Lord Hastings

History glossary

Also called: Marquess of Hastings, Lord Moira · Topic: Europeans in India and the Rise of Company Rule · NCERT: Beyond NCERT

Meaning

Lord Hastings (also called the Marquess of Hastings or Lord Moira) was Governor-General from 1813 to 1823. He greatly expanded British power in India. He followed a policy of paramountcy, which means the Company claimed to be the supreme power in India, standing above all Indian rulers. Under him, the Company became the master of most of the Subcontinent.

Example

Hastings fought the Anglo-Nepalese war (1814–16), which ended with the Treaty of Sugauli. He crushed the Pindaris, who were bands of raiders in central India. He then won the Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817–18). After it, the post of Peshwa (the Maratha chief minister) was abolished, and Peshwa Baji Rao II was sent to Bithur on a pension.

Don't confuse with

  • Warren Hastings: he was the first Governor-General of Bengal, from 1773 to 1785, decades earlier. He was a different person.

Related concepts

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