---
title: "Lord Cornwallis: Governor-General of Bengal | Model Diplomat"
description: "Lord Cornwallis was the Governor-General of Bengal (1786-1793) who introduced the Permanent Settlement and reformed British India's civil service."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/lord-cornwallis"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- Lord Cornwallis was Governor-General of Bengal from 1786 to 1793 who introduced the Permanent Settlement and reorganised the civil service and judiciary of British India.
- Why is Lord Cornwallis called the 'father of civil services in India'?
- What was the 'Sunset Law' under the Permanent Settlement of 1793?
- What did the Treaty of Seringapatam (1792) achieve for Cornwallis?
- How did the Cornwallis Code of 1793 reform the judiciary?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

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In 1793, Lord Cornwallis enacted the Permanent Settlement in Bengal, fixing zamindars' land revenue in perpetuity and auctioning estates of those who defaulted before sunset under the 'Sunset Law'.

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