The East India Company Act 1813, known as the Charter Act 1813, received royal assent on this day. It continued the British East India Company’s rule in India, but established the British crown’s sovereignty over India and ended the company’s monopoly, except in tea and opium trades.

The Act allotted funds for the improvement of literary and scientific knowledge and Indian literatures and allowed Christian missionaries to preach their religion
in India.

Earlier, the company had discouraged Christian missionary activity as it felt that it would make Indians react negatively to missionaries and affect the company’s trade prospects.

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