Governor General of Bengal, Governor General of India, Viceroys of India- Major Details
It was as per the Charter Act of 1883 that India got its first Governor General. As per the features of the Charter Act, the Governor General of Bengal was vested with the civil and military powers making him the Governor General of entire India. Take a look at all the Governors, Governor Generals of Bengal, of India and Viceroys along with the major events that took place during their regimes below.
Governor General of Bengal:
- The position of Governor of Bengal was available from 1773 to 1833. The East India Company controlled Bengal through the post of Governor of Bengal. Robert Clive was the first one to hold this position.
- The other Presidencies of Bombay, Madras had their governors.
- After the Regulating Act of 1773 was passed, the post of Governor of Bengal was converted to Governor-General of Bengal. The first Governor-General of Bengal was Warren Hastings.
- The same followed for Bombay and Madras presidencies too.
Take a look at the table below that shows all the Governor Generals of Bengal
| Year/ Duration | Name | Events during tenure |
| 1772-1785 | Warren Hastings | He was the first Governor-General of Bengal and brought an end to the dual system of administration. His achievements include Regulating Act of 1773, establishment of Supreme Court at Calcutta and the Asiatic Society of Bengal. He fought the first Anglo-Maratha War and signed the Treaty of Salbai. The first English translation of Bhagavad Gita was done in his tenure and lastly Pitt’s India Act-1784 was brought in his regime. |
| 1786-1793 | Lord Cornwallis | He established appellate courts, lower grade courts and Sanskrit college. During his tenure the wars that were fought were the Third Anglo-Mysore War and Treaty of Seringapatam was signed. Introduction of Permanent Settlement and civil services were also conducted during his tenure. |
| 1793-1798 | Sir John Shore | Charter act of 1793 was passed as he came in. Policy of Non-intervention and Battle of Kharda are his achievements. |
| 1798-1805 | Lord Wellesley | He is extremely well known for introducing Subsidiary Alliance System and fighting wars like Fourth Anglo- Mysore war and the Treaty of Bassein, Second Anglo – Maratha war. He established the Madras presidency and also Fort William College in Calcutta |
| 1805-1807 | Sir George Barlow | He was the Acting Governor-General of India until Lord Minto arrived. He is the reason for diminishing area of British territory due to his passion for economy and retrenchment. The Mutiny of Vellore took place in 1806 under his tenure. |
| 1807-1813 | Lord Minto I | Treaty of Amritsar was concluded with Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1809 when Lord Minto came and he introduced the Charter Act of 1813 in India. |
| 1813-1823 | Lord Hastings | During his tenure the following events took place:
|
| 1823-1828 | Lord Amherst | During his time the annexation of Assam happened leading to the first Burmese war of 1824, and a mutiny broke out in Barrackpore. |
Governor General of India:
- This post was created after the passing of the Charter Act of 1833. The first Governor General of India was William Bentinck.
- This post was administrative and they reported directly to the East India Company's court of directors. Take a look at the table below.
| Year | Name of the Governor General | Major Events during tenure |
| 1828-1835 | Lord William Bentinck |
First Governor-General of India as per the rules in the Charter Act of 1833. |
| 1835-1836 | Lord Charles Metcalfe | He is famously called the Liberator of the Indian Press because he openly withdrew the restraints on an open press in India |
| 1836-1842 | Lord Auckland | Improvement of domestic schools took place in his regime. He is also responsible for the expansion of the commercial industry of India. The first Anglo-Afghan war was fought in his tenure. |
| 1842-1844 | Lord Ellenborough | Sindh was annexed during his tenure. |
| 1844-1848 | Lord Hardinge I | First Anglo Sikh War took place in his time. |
| 1848-1856 | Lord Dalhousie | He is responsible for the following:
|
| 1856-1857 | Lord Canning | The Calcutta, Madras and Bombay Universities were established and the Revolt of 1857 took place during his tenure |
Viceroys of India:
It was after the revolt of 1857 took place that the British Crown took it all under its direct control. Government of India Act 1858 was passed and the post of the Governor General of India was replaced by Viceroy of India. He was directly appointed by the British Government. Lord Canning was the first viceroy of India.
| Year | Name of Viceroy | Events during the tenure |
| 1856-1862 | Lord Canning | The events that took place under his regime were
|
| 1864-1869 | Lord John Lawrence | Bhutan War took place in 1865 and the establishment of the High Courts at Calcutta, Bombay and Madras were done under his regime |
| 1876-1880 | Lord Lytton | The Vernacular Press Act of 1878 was passed followed by the Arms Act (1878), Second Afghan War in 1878 to 1880. Queen Victoria was crowned the Queen of India in his regime. |
| 1880-1884 | Lord Ripon | The first Factory Act was passed in 1881 and Vernacular Press Act was repealed by him in 1882. Local self-government was formed during his regime and Ilbert Bill controversy arose followed by Hunter Commission on education (1882) |
| 1884-1888 | Lord Dufferin | The two major events in his tenure were Third Burmese War and the establishment of Indian National Congress |
| 1888-1894 | Lord Lansdowne | He brought the Indian Councils Act in 1892 and set up the Durand Commission in 1893 |
| 1899-1905 | Lord Curzon | He is responsible for the
|
| 1905-1910 | Lord Minto II | Swadeshi Movement took place from 1905-11 and establishment of Muslim League happened in his regime. Morley-Minto Reforms were brought about in 1909. |
| 1910-1916 | Lord Hardinge II | His tenure witnessed:
|
| 1916-1921 | Lord Chelmsford | Lucknow pact , Champaran Satyagraha , Montague’s August Declaration, Government of India Act, Rowlatt Act , Jallianwalan Bagh massacre , Launch of Non-Cooperation and Khilafat Movements |
| 1921-1926 | Lord Reading | Chauri Chaura incident took place in 1922 followed by withdrawal of Non-Cooperation Movement. Also establishment of Swaraj Party happened and Kakori train robbery took place in 1925. |
| 1926-1931 | Lord Irwin | Simon Commission came to India in 1927 when he was the Viceroy. The other events were, Harcourt Butler Indian States Commission (1927), Nehru Report (1928), Lahore session of the Congress in 1929, Dandi March and the Civil Disobedience Movement (1930), First Round Table Conference (1930), Gandhi-Irwin Pact (1931) |
| 1931-1936 | Lord Willingdon | The following happened :
|
| 1936-1944 | Lord Linlithgow | His tenure witnessed the Congress ministries resignation following the Second World War in 1939, followed by Tripuri Crisis & formation of Forward Bloc. Then came the August Offer in 1940 and the formation of the Indian National Army, Cripps Mission and Quit India Movement |
| 1944-1947 | Lord Wavell |
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| 1947-1948 | Lord Mountbatten | Radcliff commission of 1947 followed by India’s Independence on 15th August 1947 |
C Rajgopalachari was the last Governor General of India and the post was abolished in 1950 for good.
Also Read| Main features of The Charter Act of 1833
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