List of governors-general of India

The Regulating Act of 1773 created the office with the title of Governor-General of the Presidency of Fort William, or Governor-General of Bengal to be appointed by the Court of Directors of the East India Company (EIC). The Court of Directors assigned a Council of Four (based in India) to assist the Governor General, and decision of council was binding on the Governor General during 1773-1784.

The Saint Helena Act 1833 (or Government of India Act 1833) re-designated the office with the title of Governor-General of India.

After the Indian Rebellion of 1857, the company rule was brought to an end, and the British India along with princely states came under the direct rule of the British Crown. The Government of India Act 1858 created the office of Secretary of State for India in 1858 to oversee the affairs of India, which was advised by a new Council of India with 15 members (based in London). The existing Council of Four was formally renamed as the Council of Governor General of India or Executive Council of India. The Council of India was later abolished by Government of India Act 1935.

Following the adoption of the Government of India Act of 1858, the Governor-General as representing the Crown became known as the Viceroy. The designation 'Viceroy', although it was most frequently used in ordinary parlance, had no statutory authority, and was never employed by Parliament. Although the Proclamation of 1858 announcing the assumption of the government of India by the Crown referred to Lord Canning as "first Viceroy and Governor-General", none of the Warrants appointing his successors referred to them as 'Viceroys', and the title, which was frequently used in Warrants dealing with precedence and in public notifications, was basically one of ceremony used in connection with the state and social functions of the Sovereign's representative. The Governor-General continued to be the sole representative of the Crown, and the Government of India continued to be vested in the Governor-General-in-Council.[1]

From the year 1858 onwards, the appointments of Governor-General of India were made by the British Crown upon the advice of Secretary of State for India. The office of Governor-General continued to exist as a ceremonial post in each of the new dominions until they adopted republican constitutions in 1950 and 1956 Respectively.

List of Governor-Generals

Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)		 Term of office Notable events Appointer
Governors Generals of the Presidency of Fort William (Bengal), 1773–1833
Warren Hastings
(1732-1818)		 20 October
1773
[nb 1]		 1 February
1785
  • Regulating Act of 1773
  • Supreme Council Of Bengal
  • Asiatic Society of Bengal
  • Stopped Mughal pension to Shah Alam II
  • Stopped Diarchy in Bengal
  • New Sanskrit School by Jonathan Deccan
  • Moved Treasury from Murshidabad to Calcutta
  • Bengal Gazette- First Indian newspaper published
  • First Anglo-Maratha War (1775–82)
  • Second Anglo-Mysore war (1780–84)
  • First Rohilla W of 1773–1774
  • "Ring fence policy"
  • Second Rohilla War 1779
  • Experimentation on land settlements. (1772-five years settlement, changed to 1 year in 1776)
  • English Translation of Bhagwat Gita[2]
 East India
Company

(1773–1858)
John Macpherson
(acting)
(1745–1821)		 1 February
1785		 12 September
1786
    Charles Cornwallis
    The Marquess Cornwallis     [nb 2]
    (1738–1805)    		 12 September
    1786    		 28 October
    1793
    • Established lower courts and appellate courts
    • Permanent Settlement in Bihar and Bengal in 1793
    • 3rd Mysore war
    • Introduction of Cornwallis Code
    • Introduction of Civil Services in India
    John Shore
    (1751–1834)    		 28 October
    1793    		 18 March
    1798
    • Policy of Non-intervention
    • Charter Act of 1793
    • Battle of Kharda between Nizam and Marathas (1795)
    Alured Clarke
    (acting)
    (1744–1832)    		 18 March
    1798    		 18 May
    1798
    Richard Wellesley, Earl of Mornington [nb 3]
    (1760–1842)    		 18 May
    1798    		 30 July
    1805
    • Introduction of Subsidiary Alliance
    • Fourth Anglo Mysore War 1799
    • Second Anglo-Maratha War (1803–05)
    • Fort William College at Calcutta
    • Formation of Madras Presidency in 1801
    The Marquess Cornwallis
    (1738–1805)    		 30 July
    1805    		 5 October
    1805
    Sir George Barlow, Bt
    (acting)
    (1762–1847)    		 10 October
    1805    		 31 July
    1807
    • Sepoy mutiny at Vellore
    The Lord Minto
    (1751–1814)    		 31 July
    1807    		 4 October
    1813
    Francis Rawdon-Hastings, The Earl of Moira [nb 4]
    (1754–1826)    		 4 October
    1813    		 9 January
    1823
    • Ended the policy of Non-intervention
    • Third Anglo-Maratha War (1816-1818)
    • Treaty of Sugauli
    • Creation of Bombay Presidency in 1818
    • Establishment of Ryotwari System in Madras and
    • Mahalwari System in Central India,Punjab And Western UP.
    John Adam
    (acting)
    (1779–1825)    		 9 January
    1823    		 1 August
    1823
    • Licensing Regulations
    The Lord Amherst[nb 5]
    (1773–1857)    		 1 August
    1823    		 13 March
    1828
    • First Anglo-Burmese War (1824–26)
    • Treaty of Yandabo, 1826
    William Butterworth Bayley
    (acting)
    (1782–1860)    		 13 March
    1828    		 4 July
    1828
    Governors-General of India, 1833–1858
    Lord William Bentinck
    (1774–1839)    		 4 July
    1828    		 20 March
    1835    		 East India
    Company

