List of Governor Generals of India

List of Governor Generals of India: The Governor General of India was the highest British official in India, responsible for governing the country. Originally, this role was limited to the Presidency of Fort William. In 1833, the British Crown expanded the Governor General’s authority to include all British territories in India. This role was crucial for enforcing British laws and policies until India gained independence in 1947.

The Regulating Act of 1773 first established the position of Governor-General of Bengal, appointed by the East India Company’s Court of Directors. A Council of Four in India assisted the Governor General, and their decisions were binding. After the Indian Rebellion of 1857, Britain took direct control of both British India and the princely states. The Government of India Act of 1858 introduced the Secretary of State for India in London, supported by a Council of India. The Government of India Act of 1935 abolished the Council of the Governor-General of India, which had replaced the Council of Four.

Initially, the Governor General governed only the Presidency of Fort William. In 1833, the British Crown expanded the role to cover all British territories in India, renaming it Governor General of India. Now Let’s look at the list of Governor Generals of India and Viceroys of India and their main achievements.

List of Governor Generals of India Overview

British presence in India began with the East India Company, which received a Royal Charter from Queen Elizabeth I on December 31, 1600. Over nearly three centuries, Britain transitioned from a trading entity to one of the world’s most influential powers, establishing an empire so vast that it was said the “sun never set” on it. The British achieved this through a sophisticated bureaucratic system, extending their control in India through the roles of Governor-General and Viceroy.

Governor General of Bengal (1773-1833)

Initially, the East India Company controlled Bengal through the position of “Governor of Bengal,” with Robert Clive being the first to hold the post. However, the Regulating Act of 1773 restructured this role, creating the “Governor General of Bengal,” with Warren Hastings as the first. This act also placed the Governors of Bombay and Madras under the authority of the Governor General of Bengal.

Governor General of India (1833-1858)

The Charter Act of 1833 redefined the position to “Governor-General of India,” with William Bentinck as the first officeholder. This role focused on administrative tasks and reporting to the Court of Directors of the East India Company.

Viceroy of India (1858-1947)

Following the 1857 revolt, the British government took direct control, abolishing the East India Company. The Government of India Act 1858 renamed the Governor-General of India to “Viceroy of India,” appointed directly by the British government. The first Viceroy was Lord Canning.

List of Governor Generals of India

Below is a table summarizing the key details about the Governor Generals of India, including their terms of office and significant contributions:

