Abstract: The paper describes a distinctive style of colonial state-building that has tended to lie buried under later notions of the British civilization mission. In the second half of the 18th and the first half of the 19th century, theories of empire often justified British Rule in India by reference to enlightenment ideas about stage of civilization. An attempt of critical study is being made here to expose how the European ideas like Laissez-faire, Orientalism, Evangelicalism, Utilitarianism, and Humanism were simultaneously manipulated for both the notions of imperial colony-construction and social reform mission towards India.