For ADRE, APSC, UPSC and other competitive examinations, it is important to distinguish between the Governors-General of India and the Viceroys of India.
> Key point: The title Viceroy was introduced after the Government of India Act, 1858. Before 1858, the British head of the administration in India was known as the Governor-General of India.
1. Governors-General of Bengal (1773–1833)
The Regulating Act of 1773 created the office of Governor-General of Bengal.
No. Governor-General Tenure Important Events
1. Warren Hastings 1773–1785 Regulating Act; Rohilla War; First Anglo-Maratha War; Second Anglo-Mysore War
2. Lord Cornwallis 1786–1793 Permanent Settlement, 1793; Cornwallis Code; Third Anglo-Mysore War
3. Sir John Shore 1793–1798 Policy of non-intervention
4. Lord Wellesley 1798–1805 Subsidiary Alliance; Fourth Anglo-Mysore War
5. Lord Cornwallis 1805 Second tenure; died during his second term
6. Sir George Barlow 1805–1807 Vellore Mutiny, 1806
7. Lord Minto I 1807–1813 Treaty of Amritsar, 1809
8. Lord Hastings 1813–1823 Anglo-Nepal War; Third Anglo-Maratha War; end of Maratha power
9. Lord Amherst 1823–1828 First Anglo-Burmese War
10. Lord William Bentinck 1828–1833 Abolition of Sati; English education policy; suppression of Thuggee
2. Governors-General of India (1833–1858)
The Charter Act of 1833 changed the designation from Governor-General of Bengal to Governor-General of India.
No. Governor-General Tenure Major Events
1. Lord William Bentinck 1833–1835 First Governor-General of India; abolition of Sati; reforms
2. Sir Charles Metcalfe 1835–1836 Abolition of press restrictions; known as Liberator of the Indian Press
3. Lord Auckland 1836–1842 First Anglo-Afghan War
4. Lord Ellenborough 1842–1844 Annexation of Sindh
5. Lord Hardinge I 1844–1848 First Anglo-Sikh War
6. Lord Dalhousie 1848–1856 Doctrine of Lapse; railways, telegraph and postal reforms; Second Anglo-Sikh War; annexations
7. Lord Canning 1856–1858 Revolt of 1857; Government of India Act, 1858
Important Point
Lord Canning was the last Governor-General under the East India Company and subsequently became the first Viceroy of India.
3. Viceroys of India (1858–1947)
After the Government of India Act, 1858, the administration of India was transferred from the East India Company to the British Crown.
The Governor-General also became the Viceroy, representing the British Crown in India.
No. Viceroy Tenure Major Events
1. Lord Canning 1858–1862 First Viceroy; Indian Councils Act, 1861
2. Lord Elgin I 1862–1863 Short tenure
3. Sir John Lawrence 1864–1869 Bhutan War; reforms
4. Lord Mayo 1869–1872 Financial decentralisation; first census preparations; assassinated in office
5 . Lord Northbrook 1872–1876 Withdrawal from active Afghan policy
6. Lord Lytton 1876–1880 Vernacular Press Act; Delhi Durbar, 1877; Second Anglo-Afghan War
7. Lord Ripon 1880–1884 Local self-government; repeal of Vernacular Press Act; Ilbert Bill controversy
8. Lord Dufferin 1884–1888 Indian National Congress founded in 1885
9. Lord Lansdowne 1888–1894 Indian Councils Act, 1892; Second Factory Act
10. Lord Elgin II 1894–1899 Plague and famine; frontier conflicts
11. Lord Curzon 1899–1905 Partition of Bengal, 1905; Universities Act; Archaeological Survey reforms
12 .Lord Minto II 1905–1910 Morley-Minto Reforms, 1909; separate electorates
13. Lord Hardinge II 1910–1916 Capital shifted from Calcutta to Delhi, 1911
14 .Lord Chelmsford 1916–1921 Government of India Act, 1919; Rowlatt Act; Jallianwala Bagh massacre
15. Lord Reading 1921–1926 Chauri Chaura; Swaraj Party; Kakori case
16. Lord Irwin 1926–1931 Simon Commission; Civil Disobedience Movement; Gandhi-Irwin Pact
17. Lord Willingdon 1931–1936 Second Round Table Conference aftermath; Communal Award; Poona Pact
18. Lord Linlithgow 1936–1944 Government of India Act, 1935 implemented; Quit India Movement; World War II
19. Lord Wavell 1944–1947 Wavell Plan; Simla Conference; Cabinet Mission
20. Lord Mountbatten 1947 Last Viceroy of India; Partition and Independence
4. Governor-General after Independence
After independence, the office of Viceroy ceased to exist.
Governor-General Tenure Importance
Lord Mountbatten 1947–1948 First Governor-General of independent India
C. Rajagopalachari 1948–1950 First and only Indian Governor-General of India
On 26 January 1950, India became a Republic, and the office of Governor-General was abolished. The President of India became the constitutional head of the country.
Most Important Facts for ADRE/APSC
First and Last
First Governor-General of Bengal: Warren Hastings
First Governor-General of India: Lord William Bentinck
Last Governor-General of India under East India Company: Lord Canning
First Viceroy of India: Lord Canning
Last Viceroy of India: Lord Mountbatten
First Governor-General of independent India: Lord Mountbatten
First Indian Governor-General: C. Rajagopalachari
Only Indian Governor-General: C. Rajagopalachari
Last Governor-General: C. Rajagopalachari
First Governor-General of Bengal: Warren Hastings
Important Governor-General/Viceroy and Events
Person Event to Remember
Warren Hastings Regulating Act, 1773
Lord Cornwallis Permanent Settlement, 1793
Lord Wellesley Subsidiary Alliance
Lord William Bentinck Abolition of Sati, 1829
Sir Charles Metcalfe Liberator of Indian Press
Lord Dalhousie Doctrine of Lapse; railways, telegraph
Lord Canning Revolt of 1857; first Viceroy
Lord Mayo First Viceroy to be assassinated in office
Lord Lytton Vernacular Press Act, 1878
Lord Ripon Father of Local Self-Government
Lord Dufferin INC founded, 1885
Lord Curzon Partition of Bengal, 1905
Lord Minto II Separate electorates, 1909
Lord Hardinge II Capital shifted to Delhi, 1911
Lord Chelmsford Government of India Act, 1919; Jallianwala Bagh
Lord Irwin Gandhi-Irwin Pact, 1931
Lord Linlithgow Quit India Movement, 1942
Lord Wavell Wavell Plan, Simla Conference
Lord Mountbatten Independence and Partition, 1947
C. Rajagopalachari First and only Indian Governor-General
Easy Chronology Trick
Hastings → Cornwallis → Shore → Wellesley → Minto → Hastings → Amherst → Bentinck → Metcalfe → Auckland → Ellenborough → Hardinge → Dalhousie → Canning
For the later period:
Canning → Elgin → Lawrence → Mayo → Northbrook → Lytton → Ripon → Dufferin → Lansdowne → Elgin → Curzon → Minto → Hardinge → Chelmsford → Reading → Irwin → Willingdon → Linlithgow → Wavell → Mountbatten
Exam warning: The chronology often causes confusion because Cornwallis served twice, Lord Elgin served twice, and Lord Minto and Lord Hardinge each had two different officeholders (I and II).
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