Key Events During the Tenures of Governors-General & Viceroys

Name	Term	Key Events
Warren Hastings	1773-1785	Regulating Act of 1773 Pitt’s India Act of 1784 Rohilla War (1774) Maratha Wars Treaty of Salbai (1782) Second Mysore War
Lord Cornwallis	1786-1793	Third Mysore War (1790-92) Treaty of Seringapatam (1792) Cornwallis Code (1793) Permanent Settlement of Bengal
Lord Wellesley	1798-1805	Subsidiary Alliance System (1798) Fourth Mysore War (1799) Second Maratha War (1803-05)
Lord Minto I	1807-1813	Treaty of Amritsar with Ranjit (1809)
Lord Hastings	1813-1823	Anglo-Nepal War (1814-16) Treaty of Sagauli (1816) Third Maratha War (1817-19) Establishment of Ryotwari System (1820)
Lord Amherst	1823-1828	First Burmese War (1824-1826)
Lord William Bentinck	1828-1835	Abolition of Sati (1829) Charter Act of 1833
Lord Auckland	1836-1842	First Afghan War (1838-42)
Lord Hardinge I	1844-1848	First Anglo-Sikh War (1845-46) Treaty of Lahore (1846) Social reforms on female infanticide
Lord Dalhousie	1848-1856	Second Anglo-Sikh War (1848-49) Annexation of Lower Burma (1852) Doctrine of Lapse Wood’s Despatch (1854) First Railway Line (1853)
Lord Canning	1856-1862	Revolt of 1857, Establishment of universities in Calcutta, Madras, Bombay (1857) Abolition of East India Company (1858) Indian Councils Act (1861)
Lord John Lawrence	1864-1869	Bhutan War (1865) Establishment of High Courts at Calcutta Bombay, Madras (1865)
Lord Lytton	1876-1880	Vernacular Press Act (1878) Arms Act (1878) Second Afghan War (1878-80) Queen Victoria’s title as ‘Kaiser-i-Hind’
Lord Ripon	1880-1884	Repeal of Vernacular Press Act (1882) Factory Act (1881) Local self-government resolution (1882) Ilbert Bill controversy (1883-84) Hunter Commission on education (1882)
Lord Dufferin	1884-1888	Third Burmese War (1885-86) Establishment of the Indian National Congress (1885)
Lord Lansdowne	1888-1894	Factory Act (1891) Indian Councils Act (1892) Durand Commission (1893)
Lord Curzon	1899-1905	Police Commission (1902) Universities Commission (1902) Indian Universities Act (1904) Partition of Bengal (1905)
Lord Minto II	1905-1910	Swadeshi Movement (1905-11) Surat Split of Congress (1907) Establishment of Muslim League (1906) Morley-Minto Reforms (1909)
Lord Hardinge II	1910-1916	Annulment of Bengal Partition (1911) Transfer of capital to Delhi (1911) Establishment of Hindu Mahasabha (1915)
Lord Chelmsford	1916-1921	Lucknow Pact (1916) Champaran Satyagraha (1917) Montagu’s August Declaration (1917) Government of India Act (1919) Rowlatt Act (1919) Jallianwala Bagh massacre (1919) Non-Cooperation and Khilafat Movements
Lord Reading	1921-1926	Chauri Chaura incident (1922) Withdrawal of Non-Cooperation Movement (1922) Establishment of Swaraj Party (1922) Kakori train robbery (1925)
Lord Irwin	1926-1931	Simon Commission (1927) Harcourt Butler Indian States Commission (1927) Nehru Report (1928) Deepavali Declaration (1929) Lahore session of Congress (1929) Dandi March and Civil Disobedience Movement (1930) First Round Table Conference (1930) Gandhi-Irwin Pact (1931)
Lord Willingdon	1931-1936	Communal Award (1932) Second and Third Round Table Conferences (1932) Poona Pact (1932) Government of India Act (1935)
Lord Linlithgow	1936-1944	Resignation of Congress ministries (1939) Tripuri Crisis & Forward Bloc formation (1939) Lahore Resolution (1940) August Offer (1940) Formation of Indian National Army (1941) Cripps Mission (1942) Quit India Movement (1942)
Lord Wavell	1944-1947	C. Rajagopalachari’s CR Formula (1944) Wavell Plan and Simla Conference (1942) Cabinet Mission (1946) Direct Action Day (1946) Announcement of end of British rule (1947)
Lord Mountbatten	1947-1948	June Third Plan (1947) Redcliff Commission (1947) India’s Independence (August 15, 1947)
Chakravarti Rajagopalachari	1948-1950	Last Governor-General of India before the office was abolished in 1950

Detailed Overview of Each Governor Generals of India

1. Warren Hastings (1773-1785)
Warren Hastings was the first de facto Governor General of India. His major contribution was ending the Dual Government system through the Regulating Act of 1773. He established judicial authority for Zamindars and set up civil and criminal courts in districts, laying the groundwork for British administration in India.

2. Sir John Macpherson (1785-1786)
Sir John Macpherson served as the Acting Governor General for a brief period. His tenure was short, and he primarily continued the policies of his predecessors without introducing significant changes.

3. Lord Cornwallis (1786-1793)
Lord Cornwallis was notable for his reforms within the East India Company. His significant achievements include the Cornwallis Code, which introduced the Permanent Settlement of Bengal, reforming land taxation and administration.

4. Sir John Shore (1793-1798)
Sir John Shore is remembered for his policy of non-intervention. His tenure saw the introduction of the Charter Act of 1793 and was marked by minimal conflict, with the most notable event being the Maratha invasion on the Nizam.

5. Lord Wellesley (1798-1805)
Lord Wellesley expanded British influence in India with the Subsidiary Alliance system, which helped the British control Indian rulers more effectively. He is also known for founding a college in Calcutta, which laid the foundation for the Indian Civil Services.

6. Sir George Barlow (1805-1807)
Sir George Barlow’s term is remembered for his focus on economy and retrenchment. He is the only Governor General who reduced British territory during his tenure. The Vellore Mutiny occurred under his rule, highlighting growing unrest among Indian soldiers.

7. Lord Minto I (1807-1813)
Lord Minto I was an experienced politician who signed the Amritsar Treaty with Maharaja Ranjit Singh and introduced the Charter Act of 1813. His efforts were focused on consolidating British power and engaging in diplomatic relations.

8. Lord Hastings (1813-1823)
Lord Hastings is known for his aggressive policies and expansionist strategies. He abolished John Shore’s non-intervention policy, ended newspaper controls in Madras, and introduced the Ryotwari and Mahalwari systems. His tenure included significant conflicts like the Third Anglo-Maratha War.

