Cavendish-Bentink, William Henry

Lord William Henry Cavendish-Bentinck ( born William Henry Cavendish-Bentinck ; September 14, 1774 - June 17, 1839 , Paris ) - British statesman of the Bentink clan, Governor-General of India in 1828-1835. The son of the Prime Minister of the Duke of Portland .

William Henry Cavendish-Bentink
Governor General of India July 4, 1828 - March 20, 1835
Predecessor	William Butterworth Bailey (Acting)
Successor	Charles Metcalfe ( Acting )
Birth
Death
Father
Mother
The consignment
Education
Awards
Type of army
Rank
Battles
Place of work

At 29, Bentink was appointed Governor of Madras . When Indian soldiers rebelled in June 1806 because of orders to shave their beards and a ban on wearing turbans , Bentink, instead of withdrawing the controversial order, crushed the rebellion, which resulted in heavy losses. His behavior during the rebellion was deemed reprehensible, and he was recalled to Europe.

After that, he led the defense of Sicily from Napoleon , and, being a whig of the most liberal convictions, he achieved the removal of King Ferdinand , the expulsion of Mary Carolina of Austria and the adoption of an English-style constitution . His independent demeanor was troubling in London and Vienna , but in Italy he remained until the British landed in Genoa in 1815.

Upon returning to his homeland, he was elected to the British Parliament and refused to offer to return to the post of Madras governor. In 1828, he was appointed Governor-General of India, whose finances were at that time in a very upset condition. He saw his task in softening morals and enlightening minds on a Western liberal model. A prominent speaker and publicist, Thomas Macaulay , became his loyal ally in this matter.

The birth of the public education system in India is associated with the name Bentinka. He encouraged the use of English as a diplomatic language in the courts of local rulers instead of Farsi and Sanskrit , which contributed to the unity of the country under the British flag. He forbade the Hindu custom of sati ( self-immolation of the widow at the husband’s funeral pyre ), underage marriages and waged a decisive struggle against the Tug sect, which engaged in ritual killings and robberies.