Table of Contents
Introduction: Governor General of India UPSC Notes
The Governor-General of India was the highest-ranking official in British India during the colonial period, serving as the representative of the British Crown and exercising authority over the vast territories of the Indian subcontinent. The position was established in 1773 by the Regulating Act passed by the British Parliament.
Initially, the Governor-General was appointed by the British East India Company, which held significant power in governing India. However, following the Government of India Act of 1858, the British Crown assumed direct control over India, and the Governor-General became a Crown-appointed official.
The Governor-General wielded extensive executive, legislative, and judicial powers, overseeing the administration, diplomacy, and defense of British India. They presided over the Governor-General’s Council, which included senior British officials and Indian representatives, and played a crucial role in formulating policies, enacting laws, and managing relations with princely states and other colonial powers.
The office of the Governor-General of India remained influential until the end of British rule in 1947, when India gained independence. The last Governor-General, Lord Louis Mountbatten, oversaw the transition to independence and became the first Governor-General of independent India before the country adopted a republican constitution and became a republic in 1950.
Governor General of Bengal (1773 – 1833)
Definition:
The Governor-General of Bengal was the head of the British administration in Bengal and, over time, came to oversee other British territories in India as well. The position was created by the Regulating Act of 1773, with the title of Governor-General of the Presidency of Fort William. The officer had direct control only over Fort William but supervised other East India Company officials in India. Complete authority over all of the British territory in the Indian subcontinent was granted in 1833, and the official came to be known as the “Governor General of India“.
Powers and Responsibilities:
Initially, the Governor-General of Bengal had limited control over other provinces, primarily dealing with matters within Bengal. However, with the Charter Act of 1813 and later the Charter Act of 1833, the role expanded, granting the Governor-General of Bengal authority over other presidencies (Madras and Bombay).
Example:
Warren Hastings (1773-1785) was the first Governor-General of Bengal. He is noted for implementing administrative and judicial reforms and establishing British influence in Indian affairs, marking a significant step in the establishment of British colonial administration.
Comparison with Present-Day Roles:
The Governor-General of Bengal could be compared to a modern-day chief executive officer in charge of an expansive regional government. Today, similar authority could resemble the role of a state governor, though with less influence over other states or provinces.
Governor General of India (1833 – 1858)
Definition:
The Governor General of India was established by the Charter Act of 1833, which centralized the British administration in India under one official authority. This was a move from the East India Company’s original trading-focused agenda toward a more centralized governance model.
Powers and Responsibilities:
The Governor General of India had direct control over all British-controlled territories in India and had the power to legislate for the entire country. This official was responsible for both political and administrative decisions, making it the supreme authority in British India.
Example:
Lord William Bentinck (1828-1835) was the first Governor General of India. He implemented social reforms, including the abolition of sati (the practice where a widow would immolate herself on her husband’s funeral pyre), reflecting the increased British influence on Indian society and culture.
Comparison with Present-Day Roles:
The Governor General of India’s position could be likened to that of a central executive authority, similar to a modern Prime Minister or Chief Executive with broad powers over a federated entity, like India’s Prime Minister overseeing the central government.
Viceroy of India (1858 – 1947)
Definition:
The title Viceroy of India was created after the British Crown took direct control of India from the East India Company, following the Indian Rebellion of 1857. The Government of India Act of 1858 replaced the Governor-General’s role with that of a Viceroy, who served as the direct representative of the British Crown in India.
Powers and Responsibilities:
The Viceroy had supreme authority over British India, serving as the head of the administration and directly representing the British monarch. The role combined political, administrative, and military leadership, and the Viceroy was responsible for all aspects of governance in British India.
Example:
Lord Canning (1856-1862) was the first Viceroy of India, overseeing the transfer of power from the East India Company to the British Crown. Another notable Viceroy, Lord Mountbatten, was the last Viceroy of India and played a pivotal role in overseeing India’s independence and partition in 1947.