    (1773–1858)
    Charles Metcalfe, Bt
    (acting)
    (1785–1846)    		 20 March
    1835    		 4 March
    1836
    • Repealed 1823 Licensing Regulations
    • Known as Liberator of India Press
    The Lord Auckland[nb 6]
    (1784–1849)    		 4 March
    1836    		 28 February
    1842
    The Lord Ellenborough
    (1790–1871)    		 28 February
    1842    		 June
    1844
    William Wilberforce Bird
    (acting)
    (1784–1857)    		 June
    1844    		 23 July
    1844
    Henry Hardinge[nb 7]
    (1785–1856)    		 23 July
    1844    		 12 January
    1848
    The Earl of Dalhousie[nb 8]
    (1812–1860)    		 12 January
    1848    		 28 February
    1856
    • Doctrine of Lapse
    • Charles Wood Despatch
    • Second Anglo-Burmese War (1852)
    • First Railway line connecting Bombay and Thane
    • First telegraph Line was laid between Diamond Harbour to Calcutta.
    • Post Office Act, 1854
    • Hindu widow remarriage act 1856
    • Established Public Works Department
    • The Second Anglo-Sikh War (1848-1849)
    • Engineering College was established at Roorkee.[3]
    The Viscount Canning[nb 9]
    (1812–1862)    		 28 February
    1856    		 31 October
    1858
    • Hindu Widows' Remarriage Act, 1856
    • The revolt of 1857
    Governors-General and Viceroys of India, 1858–1947
    The Viscount Canning[nb 10]
    (1812–1862)    		 01 November
    1858[4]    		 21 March
    1862
    • University of Bombay, Calcutta and Madras were set up in 1858
    • The Government of India Act, 1858
    • System of Budget introduced
    • Formation of Imperial Civil Services
    		 Victoria

