By which Act of the British Parliament was the supreme authority in India transferred from the East India Company to the British Crown, bringing India directly under imperial rule?

Introduction / Context:
For nearly two centuries, the East India Company served as the main agent of British expansion in India. However, the uprising of 1857 and growing criticism of company rule led the British government to reorganise its control over India. A key Act of Parliament formally ended the company governance and transferred authority to the British Crown, shaping the political structure of colonial India for many decades.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The question asks about the Act that transferred supreme authority from the East India Company to the British Crown.

• Options list the Regulating Act of 1773, Pitt India Act of 1784, Charter Act of 1833, and Government of India Act of 1858.

• Earlier Acts attempted to regulate company rule, but only one ended that rule entirely.

• The context includes the period after the events of 1857 in India.

Concept / Approach:
The Government of India Act of 1858 is the Act that formally dissolved the East India Company administrative role and transferred governance to the British Crown. It provided for a Secretary of State for India and a council in London, and it made the British monarch the formal sovereign of British India. Earlier Acts, such as the Regulating Act and Pitt India Act, regulated and supervised company rule but did not eliminate it.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that the uprising of 1857 led the British government to reconsider how India was governed. Step 2: Remember that in 1858 the British Parliament passed the Government of India Act, which abolished the company system of governance. Step 3: Note that this Act vested authority over India in the British Crown, acting through a Secretary of State for India. Step 4: Compare this with the Regulating Act of 1773 and Pitt India Act of 1784, which mainly reformed and supervised the East India Company without ending its control. Step 5: Recognise that the Charter Act of 1833 introduced important changes but again did not fully transfer authority to the Crown in the way the 1858 Act did.

Verification / Alternative check:
Indian history textbooks consistently state that the Government of India Act of 1858 marked the formal end of East India Company rule. The Act declared that India would be governed in the name of the British Crown and set up new administrative structures. Descriptions of the earlier Acts highlight them as steps in regulating company conduct but not as complete transfers of power. This confirms that the 1858 Act is the correct choice for this question.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• The Regulating Act of 1773 introduced the post of Governor General and imposed some regulation on the company but left overall authority with the company.

• Pitt India Act of 1784 created a Board of Control to supervise the company more directly, yet did not end company rule.

• The Charter Act of 1833 attempted to reorganise company activities, including trade and governance, but did not transfer full authority to the Crown.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes confuse the many different Acts and may think that any important sounding Act could have transferred power to the British Crown. To avoid this, it is helpful to link 1857 with the uprising and 1858 with the Government of India Act that ended the company era and began direct Crown rule. Remembering this timeline makes it easier to select the correct Act in exam questions.

Final Answer:
The transfer of authority from the East India Company to the British Crown took place under the Government of India Act of 1858.