List of Governors-General

Portrait Name Term of office Notable events Appointer

(Birth–Death)
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.

For the list of Governors of Bengal see List of governors of Bengal.

Governors General of the Presidency of Fort William (Bengal), 1773–1833
 Regulating Act of 1773 East India
 Supreme Council of Bengal Company
 Supreme Court of Judicature at Fort William (1774) was established
 Asiatic Society of Bengal (1784)
 Pitt's India Act (1784)
 Stopped Mughal pension to Shah Alam II
 Abolished the Dual System in Bengal (Which was introduced by Robert Clive). [1] (1773–1858)
 Moved Treasury from Murshidabad to Calcutta
 James Augustus Hicky's Bengal Gazette- First Indian newspaper published (in 1780)
20 October  First Anglo-Maratha War (1775–82)
Warren Hastings 8 February
1773  Second Anglo-Mysore war (1780–84)
(1732–1818) [nb 1] 1785  First Rohilla War of 1773–1774
 Ring fence policy
 Founded Calcutta Madrasa (Aliah University)
 Creation of collector post
 The first Governor General to be prosecuted for impeachment. (As a consequence of his involvement in
First Rohilla War)[2]

 Experimentation on land settlements. (1772-five years settlement, changed to 1 year in 1776)

 English Translation of Bhagwat Gita by Charles Wilkins[3]

John Macpherson 8 February 12

(acting) 1785 September
(1745–1821) 1786

Charles Cornwallis
The Marquess Cornwallis [nb 2]
(1738–1805)
 Established lower courts and appellate courts
 Permanent Settlement in Bihar and Bengal in 1793
 3rd Anglo-Mysore war (1790–92)
12  Introduction of Cornwallis Code
28 October
September  Introduction of Civil Services in India
1786 1793  Sanskrit Vidyalaya at Benares (now Varanasi) established by Johnathan Duncan(then Governor of
Bombay)
 Introduced Sunset Law

 Policy of Non-intervention
 Charter Act of 1793
John Shore 28 October 18 March
 Second Rohilla War 1794
(1751–1834) 1793 1798  Battle of Kharda between Nizam and Marathas (1795)

Alured Clarke 18 March 18 May

(acting)
1798 1798
(1744–1832)

 Introduction of Subsidiary Alliance (1798)

 Fourth Anglo Mysore War 1799
Richard Wellesley, Earl of Mornington 18 May 30 July  Second Anglo-Maratha War (1803–05)[4]
[nb 3]
1798 1805  Fort William College at Calcutta (1800)
(1760–1842)  Raj Bhavan at Calcutta was established in 1803

The Marquess Cornwallis 30 July 5 October

(1738–1805) 1805 1805
 Sir George Barlow, Bt  Sepoy mutiny at Vellore (The prelude to the First War of Independence of India)
10 October 31 July
(acting)  Bank of Calcutta (1806) established (later Imperial Bank of India, now State Bank of India)
1805 1807
(1762–1847)

 Charter Act of 1813

The Lord Minto 31 July 4 October
 Treaty of Amritsar, 1809 with Maharaja Ranjit Singh
(1751–1814) 1807 1813

Francis Rawdon-Hastings, 1st
Marquess of Hastings [nb 4]
(1754–1826)

Ended the policy of Non-intervention
 Third Anglo-Maratha War (1816–1818)
 Treaty of Sugauli (1816)
 Creation of Bombay Presidency in 1818
4 October 9 January  Establishment of Ryotwari System in Madras (1820)
1813 1823  Establishment of Mahalwari System in Northern India (1822)
 Hindu College (now Presidency University) at Calcutta in 1817
 The Pindari War (1817–1818) (Complete Destruction of the Pindari Clan of India)
 General Committee of Public Instruction was formed in 1823

John Adam  Licensing Regulations

9 January 1 August
(acting)  Calcutta Unitarian Committee established by Raja Ram Mohan Roy
1823 1823
(1779–1825)

 First Anglo-Burmese War (1824–26) (East India Company defeats Burmese King Bagyidaw and annexes
Assam, Manipur, Arakan and Tenasserim)
The Lord Amherst[nb 5] 1 August 13 March  Establishment of Sanskrit College at Calcutta (1824)
(1773–1857) 1823 1828  Treaty of Yandabo, 1826 (East India Company humiliates and extracts 1 million Pounds from the Burmese
King Bagyidaw)

William Butterworth Bayley 13 March 4 July

(acting)
1828 1828
(1782–1860)
Governors-General of India, 1833–1858
 
First Governor General of India East India

Bengal Sati Regulation, 1829 Company
 Mahalwari System in Central India, Punjab And Western UP.
 Saint Helena Act 1833 or Charter Act 1833 (Christian Missionaries get Exclusive rights to spread
Lord William Bentinck 4 July 20 March
Christianity in British India which included the present day Pakistan)
(1774–1839) 1828 1835  Kol Rebellion in 1831
 English Education Act 1835 (1773–1858)
 Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata (1835)

 Repealed 1823 Licensing Regulations

Charles Metcalfe, Bt 20 March 4 March  Known as Liberator of India Press
(acting)
1835 1836  Establishment of Calcutta Public Library in 1836 (currently known as National Library of India)
(1785–1846)

