List of governors-general of India facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

The Regulating Act of 1773 created the office with the title of Governor-General of 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 the decision of the council was binding on the Governor-General during 1773–1784.

The Government of India Act 1833 re-designated the office with the title of Governor-General of India. Lord William Bentinck was the first to be designated as the Governor-general of India in 1833.

After the Indian Rebellion of 1857, the company rule was brought to an end, but 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 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 one of ceremonies 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 appointments of Governor-General of India which 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 of India and Pakistan, until they adopted republican constitutions in 1950 and 1956 respectively.

List of governors-general

Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office		Notable events
Before 1773 The Governor-General of the Presidency of Fort William (Bengal) was named as Governor of Bengal, which was in existence from 1757 to 1772. For the list of Governors of Bengal see List of governors of Bengal.
Appointed by Court of Directors of the East India Company
Governors-General of the Presidency of Fort William (Bengal), 1773–1833
	Warren Hastings (1732–1818)	20 October 1773	8 February 1785	Regulating Act of 1773 First Rohilla War of 1773–74 Supreme Court of Judicature at Fort William (1774) was established Formation of Supreme Council of Bengal in 1774 First Anglo-Maratha War (1775–82) Formed Amini Commission in 1776 Founded Calcutta Madrasa (Aliah University) in 1780 James Augustus Hicky's Bengal Gazette (first Indian newspaper published in 1780) Second Anglo-Mysore war (1780–84) Asiatic Society of Bengal (1784) Pitt's India Act (1784) Creation of collector post The first Governor General to be prosecuted for impeachment. As a consequence of his involvement in First Rohilla War Experimentation on land settlements Ended providing pension to the Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II Abolished the Dual System in Bengal (which was introduced by Robert Clive) Moved Treasury from Murshidabad to Calcutta Abolished Dastak system (which was introduced by Robert Clive) English translation of the Bhagwat Gita by Charles Wilkins
	Sir John Macpherson, Bt (acting) (1745–1821)	8 February 1785	12 September 1786
	The Earl Cornwallis (1738–1805)	12 September 1786	28 October 1793	Established lower courts and appellate courts Third Anglo-Mysore war (1790–92) Sanskrit Vidyalaya at Benaras (now Varanasi) established by Johnathan Duncan (then Governor of Bombay) in 1791 Permanent Settlement in Bihar and Bengal (1793) Introduction of Cornwallis Code in 1793 Introduction of Civil Services in India
	John Shore (1751–1834)	28 October 1793	18 March 1798	Policy of Non-intervention Charter Act of 1793 Second Rohilla War 1794 Battle of Kharda between Nizam and Marathas (1795)
	Lt. Gen Sir Alured Clarke (acting) (1744–1832)	18 March 1798	18 May 1798
	The Marquess Wellesley (1760–1842)	18 May 1798	30 July 1805	Introduction of Subsidiary Alliance (1798) Fourth Anglo Mysore War 1799 Censorship Act, 1799 Took over the administration of Tanjore (1799), Surat (1800) and Carnatica (1801) Fort William College at Calcutta (1800) The Subsidiary Treaty of Bassein in 1802 and Second Anglo-Maratha War (1803–05) Raj Bhavan at Calcutta was established in 1803
	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 (1806) (prelude to the Indian Rebellion of 1857) Bank of Calcutta (1806) established (later Imperial Bank of India, now State Bank of India)
	The Lord Minto (1751–1814)	31 July 1807	4 October 1813	Treaty of Amritsar (1809) with Ranjit Singh Charter Act of 1813
	The Marquess of Hastings (1754–1826)	4 October 1813	9 January 1823	Ended the policy of Non-intervention Anglo-Nepalese War (1814–16) ended with the signing of Treaty of Sugauli (1816) Third Anglo-Maratha War (1816–18) and the abolition of Peshwaship Hindu College (now Presidency University) at Calcutta in 1817 The Pindari War (1817–1818) (Complete Destruction of the Pindari Clan of India) Creation of Bombay Presidency in 1818 Establishment of Ryotwari System in Madras Presidency in 1820 by the governor Sir Thomas Munro Establishment of Mahalwari System in Northern India by Holt Mackenzie (1822) Bengal Tenancy Act was passed in 1822 General Committee of Public Instruction was formed in 1823
