Who were the Governor-Generals and Viceroys of India?

The Governors-General and Viceroys of India were high-ranking officials who governed India during the British colonial period.

What was the role of the Governor-General of India?

The Governor-General of India was the highest-ranking official in British India and had wide-ranging powers to govern the country.

What was the role of the Viceroy of India?

The Viceroy of India was appointed by the British monarch to represent the Crown in India and to exercise the powers of the Crown in India.

Who were some notable individuals who held the position of Governor-General of India?

Some notable individuals who held the position of Governor-General of India include Lord Canning, Lord Curzon, and Lord Mountbatten.

Who were some notable individuals who held the position of Viceroy of India?

Some notable individuals who held the position of Viceroy of India include Lord Canning, Lord Curzon, and Lord Mountbatten.

List of Governor General and Viceroys of India (1772-1857)

Table of Contents

List of Governors-General and Viceroys of India: India was under British colonial rule for over 200 years, and during this period, it was governed by a series of Governors-General and Viceroys. The Governor-General was the chief administrator of British India and held wide-ranging powers to govern the country. The Viceroys, on the other hand, held the added duty of representing the British Crown in India and were chosen by the British Queen. These high-ranking officials’ roles and responsibilities altered throughout time, and eventually, their position became that of the Governor-General and Viceroy of India. Here is a list of some of the most notable individuals who served in this capacity during the British colonial period.

Governor General and Viceroys of India

Britain attained a global win and became one of the most powerful countries in the world. In India, the prevalent British rule was possible under the control of the Governor-General and viceroys. The British crown controlled the East India Company and divided territories into presidencies as their administrative units. There were three presidencies, Bengal, Madras, and Bombay controlled by a Governor respectively. The Governor-General has the highest responsibility of the administration.

The implementation of the British policies and maintaining their rule was done by the representative of the British Crown in India by the Viceroy of India. From 1857-1947, the Governor General of India was called the Viceroy of India. The title was a self-governing head of the government. Lord Canning was the first viceroy and the last viceroy of India was Lord Mountbatten in 1947.

Governor-General’s position was extremely important and highly prestigious being the supreme head of the administration during British rule. The Governor-General was the supreme representative of the British Crown in India for the administration. The Government of India Act of 1858 changed the position of Governor-General to Viceroy of India.

The title and position that was given before the Governor-General and Viceroy of India was Governor of Bengal. The title of Governor General of Bengal to Governor General of India was changed by The Regulating Act of 1833.

Governor-General of Bengal

The Governor-General of Bengal was a colonial administrative position created by the British East India Company in 1773. The position was established to consolidate the Company’s rule in India and to oversee its territorial possessions. The first person to hold the position was Warren Hastings, who served from 1773 to 1785. The Governor-General of Bengal was initially appointed by the East India Company and reported directly to its board of directors in London.

Year/ Duration	Name	Events during tenure
1772-1785	Warren Hastings	He was the first Governor-General of Bengal Brought an end to the dual system of administration. Achievements: Regulating Act of 1773, the establishment of the Supreme Court at Calcutta, and the Asiatic Society of Bengal. He fought the first Anglo-Maratha War and signed the Treaty of Salbai. The first English translation of the Bhagavad Gita was done during his tenure.
1786-1793	Lord Cornwallis	He established appellate courts, lower-grade courts, and Sanskrit college. Fought was the Third Anglo-Mysore War and the Treaty of Seringapatam was signed. Introduction of Permanent Settlement and civil services.
1793-1798	Sir John Shore	Charter act of 1793 was passed as he came in. Policy of Non-intervention and Battle of Kharda are his achievements.
1798-1805	Lord Wellesley	Introduced Subsidiary Alliance System. Fought wars like Fourth Anglo- Mysore war and the Treaty of Bassein, Second Anglo – Maratha war. Established the Madras presidency and also Fort William College in Calcutta
1805-1807	Sir George Barlow	He was the acting Governor-General of India until Lord Minto arrived. Reason for the diminishing the area of British territory due to his passion for economy and retrenchment. The Mutiny of Vellore took place in 1806 under his tenure.
1807-1813	Lord Minto I	Treaty of Amritsar was concluded with Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1809. Introduced the Charter Act of 1813.
1813-1823	Lord Hastings	· The end of policy of Non-intervention Anglo-Nepal War (1814-16) and the Treaty of Sagauli, 1816 Abolition of Peshwaship Establishment of the Ryotwari System in Madras and Bombay Mahalwari system in north-western Provinces and Bombay
1823-1828	Lord Amherst	Annexation of Assam, leading to the first Burmese war of 1824.

Governor General of India

After gaining independence on August 15, 1947, India adopted a republican constitution, and the office of the Governor-General was replaced by the President of India. Dr. Rajendra Prasad became the first President of India on January 26, 1950, when the Indian Constitution came into effect. Check the name, year, and tenure of governor general of India.