Comparison with Present-Day Roles:
The Viceroy’s role is somewhat comparable to a present-day Head of State representing a monarchy, such as the role of Governor-General in some Commonwealth countries (like Canada or Australia), who represents the British monarch. However, unlike the mostly ceremonial role of modern Governor-Generals, the Viceroy in India wielded full administrative and executive powers over the region.
Comparative Summary:
| Role | Time Period | Appointed By | Key Responsibilities | Modern Equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor-General of Bengal | 1773 – 1833 | British East India Company | Administration of Bengal, later expanded powers | State Governor/CEO |
| Governor-General of India | 1833 – 1858 | British East India Company, later the British Government | Centralized control over British India | Prime Minister of a Federated Nation |
| Viceroy of India | 1858 – 1947 | British Crown | Supreme authority in British India; representation of British monarch | Governor-General of Commonwealth Realms |
List of Governor General of Bengal
Warren Hastings (1772-1785)
- In 1758 Hastings became the British Resident in Murshidabad, the capital of Bengal at that time.
- He became Governor of Calcutta in 1772.
- As per the Regulating Act of 1773, the presidencies of Madras and Bombay came under Bengal’s control and he was elevated to the new post of Governor-General.
- Dual administration in Bengal was terminated in 1772.
- Creation of Board of Revenue (1772).
- Created Diwani and Faujdari Adalat at the district level and Sadar Diwani and Nizamat Adalat.
- Codified Hindu and Muslim law, known as the Father of Judicial Reforms in India.
- Regulating Act 1773, appointed him the first Governor-General along with four counselors—Clavering, Francis, Monson, and Barwell.
- The Supreme Court of Judicature at Fort William in Calcutta (Kolkata), was founded in 1774 by the Regulating Act of 1773. Elijah Impey was appointed as the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
- In 1781, Hastings founded Calcutta Madrasa or Aliah Madrasa at Calcutta to study Islamic law (transformed in 2007 into Aliah University by the Government of West Bengal).
- He was the only Governor-General against whom impeachment proceedings have proceeded.
- Hastings Along with Sir William Jones founded the Asiatic Society in 1784.
- With his effort, Bhagavad Gita was translated into English and the first translation appeared in 1785.
Lord Cornwallis (1786-1793)
- Lord Cornwallis was appointed as Governor-General of Bengal Presidency and commander in chief in India in February 1786.
- Cornwallis is called the Father of Civil Service in India because it was reformed and modernized by him.
- He introduced permanent revenue settlement or the Zamindari system in 1793. The Permanent Settlement was introduced first in Bengal and Bihar and later in the south district of Madras and Varanasi.
- He was much interested in establishing colony in Andaman and Nicobar Island. In 1788, he appointed Lt. Archibald Blair to survey the Andaman Sea.
- On January 1805 Cornwallis was again appointed to the positions of Governor-General and Commander-in-Chief of India.
- He died on 5 October 1805 at Ghazipur.
Sir John Shore (1793-1798)
- He succeeded Sir William Jones, as president of the Asiatic Society of Bengal on 22 May 1794.
- He introduced the Permanent Settlement (1793).
- The battle of Kharda took place between the Nizam and the Marathas (1795).
Lord Wellesley (1798-1805)
- In 1793 he became a member of the board of control over Indian affairs.
- He applied the policy of Subsidiary Alliance to achieve British Paramountcy in India.
- He took indirect control of Mysore after defeating Tipu Sultan in Fourth Anglo-Mysore War(1799).
- He restored the Wadiyar dynasty to the Mysore throne and appointed a British commissioner to advise him on all issues.
- He adopted the policy of subsidiary alliance.
- He founded Fort William College, for the training of European Administrators.
| 1798 | Nizam of Hyderabad (first to accept subsidiary alliance) |
| 1799 | Mysore, Tanjore |
| 1801 | The Nawab of Oudh |
| 1801 | The Peshwa |
| 1803 | The Bhonsle, Raja of Berar |
| 1804 | The Scindia |
Subsidiary Alliance
- A subsidiary alliance was a treaty between an Indian state and an East India Company.