	John Adam (acting) (1779–1825)	9 January 1823	1 August 1823	Licensing Regulations
	The Earl Amherst (1773–1857)	1 August 1823	13 March 1828	Barrackpore mutiny of 1824 Establishment of Sanskrit College at Calcutta (1824) First Anglo-Burmese War (1824–26) (East India Company defeats Burmese King Bagyidaw and annexes Assam, Manipur, Arakan and Tenasserim) Treaty of Yandabo, 1826 (East India Company humiliates and extracts 1 million Pounds from the Burmese King Bagyidaw)
	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	First Governor General of India Bengal Sati Regulation, 1829 Suppression of Thuggee (1829–35) Kol Rebellion in 1831 Barasat Uprising in 1831, led by Titumir Annexation of Mysore (1831), Coorg (1834), and central Cachar (1834) Charter Act 1833 (administrative reforms as well as formalising the non-discrimination in employment of Indians by religion) English Education Act 1835 and introduction of English as a medium of instruction Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata (1835) Abolition of the provincial courts of appeal and circuit set by Cornwallis, appointment of commissioners of revenue and circuit Mahalwari System in Central India, Punjab and western Uttar Pradesh Brahmo samaj established by Ram Mohan Roy
	Sir Charles Metcalfe, Bt (acting) (1785–1846)	20 March 1835	4 March 1836	Repealed 1823 Licensing Regulations Known as Liberator of India Press Establishment of Calcutta Public Library in 1836 (currently known as National Library of India)
	The Earl of Auckland (1784–1849)	4 March 1836	28 February 1842	Tripartite Treaty in 1838 between British, Shah Shuja and Maharaja Ranjit Singh against Dost Muhammad Khan First Bengali daily newspaper Sambad Prabhakar was published in 1839 Tattwabodhini Sabha was formed by Debendranath Tagore in 1839 First Anglo Afghan War (1840–1842) (Retreating British Army massacred by Afghan militias during the 1842 retreat from Kabul) Bank of Bombay (1840) established (later Imperial Bank of India, now State Bank of India)
	The Lord Ellenborough (1790–1871)	28 February 1842	June 1844	Gwalior War (1843) (British defeat Marathas) Bank of Madras (1843) established (later Imperial Bank of India, now State Bank of India) Conquest and annexation of Sind Province (1843) Indian Slavery Act, 1843
	William Wilberforce Bird (acting) (1784–1857)	June 1844	23 July 1844
	Henry Hardinge (1785–1856)	23 July 1844	12 January 1848	The First Anglo-Sikh War (1845–46) (British Empire defeats the Sikh Empire and confiscate major portion of its territory) Treaty of Lahore (1846) (British confiscated Kashmir from the Sikhs and sold it to Raja of Jammu for 75 lakh rupees) Treaty of Bhairowal (1846) Establishment of Roorkee Engineering College (1847)
	The Earl of Dalhousie (1812–1860)	12 January 1848	28 February 1856	Doctrine of Lapse in 1848 Second Anglo-Sikh War (1848–49) (The British totally defeated the Sikh Empire and annexed Punjab) Bethune Collegiate School (1849) (was also known as Calcutta Female School) was established by John Elliot Drinkwater Bethune Religious Disabilities Act, 1850 First telegraph line was laid between Diamond Harbour to Calcutta (1851) Second Anglo-Burmese War (1852) (The sole aim of Dalhousie was to humiliate and annex more of Burmese Territories. Burma was attacked unprovoked) Charter Act, 1853 First Passenger train between Bombay and Thane (1853) Charles Wood Despatch (1854) Post Office Act, 1854 Established Public Works Department (1854) Santhal Rebellion (1855) (15,000 Santhals were killed by the British Army during the rebellion. Elephants were used to destroy Santhal Dwellings) Annexation of Oudh on the grounds of alleged internal misrule (1856) Establishment of summer capital at Shimla
	The Viscount Canning (1812–1862)	28 February 1856	31 October 1858	Hindu Widows' Remarriage Act, 1856 (drafted by The Earl of Dalhousie) Indian Rebellion of 1857 University of Calcutta, University of Bombay, and University of Madras were set up in 1857

Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office		Notable events	Secretary of State for India	Prime Minister
Governors-General and Viceroys of India, 1858–1947
Appointed by Victoria (1837–1901)
	The Viscount Canning (1812–1862)	1 November 1858	21 March 1862	Queen Victoria's Proclamation (on 1 November 1858) and The Government of India Act, 1858 Formation of Imperial Civil Services in 1858 Indigo Revolt in Bengal in 1859–60 White mutiny by the European troops in 1859 Enactment of Indian Penal Code in 1860 Indian High Courts Act 1861 Indian Councils Act, 1861 Indian Civil Service Act, 1861 Police Act, 1861 Establishment of Archaeological Survey of India in 1861 System of Budget was introduced Introduced Portfolio System which gave foundation for Cabinet System	Lord Stanley Sir Charles Wood	The 14th Earl of Derby Viscount Palmerston
	The Earl of Elgin (1811–1863)	21 March 1862	20 November 1863	Establishment of Calcutta High Court (2 July), Bombay High Court (14 August) and Madras High Court (15 August) in 1862 Wahabi movement suppressed	Sir Charles Wood	Viscount Palmerston
	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	Bhutan War (1864–65) (The British defeated an undefended Bhutan and annexed Assam and Bengal Duars) Establishment of Shimla as India's summer capital in 1864 Establishment of Allahabad High Court in 1866 Famine Commission was constituted in 1867 under Henry Campbell due to Orissa famine of 1866 Tenancy Act was passed in Punjab and Oudh in 1868	Sir Charles Wood The Earl de Grey Viscount Cranborne Sir Stafford Northcote The Duke of Argyll	Viscount Palmerston The Earl Russell The 14th Earl of Derby Benjamin Disraeli William Ewart Gladstone
	The Earl of Mayo (1822–1872)	12 January 1869	8 February 1872	Keshub Chandra Sen establishes Indian Reform Association (1870) Started Financial decentralization in 1870 Enacted IPC amendment-Sedition Act 1870 to tackle Wahabi Movement Assassinated by Sher Ali Afridi in 1872 Started the Census in India in 1872 Established the Department of Agriculture and Commerce in 1872 Established Statistical Survey of India in 1872 Opening of Rajkumar college in Rajkot and Mayo College at Ajmer for political training of Indian Princes	The Duke of Argyll	William Ewart Gladstone
	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	He suppressed Kuka rebellion in Punjab led by Ram Singh in 1872 Jyotiba Phule launches the Satyashodhak Samaj in Maharashtra in 1873 against the caste system and the Untouchability practice Trial of Gaekwad of Baroda in 1874 Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College founded by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan (1875) Prince of Wales Edward VII visited India in 1875 Dramatic Performances Act, 1876 He resigned in 1876, being asked by the British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli to make a treaty with the Emir of Afghanistan Sher Ali Khan	The Duke of Argyll The Marquess of Salisbury	William Ewart Gladstone Benjamin Disraeli
	The Lord Lytton (1831–1891)	12 April 1876	8 June 1880	Royal Titles Act, 1876 by which Queen Victoria assumed the title of 'Empress of India' Great Famine of 1876–78, a 'Famine Commission' was constituted under Richard Strachey in 1878 First Delhi Durbar (of three) in 1877 Vernacular Press Act, 1878 Arms Act, 1878 Second Anglo-Afghan War, (1878–80) Treaty of Gandamak signed in 1879 Decreased the maximum age of appearing in civil services from 21 to 19	The Marquess of Salisbury The Viscount Cranbrook Marquess of Hartington	Benjamin Disraeli William Ewart Gladstone
	The Marquess of Ripon (1827–1909)	8 June 1880	13 December 1884	First Factory Act (1881) Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 First complete Census in India in 1881 Repeal of the Vernacular Press Act in 1882 Establishment of Panjab University in 1882 Government resolution on local self-government (1882) Appointment of Education Commission under Sir William Wilson Hunter in 1882 Ilbert Bill (1883) Passed Famine codes in 1883 Increased the maximum age of appearing in civil services from 18 to 21	Marquess of Hartington The Earl of Kimberley	William Ewart Gladstone
	The Earl of Dufferin (1826–1902)	13 December 1884	10 December 1888	Formation of Indian National Congress (1885) Bengal Tenancy Act (1885) Third Anglo-Burmese War (1885) Burma was made a province of India, with Rangoon as its capital in 1886	The Earl of Kimberley Lord Randolph Churchill The Earl of Kimberley The Viscount Cross	William Ewart Gladstone The Marquess of Salisbury William Ewart Gladstone The Marquess of Salisbury
