Who among the following British Governors-General enacted the Bengal Sati Regulation in 1829, declaring the practice of burning widows illegal and punishable by criminal courts?

💡 Solution & Explanation

Lord William Bentinck enacted Regulation XVII in 1829, abolishing Sati across British territories in India, largely propelled by the sustained social reform campaigns of Raja Ram Mohan Roy. Lord Cornwallis is remembered for introducing the Permanent Settlement and judicial reforms, Lord Wellesley expanded British hegemony through subsidiary alliances, and Lord Dalhousie enforced the Doctrine of Lapse. The abolition of Sati marked a significant milestone in colonial legislative intervention regarding social customs.