List of governors-general of India
Updated: 11/6/2025, 1:58:11 AM Wikipedia source
The Regulating Act 1773 created the office with the title of Governor-General of the Presidency of Fort William, or Governor-General of Bengal to be appointed by the Court of Directors of the East India Company (EIC). The Court of Directors assigned a Council of Four (based in India) to assist the Governor-General, and the decision of the council was binding on the Governor-General from 1773–1784. The Charter Act 1833 re-designated the office with the title of Governor-General of India. William Bentinck was the first to be designated as the Governor-general of India in 1833. After the Indian Rebellion of 1857, the company rule in India was brought to an end, but the British India along with princely states came under the direct rule of the British Crown. The Government of India Act 1858 created the office of Secretary of State for India in 1858 to oversee the affairs of India, which was advised by a new Council of India with 15 members (based in London). The existing Council of Four was formally renamed as the Council of Governor-General of India or Executive Council of India. The Council of India was later abolished by Government of India Act 1935. Following the adoption of the Government of India Act 1858, the Governor-General representing the Crown became known as the Viceroy. The designation 'Viceroy', although it was most frequently used in ordinary parlance, had no statutory authority, and was never employed by Parliament. Although the Proclamation of 1858 announcing the assumption of the government of India by the Crown referred to Lord Canning as "first Viceroy and Governor-General", none of the Warrants appointing his successors referred to them as 'Viceroys', and the title, which was frequently used in Warrants dealing with precedence and in public notifications, was one of ceremonies used in connection with the state and social functions of the Sovereign's representative. The Governor-General continued to be the sole representative of the Crown, and the Government of India continued to be vested in the appointments of Governor-General of India which were made by the British Crown upon the advice of Secretary of State for India. The office of Governor-General continued to exist as a ceremonial post in each of the new dominions of India and Pakistan, until they adopted republican constitutions in 1950 and 1956 respectively.
Tables
· List of governors-general › Fort William (Bengal) and India, 1773–1857 (Hon. East India Company)
Governors-General of the Presidency of Fort William (Bengal), 1773–1833
Governors-General of the Presidency of Fort William (Bengal), 1773–1833
Governor-General(Lifespan)
Governors-General of the Presidency of Fort William (Bengal), 1773–1833
Warren Hastings (1732–1818)
Warren Hastings (1732–1818)
Governor-General(Lifespan)
Warren Hastings (1732–1818)
Term of office
20 October1773
Term of office
8 February1785
Notable events
Regulating Act 1773
First Rohilla War (1773–1774)
Supreme Court of Judicature at Fort William (1774) was established
Formation of Supreme Council of Bengal (1774)
First Anglo-Maratha War (1775–1782)
Formed Amini Commission (1776)
Founded Calcutta Madrasa (Aliah University) (1780)
James Augustus Hicky's Bengal Gazette (first Indian newspaper published (1780)
Second Anglo-Mysore war (1780–1784)
Asiatic Society of Bengal was established by Sir William Jones (1784)
Pitt's India Act (1784)
Creation of collector post
The first Governor General to be prosecuted for impeachment. As a consequence of his involvement in First Rohilla War
Experimentation on land settlements
Ended providing pension to the Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II
Abolished the Dual System in Bengal (which was introduced by Robert Clive)
Moved Treasury from Murshidabad to Calcutta
Abolished Dastak system (which was introduced by Robert Clive)
English translation of the Bhagwat Gita by Charles Wilkins
Appointed by
George III
Sir John Macpherson, 1st Baronet (acting)(1745–1821)
Sir John Macpherson, 1st Baronet (acting)(1745–1821)
Governor-General(Lifespan)
Sir John Macpherson, 1st Baronet (acting)(1745–1821)
Term of office
8 February1785
Term of office
12 September1786
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Earl Cornwallis(1738–1805)
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Earl Cornwallis(1738–1805)
Governor-General(Lifespan)
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Earl Cornwallis(1738–1805)
Term of office
12 September1786
Term of office
28 October1793
Notable events
Established lower courts and appellate courts
Third Anglo-Mysore war (1790–1792)
Sanskrit Vidyalaya at Benaras (now Varanasi) established by Johnathan Duncan (then Governor of Bombay) (1791)
Permanent Settlement in Bihar and Bengal (1793)
Introduction of Cornwallis Code (1793)
Introduction of Civil Services in India
John Shore(1751–1834)
John Shore(1751–1834)
Governor-General(Lifespan)
John Shore(1751–1834)
Term of office
28 October1793
Term of office
18 March1798
Notable events
Policy of Non-intervention
Charter Act 1793
Second Rohilla War 1794
Battle of Kharda between Nizam and Marathas (1795)
Lt. Gen Alured Clarke (acting)(1744–1832)
Lt. Gen Alured Clarke (acting)(1744–1832)
Governor-General(Lifespan)
Lt. Gen Alured Clarke (acting)(1744–1832)
Term of office
18 March1798
Term of office
18 May1798
Richard Wellesley, 1st Marquess Wellesley(1760–1842)
Richard Wellesley, 1st Marquess Wellesley(1760–1842)
Governor-General(Lifespan)
Richard Wellesley, 1st Marquess Wellesley(1760–1842)
Term of office
18 May1798
Term of office
30 July1805
Notable events
Introduction of Subsidiary Alliance (1798)
Fourth Anglo Mysore War 1799
Censorship Act, 1799
Took over the administration of Tanjore (1799), Surat (1800) and Carnatica (1801)
Fort William College at Calcutta (1800)
The Subsidiary Treaty of Bassein (1802) and Second Anglo-Maratha War (1803–1805)
Raj Bhavan at Calcutta was established (1803)
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis(1738–1805)
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis(1738–1805)
Governor-General(Lifespan)
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis(1738–1805)
Term of office
30 July1805
Term of office
5 October1805
Sir George Barlow, 1st Baronet (acting)(1762–1847)
Sir George Barlow, 1st Baronet (acting)(1762–1847)
Governor-General(Lifespan)
Sir George Barlow, 1st Baronet (acting)(1762–1847)
Term of office
10 October1805
Term of office
31 July1807
Notable events
Sepoy mutiny at Vellore (1806) (prelude to the Indian Rebellion of 1857)
Bank of Calcutta (1806) established (later Imperial Bank of India, now State Bank of India)
Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 1st Baron Minto(1751–1814)
Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 1st Baron Minto(1751–1814)
Governor-General(Lifespan)
Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 1st Baron Minto(1751–1814)
Term of office
31 July1807
Term of office
4 October1813
Notable events
Treaty of Amritsar (1809) with Ranjit Singh
Treaty of Eternal Friendship (1809) with Talpur Rulers of Sindh
Charter Act 1813
Francis Rawdon-Hastings(1754–1826)
Francis Rawdon-Hastings(1754–1826)
Governor-General(Lifespan)
Francis Rawdon-Hastings(1754–1826)
Term of office
4 October1813
Term of office
9 January1823
Notable events
Ended the policy of Non-intervention
Anglo-Nepalese War (1814–1816) ended with the signing of Treaty of Sugauli (1816)
