The Governor-General of India was the highest-ranking official in British India, representing the British monarch in India. This position was established by the British East India Company in 1773, and later, the Governor-General became the head of the British administration in India until India gained independence in 1947. Below is a list of notable Governor-Generals of India with brief information about their contributions.
The British territories in India were divided into three administrative units called Presidencies: Bengal, Madras, and Bombay, each governed by a Governor. The supreme authority was the Governor-General, with Warren Hastings being the first Governor-General of Bengal. This article covers the Governors-General of India, their achievements, and key reforms during their tenures, a topic often featured in competitive exams like the IAS Exam. General awareness, crucial yet often overlooked by candidates, plays a significant role in many entrance exams, accounting for around 25% of the questions.
The list of Governor-Generals of India includes important leaders who governed British India. From Warren Hastings, the first Governor-General, to Chakravarti Rajagopalachari, the last, each played a significant role in shaping policies, reforms, and administration during their respective tenures.
| Governor-Generals & Viceroys | Term | Events During Regime |
| Warren Hastings | 1773- 1785 | · Regulating Act of 1773 · Pitt’s India Act of 1784 · The Rohilla War of 1774 · The First Maratha War in 1775-82 and the Treaty of Salbai in 1782 · Second Mysore War in 1780-84 |
| Lord Cornwallis | 1786 – 1793 | · Third Mysore War (1790-92) and Treaty of Seringapatam (1792) · Cornwallis Code (1793) · Permanent Settlement of Bengal, 1793 |
| Lord Wellesley | 1798 – 1805 | · Introduction of the Subsidiary Alliance System (1798) · Fourth Mysore War (1799) · Second Maratha War (1803-05) |
| Lord Minto | 1807 – 1813 | · Treaty of Amritsar with Ranjit Singh (1809) |
| Lord Hastings | 1813 – 1823 | · Anglo-Nepal War (1814-16) and the Treaty of Sagauli, 1816 · Third Maratha War (1817-19) and dissolution of Maratha Confederacy · Establishment of Ryotwari System (1820) |
| Lord Amherst | 1823 – 1828 | · First Burmese War (1824-1826) |
| Lord William Bentick | 1828 – 1835 | · Abolition of Sati System (1829) · Charter Act of 1833 |
| Lord Auckland | 1836 – 1842 | · First Afghan War (1838-42) |
| Lord Hardinge | 1844 – 1848 | · First Anglo-Sikh War (1845-46) and the Treaty of Lahore (1846). · Social reforms like the abolition of female infanticide |
| Lord Dalhousie | 1848 – 1856 | · Second Anglo-Sikh War (1848-49) · The annexation of Lower Burma (1852) · Introduction of the Doctrine of Lapse · Wood’s Despatch 1854 · Laying down of first railway line connecting Bombay and Thane in 1853 · Laying down of first railway line connecting Bombay and Thane in 1853 · Establishment of PWD |
| Lord Canning | 1856 – 1862 | · Revolt of 1857 · Establishment of three universities at Calcutta, Madras and Bombay in 1857 · Abolition of East India Company and transfer of control to the Crown by the Government of India Act, 1858 · Indian Councils Act of 1861 |
| Lord John Lawrence | 1864 – 1869 | · Bhutan War (1865) · Establishment of the High Courts at Calcutta, Bombay and Madras (1865) |
| Lord Lytton | 1876 – 1880 | · The Vernacular Press Act (1878) · The Arms Act (1878) · The Second Afghan War (1878-80) · Queen Victoria assumed the title of ‘Kaiser-i-Hind’ or Queen Empress of India |
| Lord Ripon | 1880 – 1884 | · Repeal of the Vernacular Press Act (1882) · The first Factory Act (1881) · Government resolution on local self-government (1882) · The Ilbert Bill controversy (1883-84) · Hunter Commission on education (1882) |
| Lord Dufferin | 1884 – 1888 | · The Third Burmese War (1885-86). · Establishment of the Indian National Congress (1885) |
| Lord Lansdowne | 1888 – 1894 | · Factory Act (1891). · Indian Councils Act (1892). · Setting up of Durand Commission (1893) |
| Lord Curzon | 1899 – 1905 | · Appointment of Police Commission (1902) · Appointment of Universities Commission (1902) · Indian Universities Act (1904). · Partition of Bengal (1905) |
| Lord Minto II | 1905 – 1910 | · Swadeshi Movements. (1905-11) · Surat Split of Congress (1907) · Establishment of Muslim League (1906) · Morley-Minto Reforms(1909) |
| Lord Hardinge II | 1910 – 1916 | · Annulment of Partition of Bengal (1911) · Transfer of capital from Calcutta to Delhi (1911). · Establishment of the Hindu Mahasabha (1915) |
| Lord Chelmsford | 1916 – 1921 | · Lucknow pact (1916) · Champaran Satyagraha (1917) · Montagu’s August Declaration (1917) · Government of India Act (1919) · The Rowlatt Act (1919) · Jallianwalla Bagh massacre (1919) · Launch of 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 to India (1927) · Harcourt Butler Indian States Commission (1927) · Nehru Report (1928) · Deepavali Declaration (1929) · Lahore session of the Congress (Purna Swaraj Resolution) 1929 · Dandi March and the Civil Disobedience Movement (1930) · First Round Table Conference (1930) · Gandhi-Irwin Pact (1931) |
| Lord Willingdon | 1931 – 1936 | · Communal Award (1932) · Second & Third Round Table Conference (1932) · Poona Pact (1932) · Government of India Act of 1935 |
| Lord Linlithgow | 1936 – 1944 | · Resignation of the Congress ministries after the outbreak of the Second World War (1939) · Tripuri Crisis & formation of Forward Bloc (1939) · Lahore Resolution of the Muslim League (demand for a separate state for Muslims) 1940 · ‘August Offer’ (1940) · Formation of the Indian National Army (1941) · Cripps Mission (1942) · Quit India Movement (1942) |
| Lord Wavell | 1944 – 1947 | · C. Rajagopalachari’s CR Formula (1944) · 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) |
| Lord Mountbatten | 1947 – 1948 | · June Third Plan (1947) · Redcliff commission (1947) · India’s Independence (15 August 1947) |
| Chakravarti Rajagopalachari | 1948 – 1950 | · Last Governor-General of India, before the office, was permanently abolished in 1950 |
Punjab is a state in northern India, known for its rich culture, history, and agriculture.…
Geometry is a branch of mathematics that focuses on the study of shapes, sizes, and…
On 19th November 2024, the Solar Energy Corporation of India Ltd (SECI), under the Ministry…
Madhya Pradesh is a large state in central India, known for its rich history, cultural…
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been conferred prestigious awards by Guyana and Dominica in recognition…
India is home to many cities that are uniquely recognized for their culture, history, or…