- Under this system, an Indian ruler is required to:
- keep the company’s army at the capital of their state,
- give either money or territory to the company for the maintenance of the troops,
- expel all other Europeans from their state,
- keep a European official called ‘resident’ at the capital of their state who would oversee all negotiations and communications with other states,
- In return, the ruler would be provided with protection against any external attacks.
- The kingdom of Awadh was the first to enter an alliance like this through the Treaty of Allahabad (1765) after the battle of Buxar.
George Barlow (1805-1807)
- George Barlow was nominated provisional governor-general after lord Cornwallis died in 1805.
- Vellore Mutiny took place in 1806 which was the first instance of a large-scale mutiny against the East India Company.
- The slave trade was abolished in the British Empire in 1807.
Lord Minto I (1807-1813)
- The Treaty of Amritsar (1809) was an agreement between the British East India Company and Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
Lord Hastings (1813-1823)
- The Anglo-Nepal War (1814-1816) took place between the Kingdom of Nepal and the East India Company. The Treaty of Sugauli was signed on 4 March 1816 which established the boundary line of Nepal.
- Maratha power was finally crushed after the Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817-1818). Peshwaship was abolished and The Peshwa’s territories were annexed into the Bombay Presidency.
Lord Amherst (1823-1828)
- The first Burmese war took place in 1824. Arakan and Tenasserim were annexed to the British Empire.
Governor General of India
William Bentinck (1828-1835)
- Lord William Bentinck was the first governor general of British India.
- Earlier everyone was appointed as the Governor-general of Bengal (Fort William).
- He was appointed Governor-General of Bengal in 1828. [As per the Saint Helena Act of 1833, also called the Charter Act of 1833, The Governor-General of Bengal became the Governor-General of India]
- He has been remembered for significant social and educational reforms in India, including abolishing Sati (abolished in 1829) and suppressing female infanticide and human sacrifice.
- He abolished the system of Double batta. It was an allowance given to the army when on service, in addition to their regular pay.
- He appointed Major Sleeman for the suppression of thugs. Thugs were organized gangs of professional robbers and murderers in the forests of Central India.
- Deposition of Raja of Mysore and annexation of his territories (1831).
- Annexation of Cachar and Jaintia (1832).
- In 1834, the East India Company annexed Coorg (Kodagu) after deposing Chikka Virarajendra of the Coorg kingdom.
- Educational reforms on the basis of Macaulay’s Minute (1835).
- Bentinck introduced English as the official language and the medium of instruction in India after passing the English Education Act of 1835.
- Earlier Persian used to be the language of the higher courts.
- He established the Calcutta Medical College (Established on 28th January 1835).
Charles Metcalfe
- He removed all the restrictions on the free action of the Press and thus is known as the liberator of the Press.
Lord Auckland (1836-1842)
- The First Anglo-Afghan War was fought from 1838 to 1842.
- He signed the Tripartite Treaty in 1838 with Maharaja Ranjit Singh and Shah Shuja of Afghanistan.
Lord Hardinge I (1844-1848)
- The First Anglo-Sikh War was fought between the Sikh Empire and the British East India Company. The Treaty of Lahore was signed after the war on 9 March 1846 between Sikhs and East India Company.
- The Treaty of Amritsar (16 March 1846), signed between British East India Company and Raja Gulab Singh of Jammu.
Lord Dalhousie (1848-1856)
- The second Anglo-Sikh War (1848-49) took place and Punjab was annexed.
- The first telegraph line was opened in October 1851 in India between Calcutta and Diamond Harbour but the official inauguration of this line started in 1854.
- Religious Disabilities Act, 1850.
- Second Anglo-Burmese War (1852).
- The first passenger train in India ran between Bombay and Thane on 16 April 1853.
- Charles Wood Despatch (1854).
- Post Office Act, 1854.
- Established Public Works Department (1854).
- Santhal Rebellion (1855).
- Banned female infanticide.
Doctrine of Lapse
- The Doctrine of Lapse is generally associated with him as it was used most vigorously and extensively by him.
- The doctrine of Lapse did exist before Dalhousie and some smaller states had already been annexed.