Third Anglo-Maratha War (1816–1818) and the abolition of Peshwaship
Hindu College (now Presidency University) at Calcutta (1817)
The Pindari War (1817–1818) (the complete destruction of the Pindaris)
Subversion of Peshwa Baji Rao II and annexation of his territories to the Bombay Presidency (1818)
Establishment of Ryotwari System in Madras Presidency (1820) by the governor Thomas Munro, 1st Baronet
Establishment of Mahalwari System in Northern India by Holt Mackenzie (1822)
Bengal Tenancy Act was passed (1822)
General Committee of Public Instruction was formed (1823)
John Adam (acting)(1779–1825)
John Adam (acting)(1779–1825)
Governor-General(Lifespan)
John Adam (acting)(1779–1825)
Term of office
9 January1823
Term of office
1 August1823
Notable events
Licensing Regulations
Appointed by
George IV
William Amherst, 1st Earl Amherst(1773–1857)
William Amherst, 1st Earl Amherst(1773–1857)
Governor-General(Lifespan)
William Amherst, 1st Earl Amherst(1773–1857)
Term of office
1 August1823
Term of office
13 March1828
Notable events
Barrackpore mutiny of 1824
Establishment of Sanskrit College at Calcutta (1824)
First Anglo-Burmese War (1824–1826) (East India Company defeats Burmese King Bagyidaw and annexes Assam, Manipur, Arakan and Tenasserim)
Treaty of Yandabo, 1826 (East India Company humiliates and extracts 1 million Pounds from the Burmese King Bagyidaw)
William Butterworth Bayley (acting)(1782–1860)
William Butterworth Bayley (acting)(1782–1860)
Governor-General(Lifespan)
William Butterworth Bayley (acting)(1782–1860)
Term of office
13 March1828
Term of office
4 July1828
Governors-General of India, 1833–1858
Governors-General of India, 1833–1858
Governor-General(Lifespan)
Governors-General of India, 1833–1858
Lord William Bentinck(1774–1839)
Lord William Bentinck(1774–1839)
Governor-General(Lifespan)
Lord William Bentinck(1774–1839)
Term of office
4 July1828
Term of office
20 March1835
Notable events
First Governor General of India
Bengal Sati Regulation, 1829
Suppression of Thuggee (1829–1835)
Kol Rebellion (1831)
Barasat Uprising (1831), led by Titumir
Annexation of Mysore (1831), Coorg (1834), and central Cachar (1834)
Charter Act 1833 (administrative reforms as well as formalising the non-discrimination in employment of Indians by religion)
English Education Act 1835 and introduction of English as a medium of instruction. English was also introduced by the Bengal government in the Calcutta Madrasa in 1829
Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata (1835)
Abolition of the provincial courts of appeal and circuit set by Cornwallis, appointment of commissioners of revenue and circuit
Mahalwari System in Central India, Punjab and western Uttar Pradesh
Brahmo samaj established by Ram Mohan Roy
Appointed by
William IV
Charles Metcalfe, Baronet (acting)(1785–1846)
Charles Metcalfe, Baronet (acting)(1785–1846)
Governor-General(Lifespan)
Charles Metcalfe, Baronet (acting)(1785–1846)
Term of office
20 March1835
Term of office
4 March1836
Notable events
Repealed 1823 Licensing Regulations
Known as Liberator of India Press
Establishment of Calcutta Public Library (1836) (currently known as National Library of India)
George Eden, 1st Earl of Auckland(1784–1849)
George Eden, 1st Earl of Auckland(1784–1849)
Governor-General(Lifespan)
George Eden, 1st Earl of Auckland(1784–1849)
Term of office
4 March1836
Term of office
28 February1842
Notable events
Tripartite Treaty (1838) between British, Shah Shuja and Maharaja Ranjit Singh against Dost Muhammad Khan
First Bengali daily newspaper Sambad Prabhakar was published (1839)
Tattwabodhini Sabha was formed by Debendranath Tagore (1839)
First Anglo Afghan War (1840–1842) (Retreating British Army massacred by Afghan militias during the 1842 retreat from Kabul)
Bank of Bombay (1840) established (later Imperial Bank of India, now State Bank of India)
Edward Law, 2nd Baron Ellenborough(1790–1871)
Edward Law, 2nd Baron Ellenborough(1790–1871)
Governor-General(Lifespan)
Edward Law, 2nd Baron Ellenborough(1790–1871)
Term of office
28 February1842
Term of office
June1844
Notable events
Gwalior War (1843) (British defeat Marathas)
Bank of Madras (1843) established (later Imperial Bank of India, now State Bank of India)
Conquest and annexation of Sind Province (1843)
Indian Slavery Act, 1843
Appointed by
Victoria
William Wilberforce Bird (acting)(1784–1857)
William Wilberforce Bird (acting)(1784–1857)
Governor-General(Lifespan)
William Wilberforce Bird (acting)(1784–1857)
Term of office
June1844
Term of office
23 July1844
Henry Hardinge(1785–1856)
Henry Hardinge(1785–1856)
Governor-General(Lifespan)
Henry Hardinge(1785–1856)
Term of office
23 July1844
Term of office
12 January1848
Notable events
The First Anglo-Sikh War (1845–1846) (British Empire defeats the Sikh Empire and confiscate major portion of its territory)
Treaty of Lahore (1846) (British confiscated Kashmir from the Sikhs and sold it to Raja of Jammu for 75 lakh rupees)
Treaty of Bhairowal (1846)
Establishment of Roorkee Engineering College (1847)
James Broun-Ramsay, 10th Earl of Dalhousie(1812–1860)
James Broun-Ramsay, 10th Earl of Dalhousie(1812–1860)
Governor-General(Lifespan)
James Broun-Ramsay, 10th Earl of Dalhousie(1812–1860)
Term of office
12 January1848
Term of office
28 February1856
Notable events
Doctrine of Lapse (1848)
Second Anglo-Sikh War (1848–1849) (The British totally defeated the Sikh Empire and annexed Punjab)
Bethune Collegiate School (1849) (was also known as Calcutta Female School) was established by John Elliot Drinkwater Bethune
Religious Disabilities Act, 1850
First telegraph line was laid between Diamond Harbour to Calcutta (1851)
Second Anglo-Burmese War (1852) (The sole aim of Dalhousie was to humiliate and annex more of Burmese Territories. Burma was attacked unprovoked)
Charter Act, 1853
First Passenger train between Bombay and Thane (1853)
Charles Wood Despatch (1854)
Post Office Act, 1854
Established Public Works Department (1854)
Santhal Rebellion (1855) (15,000 Santhals were killed by the British Army during the rebellion. Elephants were used to destroy Santhal Dwellings)
Annexation of Oudh on the grounds of alleged internal misrule (1856)
Establishment of summer capital at Shimla
Banned female infanticide completely and human sacrifice in Odisha and Maharashtra
Charles Canning, 2nd Viscount Canning(1812–1862)
Charles Canning, 2nd Viscount Canning(1812–1862)
Governor-General(Lifespan)
Charles Canning, 2nd Viscount Canning(1812–1862)
Term of office
28 February1856
Term of office
31 October1858
Notable events
Hindu Widows' Remarriage Act, 1856 (drafted by James Broun-Ramsay, Earl of Dalhousie)
Indian Rebellion of 1857
University of Calcutta, University of Bombay, and University of Madras were set up (1857)
| Governor-General(Lifespan) | Term of office | Notable events | Appointed by | |
| Governors-General of the Presidency of Fort William (Bengal), 1773–1833 | ||||
| Warren Hastings (1732–1818) | 20 October1773 | 8 February1785 | Regulating Act 1773 First Rohilla War (1773–1774) Supreme Court of Judicature at Fort William (1774) was established Formation of Supreme Council of Bengal (1774) First Anglo-Maratha War (1775–1782) Formed Amini Commission (1776) Founded Calcutta Madrasa (Aliah University) (1780) James Augustus Hicky's Bengal Gazette (first Indian newspaper published (1780) Second Anglo-Mysore war (1780–1784) Asiatic Society of Bengal was established by Sir William Jones (1784) Pitt's India Act (1784) Creation of collector post The first Governor General to be prosecuted for impeachment. As a consequence of his involvement in First Rohilla War Experimentation on land settlements Ended providing pension to the Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II Abolished the Dual System in Bengal (which was introduced by Robert Clive) Moved Treasury from Murshidabad to Calcutta Abolished Dastak system (which was introduced by Robert Clive) English translation of the Bhagwat Gita by Charles Wilkins | George III |
