Chapter-34
Governors-General / Viceroy of India
Arora IAS Class Notes
East India Company Administration
- Established a hierarchy with the Governor of Bengal at the top.
Robert Clive (1757-60 & 1765-67)
- Became Governor after Plassey victory (1757).
- Reappointed after Buxar (1765).
- Introduced the Dual Government (until 1772).
- Considered a founder of British power in India (with Warren Hastings).
- Faced criticism for policies linked to the Bengal Famine.
Other Governors
- John Zephaniah Holwell (temporary, 1760) – survived Black Hole of Calcutta.
- Henry Vanisttart (1760-65) – Governor during Battle of Buxar.
- Harry Verelst (1767-69) – oversaw Bengal under Dual Government.
- John Cartier (1769-72) – Bengal Famine of 1770 occurred during his tenure.
- Warren Hastings (1772-73) – Succeeded Cartier, abolished Dual Government.
Warren Hastings (1773-1784)
- First Governor-General of India (1773-1784).
- Faced impeachment for corruption but later acquitted (1795).
- Implemented various reforms:
- Abolished Dual System of Government (established by Robert Clive) in Bengal.
- Established a Board of Revenue in Calcutta to oversee revenue collection.
- Shifted the capital from Murshidabad to Calcutta.
- Appointed English collectors in each district.
- Introduced a judicial system with Civil Courts and Faujdari Adalats.
- Founded the Asiatic Society of Bengal (1784).
- Strengthened British power through treaties like Treaty of Banaras (1773) and Treaty of Faizabad (1775).
Lord Cornwallis (1786-1793)
- Implemented the Permanent Settlement (1793):
- Fixed the government’s share of land revenue collected by zamindars.
- Recognized zamindars as permanent landowners.
- Separated revenue administration from justice (Cornwallis Code).
- Introduced the post of District Judge.
- Considered the “father of civil service in India” for establishing civil service administration.
Sir John Shore (1793-1798)
- Charter Act of 1793 passed during his tenure.
- Period marked by cautious policies.
- Battle of Kharda (1795) occurred between the Nizam and Marathas.
Lord Wellesley (1798-1805)
- Implemented the Subsidiary Alliance to establish British control in India.
- Restricted princely rulers from independent diplomacy or maintaining large armies.
- Stationed British residents at princely courts.
- Established the Board of Trade.
- Introduced press control regulations.
- Fourth Anglo-Mysore War (1799) resulted in Tipu Sultan’s defeat and Mysore’s annexation.
- Madras Presidency established during his rule.
- Founded Fort William College for language studies.
British Governors-General of India
George Barlow (1805-1807)
- Vellore Mutiny of sepoys occurred in 1806 (uniform and haircut grievances).
- Suppressed by the then Madras Governor, William Bentinck.
Lord Minto I (1807-1813)
- Signed the Treaty of Amritsar (1809) with Ranjit Singh.
- Charter Act of 1813 passed during his tenure.
Lord Hastings (1813-1823)
- Nepalese War (1814-1816): Gorkhas accepted the Treaty of Sagauli (1816).
- Pindari War (1817-1818): Pindari suppression.
- Third Maratha War (1817-1818): End of Maratha power.
- Bombay Presidency established in 1818 (from Maratha regions).
- Ryotwari settlement introduced by Governor Thomas Munro (Madras, 1820).
- Bengal Tenancy Act passed in 1822.
- Coffee plantations initiated in Bengal and Assam.
Lord Amherst (1823-1828)
- First Burmese War (1824-26).
- Barrackpore Mutiny (1824).
- Malay Peninsula became part of British territories.
- Captured Bharatpur territories (1826).
Lord William Bentinck (1828-1835) – Considered Father of Modern Western Education in India
- Last Governor-General of Bengal (1828-1833).
- First Governor-General of India (1833-1835).
- Abolition of Sati and other cruel rites (1829).
- Suppression of Thuggee (1830).
- Macaulay Minute (1835): English as the official language.
- Judicial reforms: abolished provincial courts, separate Sadr courts in Allahabad and Delhi.
- Allowed use of vernacular languages in courts.
- Increased opportunities for Indians in judicial roles.
- Non-interference policy with Indian states (exceptions: Mysore, Coorg, Central Cachar).
- Charter Act of 1833: No discrimination in recruitment based on religion etc.
