Company Raj: The Seeds of the Modern Indian Legal System
# Company Raj: The Seeds of the Modern Indian Legal System **How British East India Company rule shaped India's courts, laws, and judicial institutions** The modern Indian legal system has deep historical roots in the British East India Company's rule. Initially established for trade in 1600, the Company gradually became a political and territorial power, especially after the Battles of Plassey (1757) and Buxar (1764). As its control expanded, the Company needed courts, legal procedures, and regulations to administer territories, collect revenue, and maintain authority. These developments laid important foundations for India's modern legal system. ## 1. Beginning of Colonial Legal Administration Before British rule, India already had diverse legal traditions, including local customs, royal courts, Hindu and Islamic legal practices, and village institutions. The Company did not introduce law to India for the first time. Instead, it reorganized existing systems and gradually ...