| Sir John Macpherson, 1st Baronet (acting)(1745–1821) | 8 February1785 | 12 September1786 | ||
| Charles Cornwallis, 1st Earl Cornwallis(1738–1805) | 12 September1786 | 28 October1793 | Established lower courts and appellate courts Third Anglo-Mysore war (1790–1792) Sanskrit Vidyalaya at Benaras (now Varanasi) established by Johnathan Duncan (then Governor of Bombay) (1791) Permanent Settlement in Bihar and Bengal (1793) Introduction of Cornwallis Code (1793) Introduction of Civil Services in India | |
| John Shore(1751–1834) | 28 October1793 | 18 March1798 | Policy of Non-intervention Charter Act 1793 Second Rohilla War 1794 Battle of Kharda between Nizam and Marathas (1795) | |
| Lt. Gen Alured Clarke (acting)(1744–1832) | 18 March1798 | 18 May1798 | ||
| Richard Wellesley, 1st Marquess Wellesley(1760–1842) | 18 May1798 | 30 July1805 | Introduction of Subsidiary Alliance (1798) Fourth Anglo Mysore War 1799 Censorship Act, 1799 Took over the administration of Tanjore (1799), Surat (1800) and Carnatica (1801) Fort William College at Calcutta (1800) The Subsidiary Treaty of Bassein (1802) and Second Anglo-Maratha War (1803–1805) Raj Bhavan at Calcutta was established (1803) | |
| Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis(1738–1805) | 30 July1805 | 5 October1805 | ||
| Sir George Barlow, 1st Baronet (acting)(1762–1847) | 10 October1805 | 31 July1807 | Sepoy mutiny at Vellore (1806) (prelude to the Indian Rebellion of 1857) Bank of Calcutta (1806) established (later Imperial Bank of India, now State Bank of India) | |
| Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 1st Baron Minto(1751–1814) | 31 July1807 | 4 October1813 | Treaty of Amritsar (1809) with Ranjit Singh Treaty of Eternal Friendship (1809) with Talpur Rulers of Sindh Charter Act 1813 | |
| Francis Rawdon-Hastings(1754–1826) | 4 October1813 | 9 January1823 | Ended the policy of Non-intervention Anglo-Nepalese War (1814–1816) ended with the signing of Treaty of Sugauli (1816) Third Anglo-Maratha War (1816–1818) and the abolition of Peshwaship Hindu College (now Presidency University) at Calcutta (1817) The Pindari War (1817–1818) (the complete destruction of the Pindaris) Subversion of Peshwa Baji Rao II and annexation of his territories to the Bombay Presidency (1818) Establishment of Ryotwari System in Madras Presidency (1820) by the governor Thomas Munro, 1st Baronet Establishment of Mahalwari System in Northern India by Holt Mackenzie (1822) Bengal Tenancy Act was passed (1822) General Committee of Public Instruction was formed (1823) | |
| John Adam (acting)(1779–1825) | 9 January1823 | 1 August1823 | Licensing Regulations | George IV |
| William Amherst, 1st Earl Amherst(1773–1857) | 1 August1823 | 13 March1828 | Barrackpore mutiny of 1824 Establishment of Sanskrit College at Calcutta (1824) First Anglo-Burmese War (1824–1826) (East India Company defeats Burmese King Bagyidaw and annexes Assam, Manipur, Arakan and Tenasserim) Treaty of Yandabo, 1826 (East India Company humiliates and extracts 1 million Pounds from the Burmese King Bagyidaw) | |
| William Butterworth Bayley (acting)(1782–1860) | 13 March1828 | 4 July1828 | ||
| Governors-General of India, 1833–1858 | ||||
| Lord William Bentinck(1774–1839) | 4 July1828 | 20 March1835 | First Governor General of India Bengal Sati Regulation, 1829 Suppression of Thuggee (1829–1835) Kol Rebellion (1831) Barasat Uprising (1831), led by Titumir Annexation of Mysore (1831), Coorg (1834), and central Cachar (1834) Charter Act 1833 (administrative reforms as well as formalising the non-discrimination in employment of Indians by religion) English Education Act 1835 and introduction of English as a medium of instruction. English was also introduced by the Bengal government in the Calcutta Madrasa in 1829 Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata (1835) Abolition of the provincial courts of appeal and circuit set by Cornwallis, appointment of commissioners of revenue and circuit Mahalwari System in Central India, Punjab and western Uttar Pradesh Brahmo samaj established by Ram Mohan Roy | William IV |
| Charles Metcalfe, Baronet (acting)(1785–1846) | 20 March1835 | 4 March1836 | Repealed 1823 Licensing Regulations Known as Liberator of India Press Establishment of Calcutta Public Library (1836) (currently known as National Library of India) | |
| George Eden, 1st Earl of Auckland(1784–1849) | 4 March1836 | 28 February1842 | Tripartite Treaty (1838) between British, Shah Shuja and Maharaja Ranjit Singh against Dost Muhammad Khan First Bengali daily newspaper Sambad Prabhakar was published (1839) Tattwabodhini Sabha was formed by Debendranath Tagore (1839) First Anglo Afghan War (1840–1842) (Retreating British Army massacred by Afghan militias during the 1842 retreat from Kabul) Bank of Bombay (1840) established (later Imperial Bank of India, now State Bank of India) | |
| Edward Law, 2nd Baron Ellenborough(1790–1871) | 28 February1842 | June1844 | Gwalior War (1843) (British defeat Marathas) Bank of Madras (1843) established (later Imperial Bank of India, now State Bank of India) Conquest and annexation of Sind Province (1843) Indian Slavery Act, 1843 | Victoria |
| William Wilberforce Bird (acting)(1784–1857) | June1844 | 23 July1844 | ||
| Henry Hardinge(1785–1856) | 23 July1844 | 12 January1848 | The First Anglo-Sikh War (1845–1846) (British Empire defeats the Sikh Empire and confiscate major portion of its territory) Treaty of Lahore (1846) (British confiscated Kashmir from the Sikhs and sold it to Raja of Jammu for 75 lakh rupees) Treaty of Bhairowal (1846) Establishment of Roorkee Engineering College (1847) | |
| James Broun-Ramsay, 10th Earl of Dalhousie(1812–1860) | 12 January1848 | 28 February1856 | Doctrine of Lapse (1848) Second Anglo-Sikh War (1848–1849) (The British totally defeated the Sikh Empire and annexed Punjab) Bethune Collegiate School (1849) (was also known as Calcutta Female School) was established by John Elliot Drinkwater Bethune Religious Disabilities Act, 1850 First telegraph line was laid between Diamond Harbour to Calcutta (1851) Second Anglo-Burmese War (1852) (The sole aim of Dalhousie was to humiliate and annex more of Burmese Territories. Burma was attacked unprovoked) Charter Act, 1853 First Passenger train between Bombay and Thane (1853) Charles Wood Despatch (1854) Post Office Act, 1854 Established Public Works Department (1854) Santhal Rebellion (1855) (15,000 Santhals were killed by the British Army during the rebellion. Elephants were used to destroy Santhal Dwellings) Annexation of Oudh on the grounds of alleged internal misrule (1856) Establishment of summer capital at Shimla Banned female infanticide completely and human sacrifice in Odisha and Maharashtra | |
| Charles Canning, 2nd Viscount Canning(1812–1862) | 28 February1856 | 31 October1858 | Hindu Widows' Remarriage Act, 1856 (drafted by James Broun-Ramsay, Earl of Dalhousie) Indian Rebellion of 1857 University of Calcutta, University of Bombay, and University of Madras were set up (1857) | |
