Lord Cornwallis India

While he failed in America, this British General went on to grand success in the other large colony of the time, India.

Lord Charles Cornwallis helmed British troops which fought against American freedom seekers in numerous battles in the Revolutionary War. Though he was an able general, Cornwallis’ British army could not defeat the French and American forces, most notably surrendering in the Battle of Yorktown, the last major fight in the American Revolution.

Cornwallis came to America in 1776 as a major general. By then, the Revolution was in full swing. By 1780, Cornwallis directed Britain’s entire campaign in the southern parts. Though he was initially successful, Cornwallis’ fortunes began to take a turn for the worse in January of 1781 after losing to Nathanael Greene’s forces in South Carolina. In August 1781, Cornwallis was based in Yorktown awaiting more British troops to bolster his army. But French and American soldiers cornered his forces and forced the British to surrender. This important victory heralded the Revolutionary War’s end.

Cornwallis went on to become the Governor General of India and then the Viceroy of Ireland. He passed away in 1805 and is buried in Ghazipur, India.

In his role in India, Cornwallis ran the East India Company and was key to establishing its ability to tax, rule and dominate much of the country during his tenure. Arriving in Madras (now Chennai) and Calcutta (now Kolkata) in 1793, Cornwallis quickly established himself as a transformational leader. The Cornwallis Code created the framework of land ownership, civil administration for taxation and policing, and a judicial system that embedded English natural law into the mores of Indian society. Historians and political scientist can still see the shadows of the Cornwallis Code in modern day India.