    (1837–1901)
    The Earl of Elgin
    (1811–1863)    		 21 March
    1862    		 20 November
    1863
    Robert Napier
    (acting)
    (1810–1890)    		 21 November
    1863    		 2 December
    1863
    William Denison
    (acting)
    (1804–1871)    		 2 December
    1863    		 12 January
    1864
    Sir John Lawrence, Bt
    (1811–1879)    		 12 January
    1864    		 12 January
    1869
    The Earl of Mayo
    (1822–1872)    		 12 January
    1869    		 8 February
    1872
    • Assassinated by a Pathan Sher Ali Afridi
    • Started the Census.
    • Opening of Rajkot college in Kathiawar and Mayo College at Ajmer for political training of Indian Princes
    • Started Financial Decentralisation
    Sir John Strachey
    (acting)
    (1823–1907)    		 9 February
    1872    		 23 February
    1872
    The Lord Napier
    (acting)
    (1819–1898)    		 24 February
    1872    		 3 May
    1872
    The Lord Northbrook
    (1826–1904)    		 3 May
    1872    		 12 April
    1876
    The Lord Lytton
    (1831–1891)    		 12 April
    1876    		 8 June
    1880
    The Marquess of Ripon
    (1827–1909)    		 8 June
    1880    		 13 December
    1884
    • First Factory Act (1881)
    • Repeal of the Vernacular Press Act (1882)
    • Ilbert Bill
    • Government resolution on local self-government (1882)
    • Appointment of Education Commission under Sir William Hunter
    The Earl of Dufferin
    (1826–1902)    		 13 December
    1884    		 10 December
    1888
    The Marquess of Lansdowne
    (1845–1927)    		 10 December
    1888    		 11 October
    1894
    The Earl of Elgin
    (1849–1917)    		 11 October
    1894    		 6 January
    1899
    The Lord Curzon of Kedleston[nb 11]
    (1859–1925)    		 6 January
    1899    		 18 November
    1905
    • Partition of Bengal (1905)
    • 2st Delhi Durbar out of 3 (1903)
    • Appointment of Police Commission under Sir Andrew Frazer
    • Appointment of Raleigh University Commission (1902)
    • Passing of Indian Universities Act 1904
    The Earl of Minto
    (1845–1914)    		 18 November
    1905    		 23 November
    1910
    • Morley-Minto Reforms 1909 or The Indian Councils Act 1909
    • Split in Congress in 1907
    • Establishment of Muslim League by Aga Khan (1906)
    		 Edward VII

    (1901–1910)
    The Lord Hardinge of Penshurst
    (1858–1944)    		 23 November
    1910    		 4 April
    1916    		 George V

    (1910–1936)
    The Lord Chelmsford
    (1868–1933)    		 4 April
    1916    		 2 April
    1921
    The Earl of Reading
    (1860–1935)    		 2 April
    1921    		 3 April
    1926
    The Lord Irwin
    (1881–1959)    		 3 April
    1926    		 18 April
    1931
    The Earl of Willingdon
    (1866–1941)    		 18 April
    1931    		 18 April
    1936
    The Marquess of Linlithgow
    (1887–1952)    		 18 April
    1936    		 1 October
    1943    		 Edward VIII

    (1936)
    The Viscount Wavell
    (1883–1950)    		 1 October
    1943    		 21 February
    1947    		 George VI

    (1936–1952)
    The Viscount Mountbatten of Burma
    (1900–1979)    		 21 February
    1947    		 15 August
    1947
    Governors-General of the Dominion of India, 1947–1950
    The Viscount Mountbatten of Burma[nb 12]
    (1900–1979)    		 15 August
    1947    		 21 June
    1948    		 George VI

    (1936–1952)
    C. Rajagopalachari
    (1878–1972)    		 21 June
    1948    		 26 January
    1950
    Notes
    1. ↑ Originally joined on 28 April 1772
    2. ↑ Earl Cornwallis from 1762; created Marquess Cornwallis in 1792.
    3. ↑ Created Marquess Wellesley in 1799.
    4. ↑ Created Marquess of Hastings in 1816
    5. ↑ Created Earl Amherst in 1826.
    6. ↑ Created Earl of Auckland in 1839.
    7. ↑ Created Viscount Hardinge in 1846.
    8. ↑ Created Marquess of Dalhousie in 1849.
    9. ↑ Created Earl Canning in 1859.
    10. ↑ Created Earl Canning in 1859.
    11. ↑ The Lord Ampthill was acting Governor-General in 1904
    12. ↑ Created Earl Mountbatten of Burma on 28 October 1947.

    See also

    Citations

    1. ↑ Imperial Gazetteer of India, Clarendon Press, Oxford, New Edition 1909, vol 4, p. 16.
    2. ↑ Clarke, John James (1 January 1997). Oriental Enlightenment: The Encounter Between Asian and Western Thought. Psychology Press. ISBN 9780415133753.
    3. ↑ Link text
    4. ↑ https://www.gktoday.in/gk/queen-victorias-proclamation-november-1-1858/
    5. ↑ "What was the Arms Act 1878? - Quora". www.quora.com. Retrieved 2017-01-13.
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