 Tripartite Treaty in 1838 between British, Shah Shuja (a cruel Afghan traitor) and Maharaja Ranjit Singh
against Dost Muhammad Khan.
 The First Anglo Afghan War(1840–1842) (British Army massacred by the strong Afghan army and militia
The Lord Auckland[nb 6] 4 March 28 February during the 1842 Retreat from Kabul-worst British Military disaster)
(1784–1849) 1836 1842  Bank of Bombay (1840) established (later Imperial Bank of India, now State Bank of India)
 First Bengali daily newspaper Sambad Prabhakar was published in 1839
 Tattwabodhini Sabha was formed by Debendranath Tagore in 1839

 Gwalior War (1843) (British defeat Marathas)

The Lord Ellenborough 28 February June
 Bank of Madras (1843) established (later Imperial Bank of India, now State Bank of India)
(1790–1871) 1842 1844

William Wilberforce Bird June 23 July

(acting)
1844 1844
(1784–1857)
Henry Hardinge[nb 7] 23 July 12 January  The First Anglo-Sikh War (1845–46) (British Empire defeats the Sikh Empire and confiscate major portion
(1785–1856) 1844 1848 of its territory)
 Treaty of Lahore(1846) (British confiscate Kashmir from the Sikhs and sell it to Raja of Jammu for 75 lakh
rupees)
 Establishment of Roorkee Engineering College (1847)[5]

The Earl of Dalhousie[nb 8]
(1812–1860)
 Doctrine of Lapse in 1848
 Bethune Collegiate School (1849) (was also known as Calcutta Female School) was established by John
Elliot Drinkwater Bethune
 Charles Wood Despatch (1854)
 Establishment of summer capital at Shimla
 Second Anglo-Burmese War (1852) (The sole aim of Dalhousie was to humiliate and annex more of
Burmese Territories. Burma was attacked unprovoked)
12 January 28 February
 First Passenger train between Bombay and Thane (1853)
1848 1856  First telegraph Line was laid between Diamond Harbour to Calcutta. (1851)
 Post Office Act, 1854
 Established Public Works Department (1854)
 The Second Anglo-Sikh War (1848–1849) (The British totally defeats the Sikh Empire)
 Santhal Rebellion (1855) (15,000 Santhals were killed by the British Army during the rebellion. Elephants
were used to destroy Santhal Dwellings)

 Hindu Widows' Remarriage Act, 1856

The Viscount Canning [nb 9] 28 February 31 October  Indian Rebellion of 1857
(1812–1862) 1856 1858  University of Calcutta, University of Bombay, and University of Madras were set up in 1857

Governors-General and Viceroys of India, 1858–1947

The Viscount Canning[nb 9]
(1812–1862)
The Government of India Act, 1858 Victoria
 System of Budget introduced
 Formation of Imperial Civil Services
1 November 21 March
 Indigo Revolt in Bengal in 1859–60
1858 1862  Enactment of Indian Penal Code in 1860
 Establishment of Archaeological Survey of India (1837–1901)

The Earl of Elgin 21 March 20  Establishment of Calcutta High Court (2 July), Bombay High Court (14 August) and Madras High Court (15
(1811–1863) 1862 November August) in 1862
1863
 Robert Napier 21
2 December
(acting) November
1863 1863
(1810–1890)

William Denison 2 December 12 January

(acting)
1863 1864
(1804–1871)

 Bhutan War (1864–65) (The British defeated an undefended Bhutan and annexed Assam and Bengal
Duars)
Sir John Lawrence, Bt 12 January 12 January  Establishment of Shimla as India's summer capital in 1863
(1811–1879) 1864 1869  The Tabernacle of New Dispensation, a new Church established by Keshub Chandra Sen
 Establishment of Allahabad High Court in 1866

 Assassinated by a Pathan Sher Ali Afridi

 Started the Census.
 Opening of Rajkumar college in Rajkot and Mayo College at Ajmer for political training of Indian Princes
The Earl of Mayo 12 January 8 February
 Started Financial decentralization
(1822–1872) 1869 1872  Enacted IPC amendment-Sedition Act 1870 to tackle Wahabi Movement
 Keshub Chandra Sen establishes Indian Reform Association

Sir John Strachey 23

9 February
(acting) February
1872 1872
(1823–1907)

The Lord Napier 24 February 3 May

(acting) 1872 1872
(1819–1898)
  Jyotiba Phule launches The Satyashodhak Samaj in Maharashtra in 1873 against the caste system and
The Lord Northbrook 3 May 12 April Untouchability.
(1826–1904) 1872 1876  Dramatic Performances Act, 1876

 Vernacular Press Act, 1878

 Second Anglo-Afghan War, (1878–80)
The Lord Lytton 12 April 8 June
 1st Delhi Durbar out of 3
(1831–1891) 1876 1880  Queen Victoria assuming the title of 'Empress of India'

 First Factory Act (1881)

