Governor-Generals and Viceroys of India — TNPSC Group 4 History Notes

Overview

From 1773 to 1858, India was governed by Governor-Generals appointed by the East India Company. After 1858, following the Revolt of 1857, the British Crown took direct control and the title changed to Viceroy. TNPSC Group 4 frequently asks about specific Governors-General and Viceroys — which reforms they introduced, which laws they passed, and what historical events occurred during their tenure.

Governor-Generals of British India (1773–1858)

Warren Hastings (1772–1785) — First Governor-General of Bengal

Warren Hastings was the first Governor-General of Bengal (under the Regulating Act of 1773).

Key contributions:

• Established the Supreme Court at Calcutta (1773)
• Translated Bhagavad Gita into English (through Charles Wilkins)
• Fought the First Anglo-Maratha War and Second Anglo-Mysore War
• Impeached (but acquitted) by the British Parliament for corruption

Lord Cornwallis (1786–1793)

Cornwallis is called the Father of the Civil Services in India for reforming the East India Company's administration.

Lord Wellesley (1798–1805)

• Introduced the Subsidiary Alliance system (see British Conquest chapter)
• Defeated Tipu Sultan (1799); annexed Mysore
• Founded Fort William College (1800) at Calcutta to train British officers in Indian languages

Lord William Bentinck (1828–1835) — First Governor-General of India

The most reformist Governor-General:

• Abolished Sati (1829) — supported by Raja Ram Mohan Roy; Regulation XVII
• Suppressed Thuggee — Colonel Sleeman led the campaign
• Macaulay's Minute (1835) — English made medium of higher education
• Abolished female infanticide
• Abolished torture in collecting revenue

Lord Dalhousie (1848–1856) — The Builder

Dalhousie is remembered both as a builder and a ruthless annexer:

Administrative modernisation:

• First railway line in India — Bombay to Thane, 16 April 1853 (34 km)
• Electric telegraph introduced (1853)
• Uniform postage system — introduced postage stamps
• Public Works Department (PWD) established
• Developed the Ganges Canal

Territorial expansion:

• Doctrine of Lapse — annexed Jhansi, Nagpur, Satara
• Conquered Punjab after Second Anglo-Sikh War (1849)
• Annexed Awadh (1856) on grounds of misgovernance
• Conquered Lower Burma (1852)

Viceroys of India (1858–1947)

Lord Canning (1856–1862) — First Viceroy

• Was Governor-General during the Revolt of 1857
• After 1857, became India's first Viceroy
• Passed the Indian Councils Act 1861 — expanded Legislative Councils
• Passed the Indian Penal Code (IPC) 1860 — still in use today
• Introduced income tax in India (1860)

Lord Ripon (1880–1884) — The Liberal Viceroy

• Local Self-Government Resolution (1882) — foundation of democratic decentralization
• Reversed the Vernacular Press Act (which had muzzled Indian-language newspapers)
• First Factory Act (1881) — regulated working conditions
• Called "Friend of India" by Dadabhai Naoroji

Lord Curzon (1899–1905) — The Imperialist

• Partition of Bengal (1905) — the most consequential act of his tenure
• Divided Bengal into East Bengal (Muslim majority) and West Bengal
• Widely seen as a divide-and-rule tactic; sparked massive nationalist reaction
• Ancient Monuments Preservation Act (1904) — protected historical sites
• Established the Indian Universities Act 1904

Lord Minto II (1905–1910)

• Morley-Minto Reforms (Indian Councils Act 1909) — introduced separate electorates for Muslims, a controversial decision that deepened communal divisions

Lord Hardinge II (1910–1916)

• Capital shifted from Calcutta to Delhi (1911) — announced at Delhi Durbar
• Delhi Durbar held in 1911 to celebrate King George V's visit
• Survived a bomb attack during the Delhi Durbar procession (1912)

Lord Chelmsford (1916–1921)

• Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms (Government of India Act 1919) — introduced dyarchy in provinces

Lord Irwin (1926–1931)

• Gandhi's Dandi March (1930) against the salt tax
• Gandhi-Irwin Pact (1931) — agreed to halt civil disobedience; Gandhi attended Second Round Table Conference

Lord Mountbatten (1947) — Last Viceroy

• Mountbatten Plan (June 3, 1947) — announced partition of India into India and Pakistan
• India became independent on 15 August 1947

Important for Exam - Permanent Settlement = Cornwallis (1793) - Sati abolished = Bentinck (1829) - First railway = Dalhousie (Bombay–Thane, 16 April 1853) - First Viceroy = Lord Canning (1858) - Local Self-Government = Lord Ripon (1882) - Partition of Bengal = Lord Curzon (1905) - Capital shifted to Delhi = Lord Hardinge (1911)