· List of governors-general › Governors-General and Viceroys of India, 1858–1947 (British Crown)
Governors-General and Viceroys of India, 1858–1947
Governors-General and Viceroys of India, 1858–1947
Governor-General or Viceroy(Lifespan)
Governors-General and Viceroys of India, 1858–1947
Charles Canning, 2nd Viscount Canning(1812–1862)
Charles Canning, 2nd Viscount Canning(1812–1862)
Governor-General or Viceroy(Lifespan)
Charles Canning, 2nd Viscount Canning(1812–1862)
Term of office
1 November1858
Term of office
21 March1862
Notable events
Queen Victoria's Proclamation (1 November 1858) and The Government of India Act, 1858
Formation of Imperial Civil Services (1858)
Indigo Revolt in Bengal (1859–1860)
White mutiny by the European troops (1859)
Enactment of Indian Penal Code (1860)
Indian High Courts Act 1861
Indian Councils Act, 1861
Indian Civil Service Act, 1861
Police Act, 1861
Establishment of Archaeological Survey of India (1861)
System of Budget was introduced
Introduced Portfolio System which gave foundation for Cabinet System
Secretary of State for India
Lord Stanley
Charles Wood
Prime Minister
Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby
Viscount Palmerston
James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin(1811–1863)
James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin(1811–1863)
Governor-General or Viceroy(Lifespan)
James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin(1811–1863)
Term of office
21 March1862
Term of office
20 November1863
Notable events
Establishment of Calcutta High Court (2 July), Bombay High Court (14 August) and Madras High Court (15 August) (1862)
Opened up Qing China and Japan to Western trade
Compelled the Qing to sign the Convention of Peking, annexing the Kowloon Peninsula to the British crown colony of Hong Kong
Secretary of State for India
Charles Wood
Prime Minister
Viscount Palmerston
Robert Napier (acting)(1810–1890)
Robert Napier (acting)(1810–1890)
Governor-General or Viceroy(Lifespan)
Robert Napier (acting)(1810–1890)
Term of office
21 November1863
Term of office
2 December1863
William Denison (acting)(1804–1871)
William Denison (acting)(1804–1871)
Governor-General or Viceroy(Lifespan)
William Denison (acting)(1804–1871)
Term of office
2 December1863
Term of office
12 January1864
Sir John Lawrence, 1st Baronet(1811–1879)
Sir John Lawrence, 1st Baronet(1811–1879)
Governor-General or Viceroy(Lifespan)
Sir John Lawrence, 1st Baronet(1811–1879)
Term of office
12 January1864
Term of office
12 January1869
Notable events
Bhutan War (1864–1865) (The British defeated an undefended Bhutan and annexed Assam and Bengal Duars)
Establishment of Shimla as India's summer capital (1864)
Establishment of Allahabad High Court (1866)
Famine Commission was constituted (1867) under Henry Campbell due to Orissa famine of 1866
Tenancy Act was passed in Punjab and Oudh (1868)
Secretary of State for India
Charles Wood
George Robinson, Earl de Grey
Viscount Cranborne
Stafford Northcote
George Campbell, 8th Duke of Argyll
Prime Minister
Viscount Palmerston
John Russell, 1st Earl Russell
Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby
Benjamin Disraeli
William Ewart Gladstone
Richard Bourke, 6th Earl of Mayo(1822–1872)
Richard Bourke, 6th Earl of Mayo(1822–1872)
Governor-General or Viceroy(Lifespan)
Richard Bourke, 6th Earl of Mayo(1822–1872)
Term of office
12 January1869
Term of office
8 February1872
Notable events
Keshub Chandra Sen establishes Indian Reform Association (1870)
Started Financial decentralization (1870)
Enacted IPC amendment-Sedition Act 1870 to tackle Wahabi Movement
Assassinated by Sher Ali Afridi (1872)
Started the Census in India (1872)
Established the Department of Agriculture and Commerce (1872)
Established Statistical Survey of India (1872)
Opening of Rajkumar college in Rajkot and Mayo College at Ajmer for political training of Indian Princes
Secretary of State for India
George Campbell, 8th Duke of Argyll
Prime Minister
William Ewart Gladstone
John Strachey (acting)(1823–1907)
John Strachey (acting)(1823–1907)
Governor-General or Viceroy(Lifespan)
John Strachey (acting)(1823–1907)
Term of office
9 February1872
Term of office
23 February1872
Francis Napier, 10th Lord Napier (acting)(1819–1898)
Francis Napier, 10th Lord Napier (acting)(1819–1898)
Governor-General or Viceroy(Lifespan)
Francis Napier, 10th Lord Napier (acting)(1819–1898)
Term of office
24 February1872
Term of office
3 May1872
Thomas Baring, 2nd Baron Northbrook(1826–1904)
Thomas Baring, 2nd Baron Northbrook(1826–1904)
Governor-General or Viceroy(Lifespan)
Thomas Baring, 2nd Baron Northbrook(1826–1904)
Term of office
3 May1872
Term of office
12 April1876
Notable events
He suppressed Kuka rebellion in Punjab led by Ram Singh (1872)
Jyotiba Phule launches the Satyashodhak Samaj in Maharashtra (1873) against the caste system and the Untouchability practice
Trial of Gaekwad of Baroda (1874)
Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College founded by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan (1875)
Prince of Wales Edward VII visited India (1875)
Dramatic Performances Act, 1876
He resigned (1876), being asked by the British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli to make a treaty with the Emir of Afghanistan Sher Ali Khan
Secretary of State for India
George Campbell, 8th Duke of Argyll
Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury
Prime Minister
William Ewart Gladstone
Benjamin Disraeli
Robert Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Earl of Lytton(1831–1891)
Robert Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Earl of Lytton(1831–1891)
Governor-General or Viceroy(Lifespan)
Robert Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Earl of Lytton(1831–1891)
Term of office
12 April1876
Term of office
8 June1880
Notable events
Royal Titles Act, 1876 by which Queen Victoria assumed the title of 'Empress of India'
Great Famine of 1876–1878, a 'Famine Commission' was constituted under Richard Strachey (1878)
First Delhi Durbar (of three) (1877)
Vernacular Press Act, 1878
Arms Act, 1878
Second Anglo-Afghan War, (1878–1880)
Treaty of Gandamak signed (1879)
Decreased the maximum age of appearing in civil services from 21 to 19
Secretary of State for India
Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury
Gathorne Gathorne-Hardy, Viscount Cranbrook
Marquess of Hartington
Prime Minister
Benjamin Disraeli
William Ewart Gladstone
George Robinson, 1st Marquess of Ripon(1827–1909)
George Robinson, 1st Marquess of Ripon(1827–1909)
Governor-General or Viceroy(Lifespan)
George Robinson, 1st Marquess of Ripon(1827–1909)
Term of office
8 June1880
Term of office
13 December1884
Notable events
First Factory Act (1881)
Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881
First complete Census in India (1881)
Repeal of the Vernacular Press Act (1882)
Establishment of Panjab University (1882)
Government resolution on local self-government (1882)
Appointment of Education Commission under Sir William Wilson Hunter (1882)
Ilbert Bill (1883)
Passed Famine codes (1883)
Increased the maximum age of appearing in civil services from 18 to 21
Secretary of State for India
Marquess of Hartington
John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley
Prime Minister
William Ewart Gladstone
Frederick Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 1st Earl of Dufferin(1826–1902)
Frederick Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 1st Earl of Dufferin(1826–1902)
