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Governor Generals of India

Governor of Bengal- Governor General of Bengal- Governor
General of India- Viceroy
Governor of Bengal- Before 1773 Governor General of the Presidency of Fort William
(Bengal) was named as Governor of Bengal, which was in existence since 1757 to 1772.
First Governor of Bengal: Robert Clive
Governor-General of Bengal (1773-1833):
✓ After the passing of Regulating Act 1773, the post of Governor of Bengal was converted
into "Governor-General of Bengal" (first Governor-General of Bengal was Warren
Hastings).
✓ Other Presidencies, Bombay and Madras, had their own Governor.
✓ However, Through this Act Governor of Bombay and Madras worked under the Governor-
General of Bengal.
Governor-General of India (1833-58):
✓ By Charter Act of 1833, the post name of Governor-General of Bengal again
converted into "Governor-General of India" .
✓ First Governor-General of India was William Bentinck.
✓ This post was mainly for administrative purposes and reported to the Court of Directors of the
East India Company.
Viceroy (1858-1947):
✓ After the revolt of 1857, the company rule was abolished and India came under the direct
control of the British crown.
✓ Government of India Act 1858 passed which changed the name of post-Governor General of
India by Viceroy of India.
✓ The Viceroy was appointed directly by the British government.
✓ The first Viceroy of India was Lord Canning.
 Robert Clive- First Governor of Bengal
1.The Treaty of Allahabad was signed on August 12, 1765 between Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II and
Robert Clive as a result of the Battle of Buxar. Based on the terms of the agreement, Shah Alam II
granted Diwani rights to the East India Company.
2.Dual Government in Bengal was introduced by Robert Clive
in 1765 and continued till 1772.
Under this system the administration of Bengal was divided
in to two parts- Diwani and Nizamat.
Diwani means right to collect revenue was given to company
and Nizamat means administrative rights were given to
nawab.
3. Society of Trade –
Monopoly of trade in tobacco, betel-nut, salt.
Profit is distributed among officers & employees of the
company
4. Introduced Covenanted Civil Services in India –
Modern Civil Services, to fulfill companies interest. He is known as Hero of Arcot
 Warren Hastings- First GG of Bengal
1. The Dual system of Government was abolished by Warren Hastings in 1772 and Bengal was brought
under direct control of the British. The Nawabs remained as the mere pensioners of the East India
Company.
2. The Asiatic Society of Bengal had the support and encouragement of Warren Hastings – to translate
Indian Scriptures. Calcutta Madrasa was setup in 1781
3. Treaty of Salbai was signed between the Marathas and the
British East India Company.
4. Warren Hastings prepared the first judicial plan. It was the
first step to regulate machinery of administration of justice.
Judicial system was sought to be overhauled and separate civil
(diwani) and (nizamat/Fauzdari) courts (adalats) were
established at various levels.
5. Revenue reforms –
(a) Abolished custom rights of Zamindaris and established 4
custom houses : Culcutta, Patna, Dhaka and Hugli.
(b) 1765 – Diwani of Bengal, Bihar & Orissa.
Lord Cornwallis
1. Lord Cornwallis proposed the Permanent Settlement system in 1786. This came into effect in
1793, by the Permanent Settlement Act of 1793. Landlords or Zamindars were recognised as the
owners of the land. The fixed amount of the revenue is for - Economic stability, Political stability,
Administrative benefit.
2. The Cornwallis Code –It is a body of legislation enacted in 1793 by the East India Company to
improve the governance of its territories in India.
Cornwallis- “Father of Modern Civil Services in India”
3. Third Anglo-Mysore War –
The Third Mysore War came to an end by the Treaty of
Srirangapatnam in March 1792. This treaty resulted in
the surrender of nearly half of Mysore territory to the British.
4. Administrative reforms –
(a) Europeanization of Higher Civil Services.
(b) Elimination of Corruption by increasing salaries
(c) Veto power to Governor General.
(d) Hierarchy of Judicial setup.
 Lord Wellesley
1. Wellesley followed the policy of “subsidiary alliance” –
Principle of Friendship + Subordination of Indian rules.
Imp provisions:
(a) Signatory state has to maintain the contingent of EIC on
self experience.
(b) End of Independent foreign policy to local rulers.
(c) British resident was appointed in court of local ruler as
representative of EIC
2. In 1799, Lord Wellesley brought the Censorship of Press
Act to stop the French from publishing anything which could
harm British in any way.
This act brought all the newspapers under the Government
scrutiny before their publication.
3. Fort William College was established in 1800 to train civil
servants.
Lord William Bentinck- First GG of India
1. Educational reforms –
(a) The English Education Act 1835
(b) Calcutta Medical college was established - First
western medical college in Asia.
2. Social reforms –
(a) Abolition of Sati
(b) Ban on female infanticide
(c) Ban on Superstition of things
3. Political Reforms –
Non-aggression towards Indian States
4. Freedom of Expression – Liberal attitude towards Press
 Significant Events Related with Important Governors-General & Viceroys of India

Governors-General & Events During Regime

Viceroys
Warren Hastings (1773- Regulating Act of 1773
1785) 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- Third Mysore War (1790-92) and Treaty of Seringapatam (1792)
1793) Cornwallis Code (1793)
Permanent Settlement of Bengal, 1793
Lord Wellesley (1798- Introduction of the Subsidiary Alliance System (1798)
1805) Fourth Mysore War (1799)
Second Maratha War (1803-05)
 Governors-General & Events During Regime
Viceroys

Lord Minto I (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 Bentinck Abolition of Sati System (1829)

(1828-1835) Charter Act of 1833
First GG of India
 Governors-General & Events During Regime
Viceroys
Lord Auckland (1836- First Afghan War (1838-42)
1842)
Lord Hardinge I (1844- First Anglo-Sikh War (1845-46) and the Treaty of Lahore
1848) (1846).
Social reforms like the abolition of female infanticide
Lord Dalhousie (1848- Second Anglo-Sikh War (1848-49)
1856) 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
 Governors-General & Events During Regime
Viceroys
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- Bhutan War (1865)
1869) 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
 Governors-General Events During Regime
& Viceroys
Lord Ripon (1880- Repeal of the Vernacular Press Act (1882)
1884) 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- The Third Burmese War (1885-86).
1888) Establishment of the Indian National Congress (1885)
Lord Lansdowne Factory Act (1891).
(1888-1894) Indian Councils Act (1892).
Setting up of Durand Commission (1893)
Lord Curzon (1899- Appointment of Police Commission (1902)
1905) Appointment of Universities Commission (1902)
Indian Universities Act (1904).
Partition of Bengal (1905)
 Governors-General & Events During Regime
Viceroys

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- Lucknow pact (1916)
1921) 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
 Governors-General & Events During Regime
Viceroys
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- Communal Award (1932)
1936) Second & Third Round Table Conference (1932)
Poona Pact (1932)
Government of India Act of 1935
Governors-General Events During Regime
& Viceroys

Lord Linlithgow Resignation of the Congress ministries after the outbreak of the Second
(1936-1944) 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- C. Rajagopalachari’s CR Formula (1944)
1947) 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)
 Governors-General & Events During Regime
Viceroys

Lord Mountbatten (1947- June Third Plan (1947)

1948) Redcliff commission (1947)

India’s Independence (15 August 1947)

Chakravarti Rajagopalachari Last Governor-General of India, before the office, was

(1948-1950) permanently abolished in 1950

Investment on Education Pays Best Dividend