- By the use of the doctrine of lapse, the Company took over the princely states of :-
- Satara (1848),
- Jaitpur (1849),
- Sambalpur (1849),
- Baghat (1850),
- Udaipur (Chhattisgarh State) (1852),
- Jhansi (1854),
- Nagpur (1854),
- Tanjore and Arcot (1855).
- Awadh (1856) was annexed by Dalhousie for misgovernance.
Viceroy of India
Lord Canning (1856-1862)
- He was first Viceroy of India after the power shifted from the East India Company to the Crown of Queen Victoria in 1858.
- Lord Canning passed the Hindu Widows’ Remarriage Act, 1856 which was drafted by Lord Dalhousie.
- Universities in the Presidencies of Calcutta, Madras, and Bombay were established in 1857 on the model of the London University.
- Indian Rebellion of 1857.
- Imperial Civil Service was formed in 1858.
- Indigo Revolt in Bengal (1859–60).
- Enactment of the –
- Indian Penal Code in 1860.
- Indian High Courts Act 1861.
- Indian Councils Act, 1861.
- Indian Civil Service Act, 1861.
- Police Act, 1861.
- The Archaeological Survey of India was established in 1861.
- Government of India Act of 1858.
Lord Elgin (1862-1863)
- Wahabi movement suppressed.
Sir John Lawrence (1864-1869)
- He shifted the summer capital to Shimla.
Lord Mayo (1869-1872)
- He started the process of Financial decentralization.
- The first census took place in 1872.
- Established the Department of Agriculture and Commerce in 1872.
- Established Statistical Survey of India in 1872.
- He founded Mayo College at Ajmer for the education of young Indian chiefs.
- He was assassinated in the Andaman in 1872.
Lord Northbrook (1872-1876)
- In 1872, Kuka Revolt took place in Punjab.
- Prince of Wales Edward VII visited India in 1875.
Lord Lytton (1876-1880)
- Royal Titles Act, 1876 was passed in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The Act recognized Queen Victoria as the “Empress of India”.
- Delhi Durbar was organized by the British in 1877.
- Vernacular Press Act and Arms Act, 1878.
- Second Anglo-Afghan War in 1878-80. The Treaty of Gandamak was signed on 26 May 1879 between the Emir of Afghanistan and British India.
- Great Famine of 1876–78, The Presidencies of Madras and Bombay, and the princely states of Mysore and Hyderabad were affected.
- Decreased the maximum age of appearing in civil services from 21 to 19.
Lord Ripon (1880-1884)
- Repealed the Vernacular Press Act, 1882.
- First Factory Act, 1881.
- Second census took place in 1881.
- Continued the process of Financial Decentralisation.
- He was called the Father of Local Self-Government.
- Appointed Hunter Commission in 1882 to review the education.
- The Ilbert Bill was introduced in 1883. It was drafted by Sir Courtenay Ilbert (legal member of Viceroy’s Executive Council).
Lord Dufferin (1884-1888)
- Third Anglo-Burmese War (1885-86). Burma was made a province of India, with Rangoon as its capital. King Thibow was deposed to Ratnagiri Fort (Maharashtra).
- Formation of Indian National Congress (1885).
- Bengal Tenancy Act (1885)
- Bengal Local Self-Government Act.
Lord Lansdowne (1888-1894)
- Anglo-Manipur War took place in 1891.
Lord Elgin II (1894-1898)
- In 1896, famine took place all over India. Lyall Commission was appointed after famine.
Lord Curzon (1899-1905)
- The famine of 1899–1900.
- Munda rebellion led by Birsa Munda in 1899–1900.
- Department of Agriculture was constituted in 1901.
- Creation of North-West Frontier Province in 1901.
- Appointment of Police Commission under Sir Andrew Frazer in 1902.
- Appointment of Raleigh University Commission (1902) (Indian Universities Act, 1904 was passed as per the recommendation of this commission).
- Second Delhi Durbar in 1903.
- Ancient Monuments Preservation Act 1904.
- Official Secrets Act 1904 to curb the free press.
- Agricultural Research Institute at Pusa in Bihar was established in 1905.
- Partition of Bengal (1905).
