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.
Lord Dalhousie	1848 – 1856	Dalhousie introduced the infamous ‘Doctrine of Lapse’. Started Railways and Telegraph to India. Named as the maker of modern India.
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
Lord Mayo	1869 – 1872	India’s Viceroy A convict killed him in Andaman Conducted census in India first (some territories not included)
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
Lord Dufferin	1884 – 1888	Indian National Congress was formed
Lord Curzon	1899 – 1905	Bengal Partition Swadeshi Movement lanched.
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
Lord Chelmsford	1916 – 1921	The Jallianwala Bagh incident of 1919 Rowlatt Act Chelmsford reforms Khilafat movement
Lord Reading	1921 – 1926	Chauri Chaura incident. First time imprisonment of Mahatma Gandhi.
Lord Irwin	1926 – 1931	First Round Table Conference Simon Commission Gandhi Irwin pact Dandi March
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
Lord Linlithgow	1936 – 1943	Cripps Mission visited India Quit India resolution was passed during his period.
Lord Wavell	1943 – 1947	Cabinet mission Simla conference are done during his tenure

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