Governors General/Viceroys in India
Governors General/Viceroys in India
Governors General/Viceroys in India means the head of the British administration in India. In 1774 an office was started with name of Governor-General of Bengal or Governor-General of the Presidency of Fort William. In the year 1833 the designation Governors General of Bengal was changed to Governors General of India. The title Viceroy of India was added in 1858. But in the year 1947 the title of Governors General of India was abandoned during the independence of India. But this title existed up to India adopted republican constitution.
Here we have provided the list of Governors General of India. We hope this topic will help you in your Competitive examinations.
Name of Governor General | Duration | Important Points | |
Warren Hastings | 1774 – 1785 | Warren Hastings was the first governor general in India. Hastings elected as the governor general of Fort William (Bengal). Warren Hastings was accused of corruption for his wrong doings namely the war of Rohilla, Nand Kumar trial and execution, Raja Chaith Singh Case and Begums of Oudh. He was impeached in Britain in 1787. The trial went on for 7 years and he was acquitted in 1795. In 1814 Warren Hasting was made a Privy Councilor. | |
Lord Cornwallis | 1786 – 1793 | Lord Cornwallis Intorduced Permanent Settlement (Permanent Settlement of Bengal). It was an agreement between the Bengali landlords and the East India Company to raise fixed revenue from land lords for both agriculture and productivity. | |
Lord Wellesley | 1798 – 1825 | Lord Wellesley introduced Subsidiary Alliance rule. According to this rule rulers of India should agree to keep East India Company’s forces in their territory. State of the Hyderabad was the first to agree the Subsidiary Alliance. | |
Lord William Bentick | 1828 – 1835 | William Bentick was the first Governor General of India. He was designated in 1828. Bentick introduced English education. Outlawed SATI in India. |
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Lord Dalhousie | 1848 – 1856 | Dalhousie introduced the infamous ‘Doctrine of Lapse’. Started Railways and Telegraph to India. Named as the maker of modern India. |
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Lord Canning | 1856 – 1862 | Canning was the Governor General at the time of mutiny of 1857. After the Mutiny of 1857 Canning appointed as the first Viceroy |
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Lord Mayo | 1869 – 1872 | India’s Viceroy A convict killed him in Andaman Conducted census in India first (some territories not included) |
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Lord Lytton | 1876 – 1880 | In his time On 1 Jan 1877, Queen Victoria was proclaimed Kaisar-i-Hind in the Delhi durbar. | |
Lord Rippon | 1880 – 1884 | Rippon introduced the dual system of governance. Conducted first complete census of British Territories in 1881 Introduced Ilbert Bill in 1883 Rippon Known as Father of Local Self Government in India |
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Lord Dufferin | 1884 – 1888 | Indian National Congress was formed | |
Lord Curzon | 1899 – 1905 | Bengal Partition Swadeshi Movement lanched. |
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Lord Hardinge | 1910 – 1916 | Lord Hardinge changed the capital from Calcutta to Delhi in 1911. England King George V visited India in 1911 to attend Delhi durba. Rash Bihari Bose made and assassination attempt on Hardinge |
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Lord Chelmsford | 1916 – 1921 | The Jallianwala Bagh incident of 1919 Rowlatt Act Chelmsford reforms Khilafat movement |
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Lord Reading | 1921 – 1926 | Chauri Chaura incident. First time imprisonment of Mahatma Gandhi. |
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Lord Irwin | 1926 – 1931 | First Round Table Conference Simon Commission Gandhi Irwin pact Dandi March |
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Lord Willingdon | 1931 – 1936 | Second and Third Round Table Conferences Poona Pact between Gandhi and Dr.BR Ambedkar was signed in his tenure Communal award was given by British PM Ramsay Macdonald |
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Lord Linlithgow | 1936 – 1943 | Cripps Mission visited India Quit India resolution was passed during his period. |
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Lord Wavell | 1943 – 1947 | Cabinet mission Simla conference are done during his tenure |