Governor-General or Viceroy(Lifespan)
Frederick Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 1st Earl of Dufferin(1826–1902)
Term of office
13 December1884
Term of office
10 December1888
Notable events
Formation of Indian National Congress (1885)
Bengal Tenancy Act (1885)
Third Anglo-Burmese War (1885)
Burma was made a province of India, with Rangoon as its capital (1886)
Secretary of State for India
John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley
Lord Randolph Churchill
John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley
R. A. Cross, 1st Viscount Cross
Prime Minister
William Ewart Gladstone
Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury
William Ewart Gladstone
Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury
Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 5th Marquess of Lansdowne(1845–1927)
Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 5th Marquess of Lansdowne(1845–1927)
Governor-General or Viceroy(Lifespan)
Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 5th Marquess of Lansdowne(1845–1927)
Term of office
10 December1888
Term of office
21 January1894
Notable events
Age of Consent Act, 1891 was passed to prohibit the marriages of girl child under the age of 12
Second Factory Act 1891
Indian Councils Act 1892
Setting up the Durand Commission (1893) (India-Afghanistan)
Secretary of State for India
R. A. Cross, 1st Viscount Cross
John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley
Henry Fowler
Prime Minister
Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury
William Ewart Gladstone
Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery
Victor Bruce, 9th Earl of Elgin (1849–1917)
Victor Bruce, 9th Earl of Elgin (1849–1917)
Governor-General or Viceroy(Lifespan)
Victor Bruce, 9th Earl of Elgin (1849–1917)
Term of office
21 January1894
Term of office
6 January1899
Notable events
Spread of Bubonic plague in Bombay (1896)
Indian famine of 1896–1897
Establishment of the Ramakrishna Mission by Swami Vivekananda at Belur Math (1897)
Assassination of two British officials (Walter Charles Rand and Ayerst) by the Chapekar brothers (1897)
Secretary of State for India
Henry Fowler
Lord George Hamilton
Prime Minister
Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery
Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury
George Curzon, 1st Baron Curzon of Kedleston(1859–1925)
George Curzon, 1st Baron Curzon of Kedleston(1859–1925)
Governor-General or Viceroy(Lifespan)
George Curzon, 1st Baron Curzon of Kedleston(1859–1925)
Term of office
6 January1899
Term of office
18 November1905
Notable events
Indian famine of 1899–1900
Munda (Ulgulan) rebellion led by Birsa Munda (1899–1900)
Department of Agriculture was constituted (1901)
Creation of North-West Frontier Province (1901)
Appointment of Police Commission under Andrew Frazer (1902)
Appointment of Raleigh University Commission (1902) (Indian Universities Act, 1904 was passed as per the recommendation of this commission)
Second Delhi Durbar (of three) (1903)
Younghusband expedition to Tibet under Francis Younghusband (1903–1904)
Benaras Hindu Girls School was established by Annie Besant (1904)
Archaeological Department was established under Ancient Monuments Preservation Act 1904
Official Secrets Act 1904 to curb free press
Agricultural Research Institute at Pusa in Bihar was established (1905)
Partition of Bengal (1905)
Swadeshi Movement (1905–1911) against Partition of Bengal by Lal Bal Pal-Aurbindo Ghosh
Secretary of State for India
Lord George Hamilton
William St John Brodrick
Prime Minister
Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury
Arthur Balfour
Appointed by Edward VII (1901–1910)
Appointed by Edward VII (1901–1910)
Governor-General or Viceroy(Lifespan)
Appointed by Edward VII (1901–1910)
Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 4th Earl of Minto(1845–1914)
Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 4th Earl of Minto(1845–1914)
Governor-General or Viceroy(Lifespan)
Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 4th Earl of Minto(1845–1914)
Term of office
18 November1905
Term of office
23 November1910
Notable events
Establishment of Muslim League by Aga Khan III and Khwaja Salimullah (Nawab of Dhaka) (1906)
Foundation of Jugantar revolutionary group in Bengal (1906)
Foundation stone of 'Victoria Memorial' laid (1906)
Split in Congress (1907) (in Surat session)
Satyendra Prasanna Sinha became first Indian member to be appointed in Viceroy's Executive Council
Seditious meetings (prohibition) Act 1907 to curb the extremist movement
Jamsetji Tata established TISCO (1907)
Newspapers Act 1908
Morley–Minto reforms (1909)
Indian Press Act, 1910
Secretary of State for India
William St John Brodrick
John Morley
Robert Crewe-Milnes, Earl of Crewe
Prime Minister
Arthur Balfour
Henry Campbell-Bannerman
H. H. Asquith
Appointed by George V (1910–1936)
Appointed by George V (1910–1936)
Governor-General or Viceroy(Lifespan)
Appointed by George V (1910–1936)
Charles Hardinge, 1st Baron Hardinge of Penshurst(1858–1944)
Charles Hardinge, 1st Baron Hardinge of Penshurst(1858–1944)
Governor-General or Viceroy(Lifespan)
Charles Hardinge, 1st Baron Hardinge of Penshurst(1858–1944)
Term of office
23 November1910
Term of office
4 April1916
Notable events
Third Delhi Durbar (1911)
Annulment of Partition of Bengal by King George V (1911)
Transfer of capital from Calcutta to New Delhi (1911)
Partition of Bengal to form Bihar and Orissa province (1912)
World War I (1914–1918)
Komagata Maru incident (1914)
McMahon border line was created between India and China (1914)
Ghadar Mutiny (1915)
Mahatma Gandhi came back to India from South Africa (1915)
Foundation of Hindu Mahasabha by Madan Mohan Malviya (1915)
Foundation of Banaras Hindu University (1916)
Secretary of State for India
Robert Crewe-Milnes, Earl of Crewe
John Morley, 1st Viscount Morley of Blackburn
Robert Crewe-Milnes, 1st Marquess of Crewe
Austen Chamberlain
Prime Minister
H. H. Asquith
Frederic Thesiger, 1st Viscount Chelmsford(1868–1933)
Frederic Thesiger, 1st Viscount Chelmsford(1868–1933)
Governor-General or Viceroy(Lifespan)
Frederic Thesiger, 1st Viscount Chelmsford(1868–1933)
Term of office
4 April1916
Term of office
2 April1921
Notable events
Formation of Indian Home Rule movement by Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Annie Besant (1916)
First Women's University (SNDT Women's University) at Pune was founded by Dhondo Keshav Karve (1916)
Lucknow Pact (1916) (between Indian National Congress and Muslim League)
Champaran Satyagraha (1917), the first satyagraha movement led by Mahatma Gandhi in British India
August Declaration, 1917
Saddler University Commission or Calcutta Commission (1917)
Kheda Satyagraha of 1918
Montagu–Chelmsford Reforms (1919)
Government of India Act 1919
Rowlatt Act (1919)
Jallianwala Bagh massacre (1919)
Khilafat Movement (1919–1920) (later merged with Non-cooperation movement in 1920)
Foundation of Aligarh Muslim University (1920)
Non-cooperation movement (1920–1922)
Imperial Bank of India (now State Bank of India established in 1921)
Secretary of State for India
Austen Chamberlain
Edwin Montagu
Prime Minister
H. H. Asquith
David Lloyd George
Rufus Isaacs, 1st Marquess of Reading(1860–1935)
Rufus Isaacs, 1st Marquess of Reading(1860–1935)
Governor-General or Viceroy(Lifespan)
Rufus Isaacs, 1st Marquess of Reading(1860–1935)
Term of office
2 April1921
Term of office
3 April1926
Notable events
Annulment of Press Act of 1910 and Rowlatt Act of 1919
