By a regulation in 1793, the District Collector was deprived of his judicial powers and made the collecting agent only. What was the reason for such regulation ?

Cornwallis’ 1793 reforms explicitly separated revenue administration from judicial functions and removed magisterial powers from the collector, confining him to revenue work. This reorganization aimed to curb the excessive concentration of administrative, fiscal and judicial authority in a single official and to establish an independent judicial hierarchy headed by trained judges, thereby reducing abuse and enhancing accountability [2]. The creation of separate district judges and a graded system of civil courts confirms the intent to divide powers rather than merely to improve revenue efficiency or to allocate tasks on the basis of local knowledge alone [1].

Sources

1. [1] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 17: Effects of British Rule > 17.5 Reforms in Civil and Judicial Administration > p. 269
2. [2] Modern India ,Bipin Chandra, History class XII (NCERT 1982 ed.)[Old NCERT] > Chapter 6: Administrative Organisation and Social and Cultural Policy > Judicial Organisation > p. 111