News about Lord William Bentinck

Lord William Bentinck (1774-1839), Bengal's first Governor General from 1828 to 1835, has reportedly tried to dismantle the Taj Mahal and sell it off for profit, according to a persistent legend. Bentinck was a pioneer of his day. He made major social and educational reforms in India and dropped flogging as a punishment in the Indian Army. He is best known for prohibiting the use of suttee, the immolation of a Hindu widow on her deceased husband's funeral pyre in 1829. On his first day as governor, his greatest challenge was to save money. In 1828, he became extremely unpopular with the introduction of The Half Batta Order. While on service away from the garrison, the Batta was an allowance paid to soldiers of the East India Company to buy field equipment and other expenses.