Sir Charles Metcalfe (1834-1836)
- Famous for liberating the press (Press Law).
Lord Auckland (1836-1842)
- First Afghan War (1839-1842): British defeat.
- Tripartite Treaty with Shah Shuja, Ranjit Singh (1838) for Afghanistan.
- Construction of Delhi-Calcutta road began (1839).
- Grand Trunk Road established (formerly Sher Shah Suri Marg).
Lord Ellenborough (1842-1844)
- Concluded Afghan War.
- Annexation of Sind (1843) under Charles Napier.
- Indian Slavery Act of 1843 abolished slavery.
Lord Hardinge I (1844-1848)
- Anglo-Sikh War (1845-1846): Battles and Treaty of Lahore (1846).
- Measures to eliminate female infanticide and human sacrifice.
Lord Dalhousie (1848-1856)
- Significant expansion through warfare and Doctrine of Lapse.
- Second Anglo-Sikh War (1849): Annexation of Punjab.
- Second Anglo-Burmese War (1852-53): Lower Burma annexed.
- Sikkim annexed (1850).
- Doctrine of Lapse: Satara, Jaitpur, Sambalpur, Baghat, Jhansi, Udaipur, Nagpur annexed.
- Awadh annexed (1856) for alleged misgovernance.
Dalhousie’s Reforms
- Appointed Lieutenant-Governor for Bengal.
- Centralized control of newly annexed territories.
- Raised the Gurkha regiment.
- Advocated reducing Indians in the British army.
- Thomsonian System of Vernacular education (North-Western Provinces, 1853).
- Wood’s Education Despatch (1854): Anglo-Vernacular Schools and Government Colleges.
- Public works initiatives: First railway line (Bombay-Thane, 1853).
- Father of the Indian Telegraph System.
- Contributed to Grand Trunk Road, development of harbors in Karachi, Bombay, Calcutta.
Lord Canning (1856-1862) – Last Governor-General, First Viceroy
- Witness to significant developments:
- Widow Remarriage Act (1856)
- Revolt of 1857
- End of Doctrine of Lapse
- Indian Councils Act (1861) – End of East India Company rule
- Universities of Calcutta, Bombay, Madras established (1857)
- Indigo riots in Bengal (1860)
Lord Elgin I (1862-1863)
- Suppressed the Wahabi Movement.
Sir John Lawrence (1864-1869)
- Policy of Non-Intervention in Afghanistan.
- Famine in Odisha, Bundelkhand, Rajputana (Famine Commission established).
- Telegraphic communication with Europe initiated.
- High courts established at Calcutta, Bombay, Madras (1865).
- Reorganized native judicial service.
- Expanded canal works and railways.
- Bhutan War (1865).
- Established the Indian Forests Department.
Lord Mayo (1869-1872)
- Introduced the state railways system.
- Established colleges for Indian Princes (Rajkot College, Mayo College).
- Organized Statistical Survey of India, conducted first Census of India (1872).
- Established Department of Agriculture and Commerce.
- Initiated financial decentralization.
- Assassinated in 1872 (only Viceroy to be murdered).
Lord Northbrook (1872-1876)
- Kuka Movement in Punjab (1872).
- Visit of Prince of Wales (1875).
Lord Lytton (1876-1880)
- Second Anglo-Afghan War (1878-1880).
- Established Famine Fund in each province.
- Delhi Durbar (1877) – Queen Victoria titled Kaiser-e-Hind.
- Vernacular Press Act (1878) – banned Indian language newspapers.
- Criticized for free trade policies.
Lord Ripon (1880-1884) – Father of Local Self-Government in India
- Repealed Vernacular Press Act (1882).
- Introduced First Factory Act (1881) to improve worker conditions.
- Regular census-taking began (1881).
- Initiated Local Self-Government (1882).
- Established Hunter Commission (1882) for primary education.
- Resigned due to Ilbert Bill Controversy (1883).
Lord Dufferin (1884-1888)
- Third Anglo-Burmese War (1885-1888) – annexation of Lower and Upper Burma.
- Tenancy Act passed in Bengal (1885).
- Indian National Congress founded (1885).
- Allahabad University established (1887).
Lord Lansdowne (1888-1894)
- Second Factory Act passed (1891).
- Indian Council Act of 1892 enacted.
