Correct Option
Lord Cornwallis introduced significant administrative reforms, including the principle of 'separation of powers', with the Cornwallis Code of 1793. Prior to this, the District Collector held extensive powers, encompassing both revenue collection and judicial functions. Cornwallis perceived this concentration of authority in a single individual as undesirable and a potential source of arbitrary rule and abuse of power. The regulation of 1793, therefore, aimed to divest the District Collector of judicial powers, making them primarily a revenue collecting agent. Judicial functions were subsequently transferred to a new class of officials, the District Judges, thereby establishing a clearer division between executive and judicial branches of administration.
Incorrect Options
1) While an increase in revenue collection efficiency might have been an incidental outcome, the primary motivation behind the reform was the implementation of the principle of separation of powers and the curtailment of the extensive authority vested in the District Collector, rather than solely optimizing revenue collection.
2) The reform was not driven by a policy to restrict judicial power exclusively to Europeans or to assign only revenue collection duties to Indians. The fundamental objective was the division of powers to prevent abuse and ensure administrative accountability, irrespective of the official's origin.
4) The rationale for divesting the District Collector of judicial powers was not primarily based on a perceived lack of deep legal knowledge or training. Instead, it was a structural administrative reform aimed at limiting the concentration of authority by separating executive (revenue) and judicial functions to prevent the arbitrary exercise of power.