The EIC's Forgotten Constitution: The Hastings Impeachment

In 1788, the most powerful man in British India, Warren Hastings, former Governor-General of the East India Company, stood trial before the House of Lords on charges of high crimes and misdemeanors. The impeachment, led by Edmund Burke, lasted seven years and became a landmark in the history of imperial accountability. This episode explores the charges against Hastings: his dealings with the Nawab of Awadh, the Rohilla War, and the notorious Cheyte Singh affair. It also examines the legal and moral arguments of the prosecution and defense, the role of the Company's directors in shaping policy, and how the trial reflected shifting British attitudes toward empire. We discuss key figures like Sir Elijah Impey, the Chief Justice of Bengal, and the complex legacy of Hastings—both as an imperial administrator and as the subject of history's first trial of a colonial governor. #WarrenHastings #EdmundBurke #Impeachment #EastIndiaCompany #HouseOfLords #RohillaWar #CheyteSingh #SirElijahImpey #NawabOfAwadh #Bengal #1788 #BritishHistory #ImperialHistory #Trial #ColonialIndia #GovernorGeneral #CompanyBahadur #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo