Governors-General & Viceroys (Ready Reference)
A quick-revision reference of the major Governors-General and Viceroys of British India and the key events associated with each — a Prelims favourite.
Key Takeaways
- Warren Hastings was the first Governor-General of Bengal; Lord William Bentinck the first Governor-General of India.
- Lord Canning was the last Governor-General and the first Viceroy of India.
- Lord Mountbatten was the last Viceroy, under whom India was partitioned and became independent.
How to use this lesson
This is a ready-reference for quick revision. Prelims frequently asks you to match a person with an event or reform. Focus on the signature association of each administrator.
Major Governors-General (Company Era)
| Name | Signature association |
|---|---|
| Warren Hastings (1773–85) | First Governor-General of Bengal; Regulating Act; Pitt's India Act |
| Lord Cornwallis (1786–93) | Permanent Settlement (1793); reform of the civil services ('father of civil service') |
| Lord Wellesley (1798–1805) | Subsidiary Alliance system |
| Lord William Bentinck (1828–35) | First Governor-General of India; abolition of sati (1829); English education |
| Lord Dalhousie (1848–56) | Doctrine of Lapse; railways, telegraph, PWD; annexation of Awadh |
Major Viceroys (Crown Era)
| Name | Signature association |
|---|---|
| Lord Canning (1856–62) | Last Governor-General & first Viceroy; Revolt of 1857; Crown rule begins |
| Lord Ripon (1880–84) | Local self-government (1882); Ilbert Bill; first Factory Act |
| Lord Curzon (1899–1905) | Partition of Bengal; Archaeological Survey; Universities Act |
| Lord Minto (1905–10) | Morley-Minto Reforms (1909) — separate electorates |
| Lord Chelmsford (1916–21) | Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms; Rowlatt Act; Jallianwala Bagh |
| Lord Irwin (1926–31) | Simon Commission; Dandi March; Gandhi-Irwin Pact |
| Lord Linlithgow (1936–43) | WWII; August Offer; Quit India Movement |
| Lord Wavell (1943–47) | Cabinet Mission; Simla Conference; interim government |
| Lord Mountbatten (1947–48) | Last Viceroy; partition; Independence (15 Aug 1947) |
Rapid Fire — Match the Person
Tap to check the association.
Prelims trap zones
- Bentinck = first GG of India; Canning = first Viceroy — don't merge the two titles.
- Ripon (local self-government, 1882) vs Curzon (Partition of Bengal, 1905) — commonly confused reformers.
- The Ilbert Bill and first Factory Act are both associated with Ripon.
Knowledge Check
2 questions · check your understanding
1. Who was the first Viceroy of India?
2. The introduction of local self-government (1882) is associated with which Viceroy?
Prelims Pointers
- Cornwallis: Permanent Settlement (1793) and reform of the civil services.
- Dalhousie: Doctrine of Lapse, railways, telegraph and the postal system.
- Curzon: Partition of Bengal (1905).
- Linlithgow: WWII and the Quit India Movement; Wavell: the Cabinet Mission.
Mains Angle
- 'The policies of the Governors-General laid the administrative foundations of modern India.' