The genesis of the Vakalatnama as we know today, was:

The Bengal Regulation VII of 1793 created for the first time, a regular legal profession in the Company's Courts. The Regulation was one "for the appointment of vakils or native pleaders in the Courts of Civil Judicature (Sadar Diwani Adalat) in Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. Only Muslims and Hindus could be enrolled as pleaders. The Regulation also provided for a Vakalatnama (a party would execute a Vakalatnama in favour of a pleader, authorizing him to represent the party, and act on his behalf in a matter). This was the genesis of the "Vakalatnama" as we know today.