Creation of a port authority in nineteenth century British India: Organisational structure and administrative procedures in the Port of Calcutta

Abstract

The formation of an ‘Authority’ for port management in nineteenth century British India under a structural legal framework represented a watershed in the economic history of port management and sea-borne trade, one with far-reaching effects on both enterprise and the organisation of labour in the region. This ‘new’ authority structure started in the Port of Calcutta and was adopted for the ports of Bombay, Rangoon and other south Asian port cities. Using unpublished documentation collected from the archives of the first port authority established in British India, Bengal Legislative Council and the archival statistical information of trade and navigation from India Office, this research seeks to trace the genesis and evolution of bureaucratic procedures and organisational management, by anchoring research in the nineteenth century Calcutta port's policies and administrative framework. This article traces the development of the modern port authority structure and its internal administration, which can be found even today.