Warren Hastings

Warren Hastings, an English statesman, was the first Governor of the Presidency of Fort William (Bengal), the head of the Supreme Council of Bengal, and thereby the first de facto Governor-General of Bengal from 1772 to 1785. He is credited along with Robert Clive for laying the foundation of the British Empire in India. He was an energetic organizer and reformer. In 1779–1784 he led the forces of the East India Company against a strong coalition of native states and the French. In the end, the well-organized British coalition held its own, while France lost her influence in India. In 1787, he was accused of corruption and impeached, but after a long trial he was acquitted in 1795. He was made a Privy Councillor in 1814.