Malabar rebellion (also known as Moplah Rebellion), first Ethnic Rebellion (1921)
Rabindranath Tagore founded Visva-Bharati University (1921)
Chauri Chaura incident (1922) and withdrawal of Non-cooperation movement by Mahatma Gandhi
Formation of Swaraj Party (1923)
Appointment of Lee Commission (1923) on public services reforms
Railway budget was separated from general budget since 1924 (this tradition continued till 2016)
Kakori train robbery (1925)
Foundation of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh by K. B. Hedgewar (1925)
Foundation of the Communist Party of India in Kanpur (1925)
Secretary of State for India
Edwin Montagu
William Peel, Viscount Peel
Sydney Olivier, 1st Baron Olivier
F. E. Smith, 1st Earl of Birkenhead
Prime Minister
David Lloyd George
Bonar Law
Stanley Baldwin
Ramsay MacDonald
Stanley Baldwin
E. F. L. Wood, 1st Baron Irwin(1881–1959)
E. F. L. Wood, 1st Baron Irwin(1881–1959)
Governor-General or Viceroy(Lifespan)
E. F. L. Wood, 1st Baron Irwin(1881–1959)
Term of office
3 April1926
Term of office
18 April1931
Notable events
Simon Commission (1928)
Nehru Report (1928)
Death of Lala Lajpat Rai (1928)
Fourteen Points of Jinnah (1929)
Purna Swaraj declaration (1929)
Meerut Conspiracy Case (1929)
Bombing in Central Legislative Assembly by Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt (8 April 1929)
"Deepavali Declaration" (31 October 1929, to grant India dominion status in due course)
Appointment of "Hartog Committee" (1929) to survey the growth of education in British India
Launching of Civil disobedience movement with Salt March (1930)
Dharasana Satyagraha (1930)
First Round Table Conferences (1930)
Allahabad Address by Sir Muhammad Iqbal (1930)
Chittagong armoury raid (1930)
Gandhi–Irwin Pact (1931)
Execution of Bhagat Singh, Shivaram Rajguru, and Sukhdev Thapar (1931)
Secretary of State for India
F. E. Smith, 1st Earl of Birkenhead
William Peel, Viscount Peel
Prime Minister
Stanley Baldwin
Ramsay MacDonald
George Goschen, 2nd Viscount Goschen (acting)(1866–1952)
George Goschen, 2nd Viscount Goschen (acting)(1866–1952)
Governor-General or Viceroy(Lifespan)
George Goschen, 2nd Viscount Goschen (acting)(1866–1952)
Term of office
29 June1929
Term of office
11 November 1929
Secretary of State for India
William Peel, Viscount Peel, William Wedgwood Benn
Freeman Freeman-Thomas, 1st Earl of Willingdon(1866–1941)
Freeman Freeman-Thomas, 1st Earl of Willingdon(1866–1941)
Governor-General or Viceroy(Lifespan)
Freeman Freeman-Thomas, 1st Earl of Willingdon(1866–1941)
Term of office
18 April1931
Term of office
18 April1936
Notable events
Second Round Table Conference (1931)
Announcement of Communal Award by Ramsay MacDonald (1932)
Poona Pact between Mahatma Gandhi and B. R. Ambedkar (1932)
Third Round Table Conference (1932)
Pakistan Declaration (1933)
Foundation of Congress Socialist Party (1934)
Reserve Bank of India established by passing The Reserve Bank of India Act 1934
Government of India Act 1935
Formation of All India Kisan Sabha (1936)
Secretary of State for India
William Wedgwood Benn
Samuel Hoare
Lawrence Dundas, 2nd Marquess of Zetland
Prime Minister
Ramsay MacDonald
Stanley Baldwin
Appointed by Edward VIII (1936)
Appointed by Edward VIII (1936)
Governor-General or Viceroy(Lifespan)
Appointed by Edward VIII (1936)
Victor Hope, 2nd Marquess of Linlithgow(1887–1952)
Victor Hope, 2nd Marquess of Linlithgow(1887–1952)
Governor-General or Viceroy(Lifespan)
Victor Hope, 2nd Marquess of Linlithgow(1887–1952)
Term of office
18 April1936
Term of office
1 October1943
Notable events
Indian provincial elections (1937)
Indian entry into World War II (1939)
Day of Deliverance (1939)
Formation of All India Forward Bloc (1939)
Lahore Resolution (1940)
August Offer (1940)
Cripps Mission (1942)
Formation of Indian Legion (1942)
Quit India Movement (1942)
Formation of Indian National Army (1942)
Bengal famine (1943)
Secretary of State for India
Lawrence Dundas, 2nd Marquess of Zetland
Leo Amery
Prime Minister
Stanley Baldwin
Neville Chamberlain
Winston Churchill
Appointed by George VI (1936–1947) (as Emperor of India)
Appointed by George VI (1936–1947) (as Emperor of India)
Governor-General or Viceroy(Lifespan)
Appointed by George VI (1936–1947) (as Emperor of India)
Archibald Wavell, 1st Viscount Wavell(1883–1950)
Archibald Wavell, 1st Viscount Wavell(1883–1950)
Governor-General or Viceroy(Lifespan)
Archibald Wavell, 1st Viscount Wavell(1883–1950)
Term of office
1 October1943
Term of office
21 February1947
Notable events
C. R. formula (1944)
Simla Conference (1945)
World War II ended (1945)
Indian National Army (INA) trials (1945–1946)
Cabinet Mission (1946)
Direct Action Day (16 August 1946)
Interim Government was formed (1946)
Royal Indian Navy mutiny (1946)
Secretary of State for India
Leo Amery
Frederick Pethick-Lawrence, 1st Baron Pethick-Lawrence
Prime Minister
Winston Churchill
Clement Attlee
Louis Mountbatten, 1st Viscount Mountbatten of Burma(1900–1979)
Louis Mountbatten, 1st Viscount Mountbatten of Burma(1900–1979)
Governor-General or Viceroy(Lifespan)
Louis Mountbatten, 1st Viscount Mountbatten of Burma(1900–1979)
Term of office
21 February1947
Term of office
15 August1947
Notable events
Indian Independence Act 1947 (18 July 1947)
Radcliffe Commission was appointed under the chairmanship of Cyril Radcliffe to demarcate the border line of Bengal Presidency and Punjab Province
Secretary of State for India
Frederick Pethick-Lawrence, 1st Baron Pethick-Lawrence
William Hare, 5th Earl of Listowel
Prime Minister
Clement Attlee
| Governor-General or Viceroy(Lifespan) | Term of office | Notable events | Secretary of State for India | Prime Minister | |
| Governors-General and Viceroys of India, 1858–1947 | |||||
| Charles Canning, 2nd Viscount Canning(1812–1862) | 1 November1858 | 21 March1862 | Queen Victoria's Proclamation (1 November 1858) and The Government of India Act, 1858 Formation of Imperial Civil Services (1858) Indigo Revolt in Bengal (1859–1860) White mutiny by the European troops (1859) Enactment of Indian Penal Code (1860) Indian High Courts Act 1861 Indian Councils Act, 1861 Indian Civil Service Act, 1861 Police Act, 1861 Establishment of Archaeological Survey of India (1861) System of Budget was introduced Introduced Portfolio System which gave foundation for Cabinet System | Lord Stanley Charles Wood | Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby Viscount Palmerston |
| James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin(1811–1863) | 21 March1862 | 20 November1863 | Establishment of Calcutta High Court (2 July), Bombay High Court (14 August) and Madras High Court (15 August) (1862) Opened up Qing China and Japan to Western trade Compelled the Qing to sign the Convention of Peking, annexing the Kowloon Peninsula to the British crown colony of Hong Kong | Charles Wood | Viscount Palmerston |
| Robert Napier (acting)(1810–1890) | 21 November1863 | 2 December1863 | |||
| William Denison (acting)(1804–1871) | 2 December1863 | 12 January1864 | |||
| Sir John Lawrence, 1st Baronet(1811–1879) | 12 January1864 | 12 January1869 | Bhutan War (1864–1865) (The British defeated an undefended Bhutan and annexed Assam and Bengal Duars) Establishment of Shimla as India's summer capital (1864) Establishment of Allahabad High Court (1866) Famine Commission was constituted (1867) under Henry Campbell due to Orissa famine of 1866 Tenancy Act was passed in Punjab and Oudh (1868) | Charles Wood George Robinson, Earl de Grey Viscount Cranborne Stafford Northcote George Campbell, 8th Duke of Argyll | Viscount Palmerston John Russell, 1st Earl Russell Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby Benjamin Disraeli William Ewart Gladstone |
