulated Company rule
What Came Next?
The next topic assesses Robert Clive, the man who built the system and the Company’s early power in Bengal. Next topic: Robert Clive: Role and Assessment.
Key People and Terms
- Dual government The system where the Company and the Nawab shared rule in Bengal
- Diwani The right to collect revenue
- Nizamat The functions of police, justice and defence
- Deputy diwan An Indian officer who did the revenue work for the Company
- Naib-subahdar The deputy governor of Bengal, appointed or dismissed by the Company
- Puppet ruler A ruler with the form but not the substance of power
Exam Corner
Points to Remember
- Dual government: 1765-72, introduced by Clive.
- Deputy diwans: Mohammad Reza Khan (Bengal) and Raja Sitab Roy (Bihar).
- Mohammad Reza Khan also acted as deputy nazim.
- Abolished by Warren Hastings in 1772.
- It was disastrous for the people of Bengal.
Do Not Confuse With
- Diwani and nizamat Diwani was revenue; nizamat was police and justice
- Mohammad Reza Khan and Raja Sitab Roy Reza Khan for Bengal, Sitab Roy for Bihar
- Dual government and Dyarchy Dual government was in Bengal in 1765-72; dyarchy came in provinces under the 1919 Act
Memory Hook
Revenue with the Company, duty with the Nawab, and misery for the people.
Mains Angle
Questions ask for the nature, merits and failure of dual government. These points add depth.
- Power without responsibility The Company controlled revenue and force but avoided the duty of governing
- Cost to the people Misgovernment and breakdown hit the peasants and artisans of Bengal
- Stepping stone The system was a transition from a trading company to a ruling one
A Question You May Face
An original practice question, not a past paper question.
“Examine the nature of Clive’s dual government in Bengal and the reasons for its failure.”
How to Answer
- Describe Diwani and nizamat with the Company, form with the Nawab.
- Advantage Power without responsibility.
- Failure Administrative breakdown and the suffering of the people.
- Conclude Say that Hastings abolished it in 1772.
GS Relevance
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the dual government of Bengal?
Dual government was the system introduced by Robert Clive in Bengal from 1765 to 1772, in which the Company and the Nawab shared rule. The Company held the diwani, or revenue collection, and through its deputy subahdar controlled the nizamat, or police and judicial functions.
Why did dual government favour the Company?
Dual government left the appearance of authority to a puppet Indian ruler while keeping the sovereign power with the Company. The Nawab had to maintain peace and order but relied on the Company for funds and forces, since it controlled both the army and the revenue.
Who were the deputy diwans under dual government?
The Company appointed two deputy diwans for the diwani functions: Mohammad Reza Khan for Bengal and Raja Sitab Roy for Bihar. Mohammad Reza Khan also acted as deputy nazim, or deputy subahdar, which gave him part of the nizamat as well.
Why did dual government fail?
Dual government failed because neither the Company nor the Nawab cared for administration and public welfare. The Company collected the revenue without accepting the duty to govern, and the Nawab had the duty without the funds or forces, so the administration broke down.
Who abolished dual government in Bengal?
Warren Hastings abolished the dual system in 1772, after it had led to an administrative breakdown that proved disastrous for the people of Bengal. The Company then took the administration of Bengal into its own hands.
How did the Company get the diwani and nizamat functions?
The Company acquired the diwani functions from the Mughal emperor Shah Alam II through the farman of 1765, and the nizamat functions from the subahdar of Bengal. This gave it control over both revenue and police and judicial administration.
PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis
1 Dual government in Bengal was introduced by Robert Clive.
It lasted from 1765 to 1772.
2 Under dual government, the Company controlled the diwani and the nizamat in practice.
The Nawab kept only the form of rule.
3 Raja Sitab Roy was the deputy diwan for Bengal.
He was the deputy diwan for Bihar; Mohammad Reza Khan was for Bengal.
4 Dual government proved beneficial to the people of Bengal.
It led to an administrative breakdown.
5 Warren Hastings abolished dual government in 1772.
The Company then took over the administration directly.
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