---
title: "William Bentinck: Governor-General of India | Model Diplomat"
description: "William Bentinck was Governor-General of India from 1828 to 1835, known for abolishing sati and promoting English in higher education."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/william-bentinck"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- Lord William Bentinck was Governor-General of India from 1828 to 1835, remembered chiefly for the abolition of sati in 1829 and the introduction of English as the medium of higher education.
- In which year did Bentinck abolish sati and under what instrument?
- What was Bentinck's role in the English Education Act of 1835?
- How did Bentinck suppress thuggee?
- What constitutional change occurred during Bentinck's governorship?

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

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## Timeline

1. 4 December 1829

   Bentinck's most celebrated measure was Regulation XVII of , which declared the practice of sati (widow-burning) illegal and punishable by the criminal courts…

2. 2 February 1835

   In the domain of education, Bentinck endorsed Thomas Babington Macaulay's Minute on Education of , and his government's English Education Act / Resolution of…

3. 7 March 1835

   In the domain of education, Bentinck endorsed Thomas Babington Macaulay's Minute on Education of 2 February 1835, and his government's English Education Act…

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In December 1829, Governor-General Lord William Bentinck enacted Regulation XVII abolishing sati in the Bengal Presidency, supported by reformer Raja Rammohan Roy, who defended the measure before the Privy Council in London.

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