The quote – "to make everything as English as possible in a country which resembles England in nothing" – was recorded by Sir Thomas Munro, a British administrator who served extensively in India, particularly in the Madras Presidency.
This quote was made in reference to Lord Cornwallis and his administrative reforms in India.
🧭 Who was Lord Cornwallis?
Governor-General of India (1786–1793).
Known for introducing the Cornwallis Code and Permanent Settlement of Bengal (1793).
A firm believer in British superiority, he sought to replace Indian customs, institutions, and practices with English models.
📜 Why is this quote associated with Lord Cornwallis?
Sir Thomas Munro, although also a British administrator, was more sympathetic to Indian institutions. He criticized Cornwallis' sweeping attempts to replace Indian systems with English ones. His remark was not necessarily praising Cornwallis but critiquing his approach.
Cornwallis:
Believed that Indians were unfit for higher office, and banned them from holding senior posts in civil administration and judiciary.
He replaced Mughal and indigenous systems of law and land revenue with British systems.
Attempted to create a class of Anglicized Indian society, educated in English, aligned with British values.
📘 Historical Evidence:
In Munro’s correspondence and reports, he contrasts his own more inclusive approach with Cornwallis’s rigid policies. Munro observed that Cornwallis was trying to impose a British template on Indian soil, without considering the socio-cultural differences — hence, the remark.
🧠 Why Not the Other Options?
Lord Bentinck: Known for social reforms like abolition of Sati (1829) and support for English education, but this quote doesn’t originate in his time or refer to his policies.
Lord Hastings: His rule focused more on expansion of British control and military conquests, not as ideologically focused on Anglicization.
Lord Wellesley: Known for Subsidiary Alliance and founding Fort William College; he promoted education but not with the radical Anglicizing intent attributed to Cornwallis.
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