- Swadeshi Movement (1905–11) against Partition of Bengal.
Important Governor General of India at a Glance
Here’s a table that highlights some of the important Governors-General of India along with key events during their tenure:
| Governor-General | Tenure | Key Events |
|---|---|---|
| Warren Hastings | 1773 – 1785 | First Governor-General of Bengal; Regulating Act of 1773; Trial in England for corruption; Revenue Reforms |
| Lord Cornwallis | 1786 – 1793 | Permanent Settlement (1793); Cornwallis Code; Strengthened administrative and judicial systems |
| Lord Wellesley | 1798 – 1805 | Subsidiary Alliance System; Fourth and Fifth Anglo-Mysore Wars; Expansion of British territories |
| Lord Minto I | 1807 – 1813 | Treaty of Amritsar with Ranjit Singh (1809); Non-interference policy in internal matters of Indian states |
| Lord Hastings | 1813 – 1823 | Third Anglo-Maratha War; Abolition of Pindaris; Expansion in Central India |
| Lord William Bentinck | 1828 – 1835 | Abolition of Sati; Suppression of Thuggee; English as the medium of education; Reforms in judiciary and police |
| Lord Auckland | 1836 – 1842 | First Anglo-Afghan War (1839-1842); Efforts in public works and infrastructure development |
| Lord Ellenborough | 1842 – 1844 | End of First Anglo-Afghan War; Annexation of Sindh (1843); Conflict with Marathas |
| Lord Hardinge | 1844 – 1848 | First Anglo-Sikh War; Treaty of Lahore (1846); Beginning of British control in Punjab |
| Lord Dalhousie | 1848 – 1856 | Doctrine of Lapse; Second Anglo-Sikh War; Railway and telegraph expansion; Educational reforms |
| Lord Canning | 1856 – 1862 | Revolt of 1857; Abolition of East India Company (1858); First Viceroy of India post-1858; Indian Councils Act 1858 |
| Lord Lawrence | 1864 – 1869 | Expansion in the North-West Frontier; Policy of non-intervention in Afghanistan |
| Lord Mayo | 1869 – 1872 | Financial decentralization; Development of census system; Assassinated in 1872 |
| Lord Lytton | 1876 – 1880 | Delhi Durbar (1877); Second Anglo-Afghan War; Vernacular Press Act; Famine policies |
| Lord Ripon | 1880 – 1884 | Repeal of the Vernacular Press Act; Local Self-Government reforms; Introduction of the Ilbert Bill |
| Lord Dufferin | 1884 – 1888 | Expansion in Burma; Indian National Congress founded (1885); Moderate policies |
| Lord Curzon | 1899 – 1905 | Partition of Bengal (1905); Preservation of Indian monuments; Establishment of Archaeological Survey of India |
| Lord Minto II | 1905 – 1910 | Morley-Minto Reforms (Indian Councils Act of 1909); Encouraged communal representation |
| Lord Hardinge II | 1910 – 1916 | Transfer of capital from Calcutta to Delhi (1911); Delhi Durbar; World War I involvement |
| Lord Chelmsford | 1916 – 1921 | Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms; Jallianwala Bagh Massacre (1919); Rowlatt Act |
| Lord Reading | 1921 – 1926 | Non-Cooperation Movement; Chauri Chaura incident (1922); Trade disputes legislation |
| Lord Irwin | 1926 – 1931 | Simon Commission; Civil Disobedience Movement; Gandhi-Irwin Pact (1931); Round Table Conferences |
| Lord Willingdon | 1931 – 1936 | Continuation of Civil Disobedience Movement; Government of India Act (1935); Arrest of Congress leaders |
| Lord Linlithgow | 1936 – 1943 | Second World War (Indian participation); Cripps Mission; Quit India Movement (1942) |
| Lord Wavell | 1943 – 1947 | Famine of Bengal (1943); Cabinet Mission Plan (1946); INA Trials; Direct Action Day |
| Lord Mountbatten | 1947 | Last Viceroy; Indian Independence Act (1947); Partition of India; First Governor-General of independent India |
List of Governor General of India PDF
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