- Durand Line established (India-Afghanistan boundary).
Lord Elgin II (1894-1899)
- Famine in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab (1896-1898).
- Famine Commission appointed (1898).
- Opium Commission formed (1893).
- Munda Uprising (1899).
- Chapekar Brothers assassinated British officials (1897).
Lord Curzon (1899-1905)
- Significant initiatives:
- Partition of Bengal (planned during his tenure).
- Foreign Policy: United North-West Frontier, interfered in Tibet.
- Education: Established Indian University Commission (1902), Indian Universities Act (1904).
- Police Reform: Police Commission (1902), CID established (1903).
- Famine Commission established.
- Agriculture: Established Agricultural Research Institute (Pusa).
- Irrigation Commission established (1901).
Lord Minto II (1905-1910)
- Anti-partition and Swadeshi Movement against Bengal partition.
- Muslim League founded by Aga Khan (1906).
- Congress’s goal of Swaraj declared (Calcutta Session, 1906).
- Congress split during the annual session in Surat (1907).
- Indian Council Act of 1909 (Morley-Minto Reforms) introduced separate electorates.
Lord Hardinge II (1910-1916)
- Delhi Durbar (1911): King George V and Queen Mary’s coronation and announcement of Bengal partition cancellation.
- Transfer of capital from Calcutta to Delhi declared (1911).
- Survived a bomb attack in Delhi (1912).
- World War I commenced (1914-18).
- Banaras Hindu University established (1916).
Lord Chelmsford (1916-1921)
- Home Rule League formed (1916).
- Women’s University established in Poona.
- Lucknow Pact signed between Congress and Muslim League (1916).
- Sadler Commission on Education appointed (1917).
- Rowlatt Act passed (1919) leading to Jallianwala Bagh massacre (1919).
- Government of India Act (1919) enacted.
- Khilafat Movement, Non-cooperation Movement (1920-1922), Third Anglo-Afghan War (1919) occurred.
Lord Reading (1921-1926) – only Jewish Viceroy
- Acworth Committee (1921) recommended separation of Railway budget.
- Moplah Rebellion in Kerala (1921).
- Swaraj Party founded (1922).
- Non-Cooperation Movement called off after Chauri-Chaura incident.
- Civil Services exams conducted simultaneously in Delhi and London from 1923.
- Lee Commission for the Public Service established (1924).
- Kakori Incident (1925).
Lord Irwin (1926-1931)
- Arrival of the Simon Commission.
- Nehru Report published (1928) under Motilal Nehru.
- Jinnah’s response with 14 points.
- Royal Commission on Agriculture appointed (1928).
- Declaration of Purna Swaraj (Lahore Session, 1929).
- Independence Day celebrated nationwide (January 26, 1930).
- Civil Disobedience Movement launched by Gandhi (1930) including the Dandi March.
- First Round Table Conference in London (1930).
- Gandhi-Irwin Pact (March 1931).
Lord Willingdon (1931-1936)
- Second Round Table Conference in London (1931).
- Ramsay MacDonald announced the Communal Award (1932).
- Individual Civil Disobedience Movements launched.
- Third Round Table Conference (1935).
- Government of India Act passed (1935).
- India separated from Burma (1935).
- All-India Kisan Sabha established (1936).
Lord Linlithgow (1936-1944)
- First general elections with Congress winning absolute majority in most provinces (1937).
- Congress Ministries resigned (1939) with World War II outbreak.
- Subhas Chandra Bose elected Congress President (1938) and formed Forward Bloc (1939).
- August Offer by the Viceroy rejected by Congress (1940).
- Cripps Mission (1942).
Lord Wavell (1944-1947)
- CR Formula by C Rajagopalachari (1944) led to Gandhi-Jinnah talks.
- Cabinet Mission led by Pethick Lawrence arrived in Delhi (1946).
- Direct Action Day by Muslim League (August 1946).
- Clement Attlee announced the end of British rule in India (February 1947).
Lord Mountbatten (1947-1948)
- Announced Mountbatten Plan (June 1947).
- Indian Independence Bill introduced (July 1947).
- India and Pakistan granted independence (August 1947).
- Became first Governor-General of independent India.
C Rajagopalachari (1948-1950)
- Last Governor-General of India.
- Indian Constitution adopted (November 1949) and enacted (January 1950).