India Under Hastings

"India Under Hastings" by G. W. Forrest is a meticulously researched historical account of Warren Hastings’s tenure as Britain’s first Governor-General in India (1773–1785). Relying heavily on archival materials, Forrest reconstructs the administrative overhaul Hastings implemented—abolishing the Dual System, reforming revenue, justice, and trade, and laying foundations for centralized colonial governance. The book also encompasses Hastings’s diplomatic and military engagements, including the wars with Mysore and the Marathas. Through detailed documentation, Forrest highlights both Hastings's accomplishments and the seeds of later imperial challenges.