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growth of an empire. But it forms an epoch in administrativereform, and in the benign process by which a subject popula-tion is won over to venerate as well as to obey its alienrulers. The modern history of the British in India , as bene-volent administrators, ruling the country with an eye to thegood of the natives, may be said to begin with Lord William Bentinck . According to the inscription upon his statue atCalcutta , from the pen of Macaulay : ‘ He abolished cruelrites; he effaced humiliating distinctions ; he gave liberty tothe expression of public opinion; his constant study was toelevate the intellectual and moral character of the nations com-mitted to his charge.’
Lord William Bentinck ’s first care on arrival in India was to Hisrestore equilibrium to the finances, which were tottering underthe burden imposed upon them by the Burmese war. This heeffected by three series of measures—first, by reductions inpermanent expenditure, amounting to ij millions sterling ayear; second, by augmenting the revenue from lands whichhad surreptitiously escaped assessment; third, by duties onthe opium of Malwa. He also widened the gates by whicheducated natives could enter the service of the Company.
Some of these reforms were distasteful to the covenantedservice and to the officers of the army. But Lord "William wasstaunchly supported by the Court of Directors and by theWhig Ministry at home.
His two most memorable acts are the abolition of sail, or Abolitionwidow-burning, and the suppression of the thags. At thisdistance of time, it is difficult to realize the degree to whichthese two barbarous practices had corrupted the social systemof the Hindus . European research has clearly proved thatthe text in the Vedas adduced to authorize the immolationof widows, was a wilful mistranslation. 1 But the practice hadbeen enshrined in Hindu opinion by the authority of cen-turies, and had acquired the sanctity of a religious rite. TheEmperor Akbar prohibited it, but failed to put it down. Theearly English rulers did not dare to violate the religioustraditions of the people. In the year 1817 no less than 700widows are said to have been burned alive in the BengalPresidency alone. To this day, the holy spots of Hindu pilgrimage are thickly dotted with little white pillars, eachcommemorating a sati. In spite of strenuous opposition, bothfrom Europeans and natives, Lord William Bentinck carried aRegulation in Council on the 4th December 1829, by which1 Vide ante, chap. iv. pp. 1x9, 120.