The Marquess of Ripon
(1827–1909)
Negotiable Instruments Act (1881)
 Repeal of the Vernacular Press Act (1882)
13
8 June  Ilbert Bill (1883)
December
1880 1884
 Government resolution on local self-government (1882)
 Appointment of Education Commission under Sir William Hunter
 First complete Census

13 10  Formation of Indian National Congress (1885)

The Earl of Dufferin December December  Third Anglo-Burmese War (1885)
(1826–1902)
1884 1888

 Indian Council Act 1892

10
The Marquess of Lansdowne 11 October  Factory Act 1891
December
(1845–1927)
1888 1894  Setting up of Durand Commission in 1893 (India-Afghanistan)

The Earl of Elgin (1849–1917) 11 October 6 January  Establishment of Ramkrishna Mission by Swami Vivekananda at Belur Math in 1897
1894 1899

The Lord Curzon of Kedleston[nb 10]
(1859–1925)
 Partition of Bengal (1905)

Official Secrets Act 1904 to curb free press
 2st Delhi Durbar out of 3 (1903)
 Appointment of Police Commission under Sir Andrew Frazer
 Appointment of Raleigh University Commission (1902)
18
6 January  Passing of Indian Universities Act 1904
November
1899 1905
 2nd Swadeshi Movement (1905–1911) against Partition of Bengal by Lal-Bal-Pal-Aurbindo Ghosh)
 Benaras Hindu Girl's School was established by Annie Besant in 1904
 He said, "India is the pivot of our Empire.... If the Empire loses any other part of its Dominion we can
survive, but if we lose India, the sun of our Empire will have set."
[6]

 Morley-Minto Reforms 1909 or The Indian Councils Act 1909

 Split in Congress in 1907 Edward VII
18 23  Seditious meetings (prohibition) Act 1907 to curb extremist movement
The Earl of Minto November November  Establishment of Muslim League by Aga Khan III (1906)
(1845–1914)
1905 1910  Indian Press Act, 1910
 Jamsetji Tata established TISCO in 1907
(1901–1910)

 Third Delhi Durbar (1911) George V

 Transfer of capital from Calcutta to Delhi (1911)
23
The Lord Hardinge of Penshurst 4 April  Partition of Bengal to form Bihar province (1912)
November
(1858–1944)
1910 1916  McMahon border line was created between India and China in 1914
 Ghadar Mutiny (1915)
(1910–1936)

Formation of Indian Home Rule Movement (1916)

 Lucknow Pact (1916)
 Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms (1919)
The Lord Chelmsford 4 April 2 April  Government of India Act 1919
(1868–1933) 1916 1921  Rowlatt Act (1919)
 Jallianwalla Bagh Massacre (1919)
 Imperial Bank of India (now State Bank of India established in 1921)

The Earl of Reading 2 April 3 April  Malabar rebellion (also known as Moplah Rebellion), first Ethnic Rebellion (1921)
(1860–1935) 1921 1926  Non-cooperation movement (1921–22)
 Rabindranath Tagore founded Visva-Bharati University in 1921
 Chauri Chaura incident (1922)
 
Simon Commission (1928)

Nehru Report (1928)
 Death of Lala Lajpat Rai (1928)
 Fourteen Points of Jinnah (1929)
 Purna Swaraj declaration (1929)
 Salt March (1930)
The Lord Irwin 3 April 18 April
 Dharasana Satyagraha (1930)
(1881–1959) 1926 1931  First Round Table Conferences (1930)
 Allahabad Address (1930)
 Chittagong armoury raid in 1930
 Gandhi–Irwin Pact (1931)
 Execution of Bhagat Singh, Shivaram Rajguru, and Sukhdev Thapar (1931)

 Poona Pact between Mahatma Gandhi and B. R. Ambedkar in 1932

 Pakistan Declaration (1933)
The Earl of Willingdon 18 April 18 April  Government of India Act 1935
(1866–1941) 1931 1936  Reserve Bank of India established by passing The Reserve Bank of India Act 1934.
 Foundation of Congress Socialist Party in 1934

 Indian provincial elections (1937)

 Indian entry into World War II (1939)
 Day of Deliverance (1939) Edward
 Lahore Resolution (1940) VIII
The Marquess of Linlithgow 18 April 1 October  Cripps Mission (1942)
(1887–1952) 1936 1943  Formation of Indian Legion (1942)
 Quit India movement (1942)
 Formation of Indian National Army (1942)
(1936)
 Bengal famine (1943)

The Viscount Wavell 1 October 21 February 

C. R. formula (1944) George VI
(1883–1950) 1943 1947 Simla Conference (1945)
Cabinet Mission (1946)
 Interim Government was formed in 1946
 Direct Action Day (1946)
 Royal Indian Navy mutiny (1946) (1936–1952)
The Viscount Mountbatten of Burma 21 February 15 August  Indian Independence Act 1947
(1900–1979) 1947 1947

Governors-General of the Dominion of India, 1947–1950

The Viscount Mountbatten of Burma[nb 15 August

11]
21 June  First Governor-General of Independent India
1947 1948
(1900–1979) George VI

21 June 26 January  Last Governor-General of India, before the office was permanently abolished in 1950 (1936–1952)
Chakravarti Rajagopalachari
(1878–1972) 1948 1950