Lord Cornwallis & Professional Cadre Reforms

The question asks about the specific Governor-General who introduced significant reforms to create a professional group of employees for the British East India Company, ensuring they received adequate salaries. This initiative aimed at improving the efficiency and integrity of the Company's administration in India.

Understanding the Need for Reform

Before the late 18th century, the British East India Company's administration often suffered from issues like corruption and inefficiency. The officials, often appointed through patronage, were sometimes poorly paid, leading them to engage in private trade and bribery. A major overhaul was needed to establish a more structured and accountable system.

Lord Cornwallis's Contribution

Lord Cornwallis, who served as the Governor-General of Bengal from 1786 to 1793, is widely credited with introducing crucial reforms that professionalized the Company's civil service.

• Establishment of a Professional Cadre: Cornwallis recognized the need for a dedicated and professional body of administrators. He implemented measures to ensure that positions within the Company were filled based on merit rather than solely on connections.
• Generous Salaries: A key aspect of his reform was providing generous salaries to the Company servants. The logic was straightforward: by offering a respectable income, officials would be less tempted by corruption and private enterprise, allowing them to focus on their official duties.
• Reorganization of Administration: He separated the judicial and commercial functions and reorganized the civil service, laying the foundation for the Indian Civil Service (ICS), often referred to as the "steel frame" of British India. This professional cadre was responsible for the day-to-day administration of the territories under Company rule.

Analysis of Other Options

• Lord Mayo: Known for financial decentralization and improving the census operations, but not primarily for establishing the professional cadre with generous salaries.
• Lord Dalhousie: Famous for his "Doctrine of Lapse" and administrative reforms like the introduction of the railways and telegraph, but the foundational professionalization of the civil service predates his tenure.
• Warren Hastings: An earlier Governor-General, Hastings made significant administrative and judicial reforms, but the systematic creation of a well-paid, professional civil service is more strongly associated with Cornwallis.

Conclusion

Therefore, Lord Cornwallis was the Governor-General who specifically focused on creating a professional cadre of company servants and ensuring they were compensated with generous salaries to combat corruption and enhance administrative efficiency during the British rule in India.