9. Lord Amherst (1823-1828)
Lord Amherst’s tenure was marked by territorial expansion, including the acquisition of Assam and involvement in the First Burmese War. The Barrackpur Mutiny also occurred during his administration, reflecting growing discontent among Indian soldiers.

10. Lord William Bentinck (1828-1835)
Lord William Bentinck is celebrated for his social reforms, including the abolition of Sati, prohibition of female infanticide and Thuggee, and promotion of English as a teaching language. His reforms had a lasting impact on Indian society.

11. Sir Charles Metcalfe (1835-1836)
Sir Charles Metcalfe, though his term was brief, was instrumental in continuing the reforms initiated by Lord Bentinck. He abolished the restrictive press licenses and encouraged the free press, contributing to a more open society.

12. Lord Auckland (1836-1842)
Lord Auckland focused on educational and commercial improvements. However, his term was overshadowed by the First Anglo-Afghan War, which damaged British prestige and led to significant military and political challenges.

13. Lord Dalhousie (1848-1856)
Lord Dalhousie is remembered for his extensive administrative and infrastructural reforms. He established the Lapse Doctrine, led the conquest of various princely states, and inaugurated the first railway line in India, enhancing connectivity and development.

MCQ Quiz: Test Your Knowledge on the List of Governor Generals of India

Here are 10 MCQ-based questions related to the Governors-General and Viceroys of India:

Q1. Who was the first Governor General of India?

A) Lord William Bentinck
B) Warren Hastings
C) Lord Canning
D) Robert Clive
Answer: B) Warren Hastings

Q2. Who was the last Governor General of India before the office was abolished?

A) Lord Mountbatten
B) Chakravarti Rajagopalachari
C) Lord Wavell
D) Lord Linlithgow
Answer: B) Chakravarti Rajagopalachari

Q3. Who was the first Governor General of Bengal?

A) Robert Clive
B) Warren Hastings
C) Lord Cornwallis
D) Lord Wellesley
Answer: A) Robert Clive

Q4. Who held the dual position of Governor General and Viceroy of India?

A) Lord Canning
B) Lord Mountbatten
C) Lord Wavell
D) Warren Hastings
Answer: A) Lord Canning

Q5. Who was the second Governor General of India?

A) Lord Cornwallis
B) Lord Wellesley
C) Warren Hastings
D) Lord Minto I
Answer: A) Lord Cornwallis

Q6. Who was the first Governor General of India after independence?

A) Lord Mountbatten
B) Chakravarti Rajagopalachari
C) Jawaharlal Nehru
D) Dr. Rajendra Prasad
Answer: B) Chakravarti Rajagopalachari

Q7. Who was the last British Governor-General and the first Viceroy of India?

A) Lord Canning
B) Lord Mountbatten
C) Lord Dalhousie
D) Lord Wavell
Answer: A) Lord Canning

Q8. Who succeeded Lord William Bentinck as the Governor-General of India?

A) Lord Auckland
B) Lord Amherst
C) Lord Hardinge I
D) Lord Hastings
Answer: A) Lord Auckland

Q9. Who was the Governor-General of India during the First Anglo-Afghan War?

A) Lord Auckland
B) Lord William Bentinck
C) Lord Ellenborough
D) Lord Hardinge I
Answer: A) Lord Auckland

Q10. Who was the Governor-General of India during the Revolt of 1857?

A) Lord Canning
B) Lord Dalhousie
C) Lord Lytton
D) Lord Ripon
Answer: A) Lord Canning

Also Check:

Conclusion

The role of the Governor General evolved significantly over time, transitioning from a position of administrative control to one that symbolized the British Crown’s authority in India. The Governor General’s office was eventually replaced by the title of Viceroy following the Government of India Act of 1858, marking a new phase in India’s colonial history.

List of Governor Generals of India FAQs

Who is the 1st Indian Governor General of India?

The first Indian to serve as Governor-General of India was C. Rajagopalachari, who served from 1948 to 1950. He was the last Governor General of independent India and the first Indian to hold the office.

Who was the Governor General of India from 1813 to 1823?

The Governor-General of India from 1813 to 1823 was Lord Hastings. He is known for his administrative reforms and efforts to consolidate British control in India during his tenure.

Who was the first Viceroy?

The first person to hold the position of Viceroy of India was Lord Canning. He assumed office in 1858 following the Indian Rebellion of 1857, marking the beginning of direct British rule over India by the C

Who is the longest Governor General of India?

Lord Linlithgow was the individual who held the role of Governor General and Viceroy of India for the longest period. He held the office from 1936 to 1944, serving a tenure of 8 years. His extended period in office makes him the longest-serving official in this role.