	The Marquess of Lansdowne (1845–1927)	10 December 1888	21 January 1894	Second Factory Act 1891 Indian Council Act 1892 Setting up the Durand Commission in 1893 (India-Afghanistan)	The Viscount Cross The Earl of Kimberley Henry Fowler	The Marquess of Salisbury William Ewart Gladstone The Earl of Rosebery
	The Earl of Elgin (1849–1917)	21 January 1894	6 January 1899	Spread of Bubonic plague in Bombay (1896) Indian famine of 1896–97 Establishment of the Ramakrishna Mission by Swami Vivekananda at Belur Math in 1897 Assassination of two British officials (Walter Charles Rand and Ayerst) by the Chapekar brothers in 1897	Henry Fowler Lord George Hamilton	The Earl of Rosebery The Marquess of Salisbury
	The Lord Curzon of Kedleston (1859–1925)	6 January 1899	18 November 1905	Indian famine of 1899–1900 Munda (Ulgulan) rebellion led by Birsa Munda in 1899–1900 Department of Agriculture was constituted in 1901 Creation of North-West Frontier Province in 1901 Appointment of Police Commission under Sir Andrew Frazer in 1902 Appointment of Raleigh University Commission (1902) (Indian Universities Act, 1904 was passed as per the recommendation of this commission) Second Delhi Durbar (of three) in 1903 Younghusband expedition to Tibet under Francis Younghusband in 1903–04 Benaras Hindu Girls School was established by Annie Besant in 1904 Ancient Monuments Preservation Act 1904 Official Secrets Act 1904 to curb free press Agricultural Research Institute at Pusa in Bihar was established in 1905 Partition of Bengal (1905) Swadeshi Movement (1905–11) against Partition of Bengal by Lal Bal Pal-Aurbindo Ghosh	Lord George Hamilton William St John Brodrick	The Marquess of Salisbury Arthur Balfour
Appointed by Edward VII (1901–1910)
	The Earl of Minto (1845–1914)	18 November 1905	23 November 1910	Establishment of Muslim League by Aga Khan III and Khwaja Salimullah (Nawab of Dhaka) in 1906 Foundation of Jugantar revolutionary group in Bengal (1906) Foundation stone of 'Victoria Memorial' laid in 1906 Split in Congress in 1907 (in Surat session) Satyendra Prasanna Sinha became first Indian member to be appointed in Viceroy's Executive Council Seditious meetings (prohibition) Act 1907 to curb the extremist movement Jamsetji Tata established TISCO in 1907 Newspapers Act 1908 Morley–Minto reforms (1909) Indian Press Act, 1910	William St John Brodrick John Morley The Earl of Crewe	Arthur Balfour Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman H. H. Asquith
Appointed by George V (1910–1936)
	The Lord Hardinge of Penshurst (1858–1944)	23 November 1910	4 April 1916	Third Delhi Durbar (1911) Annulment of Partition of Bengal by King George V in 1911 Transfer of capital from Calcutta to Delhi (1911) Partition of Bengal to form Bihar and Orissa province (1912) World War I (1914–18) Komagata Maru incident (1914) McMahon border line was created between India and China in 1914 Ghadar Mutiny (1915) Mahatma Gandhi came back to India from South Africa in 1915 Foundation of Hindu Mahasabha by Madan Mohan Malviya (1915) Foundation of Banaras Hindu University in 1916	The Earl of Crewe The Viscount Morley of Blackburn The Marquess of Crewe Austen Chamberlain	H. H. Asquith
	The Lord Chelmsford (1868–1933)	4 April 1916	2 April 1921	Formation of Indian Home Rule movement by Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Annie Besant (1916) First Women's University (SNDT Women's University) at Pune was founded by Dhondo Keshav Karve (1916) Lucknow Pact (1916) (between Indian National Congress and Muslim League) Champaran Satyagraha (1917), the first satyagraha movement led by Mahatma Gandhi in British India August Declaration, 1917 Saddler University Commission or Calcutta Commission (1917) Kheda Satyagraha of 1918 Montagu–Chelmsford Reforms (1919) Government of India Act 1919 Rowlatt Act (1919) Jallianwala Bagh massacre (1919) Khilafat Movement (1919–20) (later merged with Non-cooperation movement in 1920) Foundation of Aligarh Muslim University in 1920 Non-cooperation movement (1920–22) Imperial Bank of India (now State Bank of India established in 1921)	Austen Chamberlain Edwin Montagu	H. H. Asquith David Lloyd George
