ADALAT SYSTEM

Background
• 1750 – Mughal Empire began to disintegrate
• Bengal Province –
a) Nazim-e-Subah (highest-criminal)
b) Darogha-e-Adalat-Diwani (local suits & Appeal in civil cases/ original &
appellate jurisdiction in revenue cases)
c) Darogha-e-Adalat-Aliah (all revenue work on behalf of the Diwan)

Districts – civil litigations

i. Qazi – transfer of property & inheritance matters/ murder cases/
ii. Zamindar –civil & common pleas
iii. Qanungo – revenue cases
• Middle of 18th Century – 3 presidencies
• Expansion – political activities – Mofussil
• New administration- Adalat system
• 1st Territorial acquisition of the Company – 1772 Adalat System
• Bombay & Madras

Calcutta –
• 1717 – Dastak
• 1755 – renovating – without permission- fugitives
• 1756 – Nawab Siraj-ud-Daula- misuse Dastaks
• Krishna Ballabh – Siraj ud Daulah (factory of Kasim Bazar)- Governor Drake
(avenge this defeat by force)
• 20th June 1756 – Siraj’s attack on Calcutta – Robert Clive from Madras
• Friendship with French
• Ahmad Shah Abdali’s attack – negotiation- Coup d’etat
• Toleration of tyrannical nawab - Disaffected faction (Jagat Seth brothers) –
conspiracy to replace
• Battle of Plassey ( June 1757) – Clive Vs Siraj – Fugitive captured & put to
death – Mir Jafar (puppet) – political supremacy – 1st Victory
• Battle of Buxar (1764) – English Vs Emperor of India – death blow – Clive as
Governor of Bengal & Commander in Chief of Company (1765) – Shah Alam
(Treaty & power)
• 1765 – Diwani of Bengal, Bihar & Orissa – 26 lakhs and 53 lakhs – Nawab (no
military forces)
• Dual system of governance –
i. Previously with Diwani Nawab performed
a) diwani – revenue collection & civil justice
b) Nizamat – military power & criminal justice
Mughal ruler (Diwani) while Nizamat by Nawab
iii. Nawab – administration of criminal justice & maintenance of law & order – lost real
powers
iv. For collection of revenue (EIC) – natives – not English
v. Civil justice & collection of revenue – native hands- supervision
vi. Mohammed Reza khan and Raja Shitab Roy- Company’s Diwan – Murshidabad
and Patna
vii. Dual government introduced by Clive
• Robert Clive’s policy of Diarchy

• Governor Verelst- New measures

• 1771 – Full charge of revenue
• 1772 – Warren Hastings – Governor of Bengal
• 15th August 1772 – Committee of Circuit –
Warren Hastings- regulate machinery of
Administration of justice (Warren Hastings
plan of 1772)
• Warren Hastings’ plan of 1772 –
1. Collector for each unit- Bengal, Bihar & Orissa
( districts) – unit for collection of revenue & for administration of civil & criminal
justice – collector in each district
2. Mofussil Diwani Adalat – civil justice – presided by District collector- civil cases –
real & personal property, inheritance, caste, marriage, debts etc – suit (Rs. 500)
• Sadar Diwani Adalat – court of superior jurisdiction- chief court of appeal- appeal
from all district Mofussil Diwani Adalats (Rs.500)
• Small Cause Adalat – Farmer of pargana- petty disputes – Rs. 10
• Mofussil Faujdari Adalat – criminal justice – collector
• Sadr Nizamat Adalat – Calcutta- Mofussil Faujdari Adalat- Darogha (chief officer by
Nawab)
Chief Qazi
Chief Mufti assisted Darogha
3 Maulvis
- Mofussil Faujdari Adalat – capital sentence
• Personal Laws safeguarded – Art 27 – Diwani Adalats – laws of Quaran & laws of
Shastras
 DEFECTS OF THIS PLAN

• More subordinate courts – population and area of districts

• Administrative/tax collection/ judicial – Collectors- civil judge & supervisor of criminal
courts – time and energy
 NEW PLAN

• 1774 - Provincial Councils – districts- appeals from decision of Mofussil Diwani Adalat
– 6 provincial councils- diwan to maintain accounts of revenue collections – English
collector - native superintendents (Naibs) – worked at courts of Diwani Adalats & civil
cases
• 1780- Warren Hastings- 6yrs – important change in judicial system
a) Seperation of revenue from administration of justice
- Calcutta
- Murshidabad
- Burdwan 6 provincial councils of revenue & provincial courts of
- Dacca Diwani Adalat – covenanted servants of company
- Dinajpur
- Patna
b) Provincial diwani Adalat – property including inheritance etc
c) Court fee was fixed – 2- 5% depending upon Valuation
Defects –
i. Number of courts
ii. Officers were not trained
iii. Worked on Honorary basis & made officers corrupt

Sir Elijah Impey & his contribution –

1. Sadr Diwani Adalat-deciding civil cases in appeal – Sir Impey as chief justice of Sadr
Diwani Adalat
2. 1780 – to regulate the procedure
- Only questions of personal laws will be referred to native law officers
- 1st Civil Code for administration of civil justice
3.1781- Number of Mofussil Diwani Adalats – 6-18
4. Judges of Diwani Adalat
5. Sadr Diwani Adalat – civil code –to hear appeal from Mofussil Diwani Adalat –
Rs.1000
6. System of keeping records of all courts