Thomas Munro and the Development of Administrative Policy in Madras 1792-1818

This book was originally published in 1966. The great territorial acquisitions made by the British in South India at the end of the eighteenth century called for an administrative system differing in many ways from that in use in Bengal. These changes influenced subsequent administrative practice not only in Madras but in the whole of British India. Although it had long been recognised that Thomas Munro was in part responsible for the changes, this was the first full study of how his ideas developed and how much they were his alone. Dr Beaglehole's study added greatly to the knowledge of the personality and ideas of one of the key figures in British India. The analysis of the controversy and discussion which took place at the time also provided an insight into the nature of British rule in India.

Frontispiece; Preface; Introduction; 1. Munro and Read in the Baramahal, 1792–1799; 2. The settlement of Kanara, 1799–1800; 3. Munro in the Ceded Districts, 1800–1808; 4. The home government, 1808–1814; 5. Munro as special commissioner, 1814–1818; Conclusion; Notes; Glossary; Bibliography; Index.

Dr Beaglehole gives a detailed chronological study of Munro's administrative career up to 1820, when he was appointed Governor of Madras. This 1966 book discusses the background to Munro's ideas on administration and shows that similar ideas came to be adopted by the East India Company's governing body in London.