| Richard Bourke, 6th Earl of Mayo(1822–1872) | 12 January1869 | 8 February1872 | Keshub Chandra Sen establishes Indian Reform Association (1870) Started Financial decentralization (1870) Enacted IPC amendment-Sedition Act 1870 to tackle Wahabi Movement Assassinated by Sher Ali Afridi (1872) Started the Census in India (1872) Established the Department of Agriculture and Commerce (1872) Established Statistical Survey of India (1872) Opening of Rajkumar college in Rajkot and Mayo College at Ajmer for political training of Indian Princes | George Campbell, 8th Duke of Argyll | William Ewart Gladstone |
| John Strachey (acting)(1823–1907) | 9 February1872 | 23 February1872 | |||
| Francis Napier, 10th Lord Napier (acting)(1819–1898) | 24 February1872 | 3 May1872 | |||
| Thomas Baring, 2nd Baron Northbrook(1826–1904) | 3 May1872 | 12 April1876 | He suppressed Kuka rebellion in Punjab led by Ram Singh (1872) Jyotiba Phule launches the Satyashodhak Samaj in Maharashtra (1873) against the caste system and the Untouchability practice Trial of Gaekwad of Baroda (1874) Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College founded by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan (1875) Prince of Wales Edward VII visited India (1875) Dramatic Performances Act, 1876 He resigned (1876), being asked by the British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli to make a treaty with the Emir of Afghanistan Sher Ali Khan | George Campbell, 8th Duke of Argyll Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury | William Ewart Gladstone Benjamin Disraeli |
| Robert Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Earl of Lytton(1831–1891) | 12 April1876 | 8 June1880 | Royal Titles Act, 1876 by which Queen Victoria assumed the title of 'Empress of India' Great Famine of 1876–1878, a 'Famine Commission' was constituted under Richard Strachey (1878) First Delhi Durbar (of three) (1877) Vernacular Press Act, 1878 Arms Act, 1878 Second Anglo-Afghan War, (1878–1880) Treaty of Gandamak signed (1879) Decreased the maximum age of appearing in civil services from 21 to 19 | Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury Gathorne Gathorne-Hardy, Viscount Cranbrook Marquess of Hartington | Benjamin Disraeli William Ewart Gladstone |
| George Robinson, 1st Marquess of Ripon(1827–1909) | 8 June1880 | 13 December1884 | First Factory Act (1881) Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 First complete Census in India (1881) Repeal of the Vernacular Press Act (1882) Establishment of Panjab University (1882) Government resolution on local self-government (1882) Appointment of Education Commission under Sir William Wilson Hunter (1882) Ilbert Bill (1883) Passed Famine codes (1883) Increased the maximum age of appearing in civil services from 18 to 21 | Marquess of Hartington John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley | William Ewart Gladstone |
| Frederick Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 1st Earl of Dufferin(1826–1902) | 13 December1884 | 10 December1888 | Formation of Indian National Congress (1885) Bengal Tenancy Act (1885) Third Anglo-Burmese War (1885) Burma was made a province of India, with Rangoon as its capital (1886) | John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley Lord Randolph Churchill John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley R. A. Cross, 1st Viscount Cross | William Ewart Gladstone Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury William Ewart Gladstone Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury |
| Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 5th Marquess of Lansdowne(1845–1927) | 10 December1888 | 21 January1894 | Age of Consent Act, 1891 was passed to prohibit the marriages of girl child under the age of 12 Second Factory Act 1891 Indian Councils Act 1892 Setting up the Durand Commission (1893) (India-Afghanistan) | R. A. Cross, 1st Viscount Cross John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley Henry Fowler | Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury William Ewart Gladstone Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery |
| Victor Bruce, 9th Earl of Elgin (1849–1917) | 21 January1894 | 6 January1899 | Spread of Bubonic plague in Bombay (1896) Indian famine of 1896–1897 Establishment of the Ramakrishna Mission by Swami Vivekananda at Belur Math (1897) Assassination of two British officials (Walter Charles Rand and Ayerst) by the Chapekar brothers (1897) | Henry Fowler Lord George Hamilton | Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury |
| George Curzon, 1st Baron Curzon of Kedleston(1859–1925) | 6 January1899 | 18 November1905 | Indian famine of 1899–1900 Munda (Ulgulan) rebellion led by Birsa Munda (1899–1900) Department of Agriculture was constituted (1901) Creation of North-West Frontier Province (1901) Appointment of Police Commission under Andrew Frazer (1902) Appointment of Raleigh University Commission (1902) (Indian Universities Act, 1904 was passed as per the recommendation of this commission) Second Delhi Durbar (of three) (1903) Younghusband expedition to Tibet under Francis Younghusband (1903–1904) Benaras Hindu Girls School was established by Annie Besant (1904) Archaeological Department was established under Ancient Monuments Preservation Act 1904 Official Secrets Act 1904 to curb free press Agricultural Research Institute at Pusa in Bihar was established (1905) Partition of Bengal (1905) Swadeshi Movement (1905–1911) against Partition of Bengal by Lal Bal Pal-Aurbindo Ghosh | Lord George Hamilton William St John Brodrick | Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury Arthur Balfour |
| Appointed by Edward VII (1901–1910) | |||||
| Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 4th Earl of Minto(1845–1914) | 18 November1905 | 23 November1910 | Establishment of Muslim League by Aga Khan III and Khwaja Salimullah (Nawab of Dhaka) (1906) Foundation of Jugantar revolutionary group in Bengal (1906) Foundation stone of 'Victoria Memorial' laid (1906) Split in Congress (1907) (in Surat session) Satyendra Prasanna Sinha became first Indian member to be appointed in Viceroy's Executive Council Seditious meetings (prohibition) Act 1907 to curb the extremist movement Jamsetji Tata established TISCO (1907) Newspapers Act 1908 Morley–Minto reforms (1909) Indian Press Act, 1910 | William St John Brodrick John Morley Robert Crewe-Milnes, Earl of Crewe | Arthur Balfour Henry Campbell-Bannerman H. H. Asquith |
| Appointed by George V (1910–1936) | |||||
| Charles Hardinge, 1st Baron Hardinge of Penshurst(1858–1944) | 23 November1910 | 4 April1916 | Third Delhi Durbar (1911) Annulment of Partition of Bengal by King George V (1911) Transfer of capital from Calcutta to New Delhi (1911) Partition of Bengal to form Bihar and Orissa province (1912) World War I (1914–1918) Komagata Maru incident (1914) McMahon border line was created between India and China (1914) Ghadar Mutiny (1915) Mahatma Gandhi came back to India from South Africa (1915) Foundation of Hindu Mahasabha by Madan Mohan Malviya (1915) Foundation of Banaras Hindu University (1916) | Robert Crewe-Milnes, Earl of Crewe John Morley, 1st Viscount Morley of Blackburn Robert Crewe-Milnes, 1st Marquess of Crewe Austen Chamberlain | H. H. Asquith |
