Sir George Barlow
Sir George Barlow (1763-1846)
Background & Early Career: Bengal civilian who joined the Company’s civil service in 1778; worked under Lord Cornwallis as secretary of the board of revenue and played a pivotal role in executing the Permanent Settlement of Bengal (1788)
Acting Governor-General (October 1805 – July 1807): Appointed as provisional Governor-General after the death of Lord Cornwallis on 5 October 1805; held position until the arrival of Lord Minto in 1807
Administrative Philosophy: Known for his passion for economy and retrenchment; unique in being the only Governor-General who diminished British territorial area; his centralized, rigid administrative style suited Bengal’s bureaucratic structure but proved disastrous in Madras
Recognition & Honours: Created a baronet in 1803; appointed Knight Companion of the Order of the Bath (KB) in October 1806 in recognition of his services under Cornwallis, Shore, and Wellesley
Vellore Mutiny (10 July 1806) — Prelude to 1857
Historical Significance: First large-scale violent mutiny by Indian sepoys against the East India Company, occurring half a century before the Indian Rebellion of 1857; served as a warning sign of sepoy discontent
Primary Causes: Sir John Craddock, Commander-in-Chief of the Madras Army, issued orders (November 1805) prohibiting religious marks on foreheads (Hindus), requiring beard shaving and moustache trimming (Muslims), and mandating round hats resembling European headgear with leather cockade instead of traditional turbans; sepoys feared forced conversion to Christianity
Triggering Events: In May 1806, sepoys who protested these orders were sent to Fort St. George (Madras) and severely punished—two were given 90 lashes each and dismissed; nineteen others received 50 lashes; this severity inflamed resentment
The Revolt (10 July 1806): Midnight uprising in which sepoys seized Vellore Fort; 14 British officers and approximately 115 soldiers of the 69th Regiment were killed or wounded; mutineers raised the Mysore Sultanate flag and declared Tipu Sultan’s son Fateh Hyder as king
Contributing Factor: Presence of Tipu Sultan’s family (wife and children) imprisoned within Vellore Fort since their surrender at Seringapatam (1799) encouraged the rebellion; they actively instigated sepoy discontent
Suppression & Consequences: British relief force under Colonel Rollo Gillespie from Arcot subdued the mutiny within hours; approximately 350 Indian soldiers were killed (100 through summary execution, remainder in fighting); about 350 were wounded
Harsh Reprisals: British employed extreme punishments including tying convicted mutineers to cannon barrels and firing them; these brutal measures ironically deterred southern Indian sepoys from joining the 1857 Rebellion
Administrative Fallout: Alarmed British removed Tipu Sultan’s family to Calcutta; Lord William Bentinck (Governor of Madras) and Sir John Craddock (Commander-in-Chief) were both recalled
Bank of Calcutta (2 June 1806)
Establishment: Founded on 2 June 1806 as the first joint-stock bank in British India, sponsored by the Government of Bengal
Original Purpose: Established primarily to fund General Arthur Wellesley’s military campaigns against Tipu Sultan and the Marathas
Renamed: Bank of Bengal on 2 January 1809 after receiving its charter
Historical Significance: Precursor to the State Bank of India; tenth oldest bank in India
Innovation: Issued the first legal tender/currency notes in India in denominations ranging from 10 to 10,000 rupees; established the practice of limiting eight types of denominations in circulation at one time (practice continuing today)
Legacy: Merged with Bank of Bombay (1840) and Bank of Madras (1843) to form Imperial Bank of India in 1921, which was nationalized and rechristened State Bank of India in 1955