	The Earl of Reading (1860–1935)	2 April 1921	3 April 1926	Annulment of Press Act of 1910 and Rowlatt Act of 1919 Malabar rebellion (also known as Moplah Rebellion), first Ethnic Rebellion (1921) Rabindranath Tagore founded Visva-Bharati University in 1921 Chauri Chaura incident (1922) and withdrawal of Non-cooperation movement by Mahatma Gandhi Formation of Swaraj Party in 1923 Appointment of Lee Commission in 1923 on public services reforms Railway budget was separated from general budget since 1924 (this tradition continued till 2016) Kakori train robbery in 1925 Foundation of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh by K. B. Hedgewar in 1925 Foundation of the Communist Party of India in Kanpur in 1925	Edwin Montagu The Viscount Peel The Lord Olivier The Earl of Birkenhead	David Lloyd George Bonar Law Stanley Baldwin Ramsay MacDonald Stanley Baldwin
	The Lord Irwin (1881–1959)	3 April 1926	1 July 1929	Simon Commission (1928) Nehru Report (1928) Death of Lala Lajpat Rai (1928) Fourteen Points of Jinnah (1929) Purna Swaraj declaration (1929) Meerut Conspiracy Case (1929) Bombing in Central Legislative Assembly on 8 April 1929 by Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt "Deepavali Declaration" on 31 October 1929 (to grant India dominion status in due course) Appointment of "Hartog Committee" (1929) to survey the growth of education in British India Launching of Civil disobedience movement with Salt March (1930) Dharasana Satyagraha (1930) First Round Table Conferences (1930) Allahabad Address by Sir Muhammad Iqbal (1930) Chittagong armoury raid in 1930 Gandhi–Irwin Pact (1931) Execution of Bhagat Singh, Shivaram Rajguru, and Sukhdev Thapar (1931)	The Earl of Birkenhead The Viscount Peel	Stanley Baldwin Ramsay MacDonald
	The Viscount Goschen (acting) (1866–1952)	1 July 1929	18 April 1931		The Viscount PeelWilliam Wedgwood Benn	Stanley Baldwin Ramsay MacDonald
	The Earl of Willingdon (1866–1941)	18 April 1931	18 April 1936	Second Round Table Conference (1931) Announcement of Communal Award by Ramsay MacDonald (1932) Poona Pact between Mahatma Gandhi and B. R. Ambedkar in 1932 Third Round Table Conference (1932) Pakistan Declaration (1933) Foundation of Congress Socialist Party in 1934 Reserve Bank of India established by passing The Reserve Bank of India Act 1934 Government of India Act 1935 Formation of All India Kisan Sabha in 1936	William Wedgwood Benn Sir Samuel Hoare The Marquess of Zetland	Ramsay MacDonald Stanley Baldwin
Appointed by Edward VIII (1936)
	The Marquess of Linlithgow (1887–1952)	18 April 1936	1 October 1943	Indian provincial elections (1937) Indian entry into World War II (1939) Day of Deliverance (1939) Formation of All India Forward Bloc (1939) Lahore Resolution (1940) August Offer (1940) Cripps Mission (1942) Formation of Indian Legion (1942) Quit India Movement (1942) Formation of Indian National Army in 1942 Bengal famine (1943)	The Marquess of Zetland Leo Amery	Stanley Baldwin Neville Chamberlain Winston Churchill
Appointed by George VI (1936–1947) (As Emperor of India)
	The Viscount Wavell (1883–1950)	1 October 1943	21 February 1947	C. R. formula (1944) Simla Conference (1945) World War II ended (1945) Indian National Army (INA) trials in 1945–46 Cabinet Mission (1946) Direct Action Day (16 August 1946) Interim Government was formed in 1946 Royal Indian Navy mutiny (1946)	Leo Amery The Lord Pethick-Lawrence	Winston Churchill Clement Attlee
	The Viscount Mountbatten of Burma (1900–1979)	21 February 1947	15 August 1947	Indian Independence Act 1947 was passed on 18 July 1947 Radclife Commission was appointed under the chairmanship of Cyril Radcliffe to demarcate the border line of Bengal Presidency and Punjab Province	The Lord Pethick-Lawrence The Earl of Listowel	Clement Attlee

Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office		Notable events	Prime Minister
Governors-General of the Dominion of India, 1947–1950
Appointed by George VI (1947–1950) (As King of India)
	The Viscount Mountbatten of Burma (1900–1979)	15 August 1947	21 June 1948	First Governor-General of the Union of India	Jawaharlal Nehru
	Chakravarti Rajagopalachari (1878–1972)	21 June 1948	26 January 1950	Last Governor-General of India, before the office was permanently abolished in 1950 First and only Indian-born Governor-General of India	Jawaharlal Nehru

List of governors-general of India facts for kids

List of governors-general

See also