| Frederic Thesiger, 1st Viscount Chelmsford(1868–1933) | 4 April1916 | 2 April1921 | Formation of Indian Home Rule movement by Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Annie Besant (1916) First Women's University (SNDT Women's University) at Pune was founded by Dhondo Keshav Karve (1916) Lucknow Pact (1916) (between Indian National Congress and Muslim League) Champaran Satyagraha (1917), the first satyagraha movement led by Mahatma Gandhi in British India August Declaration, 1917 Saddler University Commission or Calcutta Commission (1917) Kheda Satyagraha of 1918 Montagu–Chelmsford Reforms (1919) Government of India Act 1919 Rowlatt Act (1919) Jallianwala Bagh massacre (1919) Khilafat Movement (1919–1920) (later merged with Non-cooperation movement in 1920) Foundation of Aligarh Muslim University (1920) Non-cooperation movement (1920–1922) Imperial Bank of India (now State Bank of India established in 1921) | Austen Chamberlain Edwin Montagu | H. H. Asquith David Lloyd George |
| Rufus Isaacs, 1st Marquess of Reading(1860–1935) | 2 April1921 | 3 April1926 | Annulment of Press Act of 1910 and Rowlatt Act of 1919 Malabar rebellion (also known as Moplah Rebellion), first Ethnic Rebellion (1921) Rabindranath Tagore founded Visva-Bharati University (1921) Chauri Chaura incident (1922) and withdrawal of Non-cooperation movement by Mahatma Gandhi Formation of Swaraj Party (1923) Appointment of Lee Commission (1923) on public services reforms Railway budget was separated from general budget since 1924 (this tradition continued till 2016) Kakori train robbery (1925) Foundation of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh by K. B. Hedgewar (1925) Foundation of the Communist Party of India in Kanpur (1925) | Edwin Montagu William Peel, Viscount Peel Sydney Olivier, 1st Baron Olivier F. E. Smith, 1st Earl of Birkenhead | David Lloyd George Bonar Law Stanley Baldwin Ramsay MacDonald Stanley Baldwin |
| E. F. L. Wood, 1st Baron Irwin(1881–1959) | 3 April1926 | 18 April1931 | Simon Commission (1928) Nehru Report (1928) Death of Lala Lajpat Rai (1928) Fourteen Points of Jinnah (1929) Purna Swaraj declaration (1929) Meerut Conspiracy Case (1929) Bombing in Central Legislative Assembly by Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt (8 April 1929) "Deepavali Declaration" (31 October 1929, to grant India dominion status in due course) Appointment of "Hartog Committee" (1929) to survey the growth of education in British India Launching of Civil disobedience movement with Salt March (1930) Dharasana Satyagraha (1930) First Round Table Conferences (1930) Allahabad Address by Sir Muhammad Iqbal (1930) Chittagong armoury raid (1930) Gandhi–Irwin Pact (1931) Execution of Bhagat Singh, Shivaram Rajguru, and Sukhdev Thapar (1931) | F. E. Smith, 1st Earl of Birkenhead William Peel, Viscount Peel | Stanley Baldwin Ramsay MacDonald |
| George Goschen, 2nd Viscount Goschen (acting)(1866–1952) | 29 June1929 | 11 November 1929 | William Peel, Viscount Peel, William Wedgwood Benn | ||
| Freeman Freeman-Thomas, 1st Earl of Willingdon(1866–1941) | 18 April1931 | 18 April1936 | Second Round Table Conference (1931) Announcement of Communal Award by Ramsay MacDonald (1932) Poona Pact between Mahatma Gandhi and B. R. Ambedkar (1932) Third Round Table Conference (1932) Pakistan Declaration (1933) Foundation of Congress Socialist Party (1934) Reserve Bank of India established by passing The Reserve Bank of India Act 1934 Government of India Act 1935 Formation of All India Kisan Sabha (1936) | William Wedgwood Benn Samuel Hoare Lawrence Dundas, 2nd Marquess of Zetland | Ramsay MacDonald Stanley Baldwin |
| Appointed by Edward VIII (1936) | |||||
| Victor Hope, 2nd Marquess of Linlithgow(1887–1952) | 18 April1936 | 1 October1943 | Indian provincial elections (1937) Indian entry into World War II (1939) Day of Deliverance (1939) Formation of All India Forward Bloc (1939) Lahore Resolution (1940) August Offer (1940) Cripps Mission (1942) Formation of Indian Legion (1942) Quit India Movement (1942) Formation of Indian National Army (1942) Bengal famine (1943) | Lawrence Dundas, 2nd Marquess of Zetland Leo Amery | Stanley Baldwin Neville Chamberlain Winston Churchill |
| Appointed by George VI (1936–1947) (as Emperor of India) | |||||
| Archibald Wavell, 1st Viscount Wavell(1883–1950) | 1 October1943 | 21 February1947 | C. R. formula (1944) Simla Conference (1945) World War II ended (1945) Indian National Army (INA) trials (1945–1946) Cabinet Mission (1946) Direct Action Day (16 August 1946) Interim Government was formed (1946) Royal Indian Navy mutiny (1946) | Leo Amery Frederick Pethick-Lawrence, 1st Baron Pethick-Lawrence | Winston Churchill Clement Attlee |
| Louis Mountbatten, 1st Viscount Mountbatten of Burma(1900–1979) | 21 February1947 | 15 August1947 | Indian Independence Act 1947 (18 July 1947) Radcliffe Commission was appointed under the chairmanship of Cyril Radcliffe to demarcate the border line of Bengal Presidency and Punjab Province | Frederick Pethick-Lawrence, 1st Baron Pethick-Lawrence William Hare, 5th Earl of Listowel | Clement Attlee |
· List of governors-general › Governors-General of the Dominion of India, 1947–1950
Governors-General of the Dominion of India, 1947–1950
Governors-General of the Dominion of India, 1947–1950
Governor-General(Lifespan)
Governors-General of the Dominion of India, 1947–1950
Appointed by George VI (1947–1950) (as King of India)
Appointed by George VI (1947–1950) (as King of India)
Governor-General(Lifespan)
Appointed by George VI (1947–1950) (as King of India)
Louis Mountbatten, 1st Viscount Mountbatten of Burma(1900–1979)
Louis Mountbatten, 1st Viscount Mountbatten of Burma(1900–1979)
Governor-General(Lifespan)
Louis Mountbatten, 1st Viscount Mountbatten of Burma(1900–1979)
Term of office
15 August1947
Term of office
21 June1948
Notable events
First Governor-General of the Union of India
Prime Minister
Jawaharlal Nehru
Chakravarti Rajagopalachari(1878–1972)
Chakravarti Rajagopalachari(1878–1972)
Governor-General(Lifespan)
Chakravarti Rajagopalachari(1878–1972)
Term of office
21 June1948
Term of office
26 January1950
Notable events
Last Governor-General of India, before the office was permanently abolished (1950)
First and only Indian-born Governor-General of India
| Governor-General(Lifespan) | Term of office | Notable events | Prime Minister | |
| Governors-General of the Dominion of India, 1947–1950 | ||||
| Appointed by George VI (1947–1950) (as King of India) | ||||
| Louis Mountbatten, 1st Viscount Mountbatten of Burma(1900–1979) | 15 August1947 | 21 June1948 | First Governor-General of the Union of India | Jawaharlal Nehru |
| Chakravarti Rajagopalachari(1878–1972) | 21 June1948 | 26 January1950 | Last Governor-General of India, before the office was permanently abolished (1950) First and only Indian-born Governor-General of India | |
References
- Originally joined on 28 April 1772.
- Earl Cornwallis from 1762; created Marquess Cornwallis (1792).
- Created Marquess Wellesley (1799).
- Earl of Moira prior to being created Marquess of Hastings in 1816.
- Created Earl Amherst in 1826.
- Created Earl of Auckland in 1839.
- Created Viscount Hardinge in 1846.
- Created Marquess of Dalhousie 1849.
- Created Earl Canning 1859.
- Oliver Russell, 2nd Baron Ampthill was acting Governor-General in 1904.
- Created Earl Mountbatten of Burma on 28 October 1947.
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