Year	Name of the Governor General	Major Events during the tenure
1828-1835	Lord William Bentinck	First Governor-General of India as per the rules in the Charter Act of 1833. Abolished Sati system, suppressed the Thugee system along with infanticide and child sacrifices. English Education Act of 1835 proposed and Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata established.
1835-1836	Lord Charles Metcalfe	Liberator of the Indian Press because he openly withdrew the restraints on an open press in India
1836-1842	Lord Auckland	Improvement of domestic schools. Expansion of the commercial industry of India. The first Anglo-Afghan war.
1842-1844	Lord Ellenborough	Sindh was annexed.
1844-1848	Lord Hardinge I	First Anglo-Sikh War.
1848-1856	Lord Dalhousie	Second Anglo-Sikh War (1848-49) Introduction of the Doctrine of Lapse Wood’s Dispatch 1854 First railway line connecting Bombay and Thane in 1853 Establishment of PWD Indian Post Office Act
1856-1857	Lord Canning	The Calcutta, Madras and Bombay Universities were established. Revolt of 1857

List of Viceroys of India

The Viceroys of India were appointed by the British monarch to represent the Crown in India from 1858 to 1947. The position of Viceroy was created after the Indian Rebellion of 1857, which led to the British Crown taking over the administration of India from the East India Company. The first Viceroy was Lord Canning, who also served as the first Governor-General of India.

Year	Name of Viceroy	Events during the tenure
1856-1862	Lord Canning	Revolt of 1857 Establishment of three universities at Calcutta, Madras, and Bombay in 1857 Abolition of East India Company and transfer of power to the British Queen Government of India Act, 1858. Indian Councils Act of 1861
1864-1869	Lord John Lawrence	Establishment of the High Courts at Calcutta, Bombay and Madras.
1876-1880	Lord Lytton	The Vernacular Press Act of 1878. Arms Act (1878) Second Afghan War in 1878 to 1880. Queen Victoria was crowned the Queen of India.
1880-1884	Lord Ripon	The first Factory Act was passed in 1881 Vernacular Press Act was repealed by him in 1882. Local self-government was formed. Ilbert Bill controversy. Hunter Commission on education (1882)
1884-1888	Lord Dufferin	Third Burmese War. Establishment of Indian National Congress
1888-1894	Lord Lansdowne	Indian Councils Act in 1892. Durand Commission in 1893
1899-1905	Lord Curzon	Indian Universities Act Partition of Bengal Appointment of Police Commission (1902) Appointment of Universities Commission (1902)
1905-1910	Lord Minto II	Swadeshi Movement. from 1905-11. Establishment of Muslim League. Morley-Minto Reforms.
1910-1916	Lord Hardinge II	Annulment of Partition of Bengal Transfer of capital from Calcutta to Delhi Establishment of the Hindu Mahasabha
1916-1921	Lord Chelmsford	Lucknow pact. Champaran Satyagraha. Montague’s August Declaration. Government of India Act. Rowlatt Act, Jallianwalan Bagh massacre. Launch of Non-Cooperation and Khilafat Movements
1921-1926	Lord Reading	Chauri Chaura incident in 1922 followed by withdrawal of Non-Cooperation Movement. Establishment of Swaraj Party. Kakori train robbery in 1925.
1926-1931	Lord Irwin	Simon Commission came to India Harcourt Butler Indian States Commission (1927). Nehru Report (1928). Lahore session of the Congress in 1929. Dandi March and the Civil Disobedience Movement (1930). First Round Table Conference (1930). Gandhi-Irwin Pact (1931)
1931-1936	Lord Willingdon	Communal Award (1932) Second & Third Round Table Conference (1932) Poona Pact (1932) Government of India Act of 1935
1936-1944	Lord Linlithgow	Second World War in 1939. Tripuri Crisis & formation of Forward Bloc. August Offer in 1940 Formation of the Indian National Army. Cripps Mission. Quit India Movement
1944-1947	Lord Wavell	Wavell Plan and the Simla Conference (1942) Cabinet Mission (1946) Direct Action Day (1946) Announcement of end of British rule in India by Clement Attlee (1947)
1947-1948	Lord Mountbatten	Radcliff Commission of 1947. India’s Independence on 15th August 1947

Governor-General and Viceroys of India UPSC

The first person to hold the position of Governor-General was Warren Hastings, who served from 1773 to 1785. C Rajgopalachari was the last Governor General of India and after him, the post was ended.

British government directly chose the Viceroy of India. The first viceroy of India was Lord Canning and the last was Lord Mountbatten. The Viceroy of India to represent the British took over the position of Governor General of India after 1858.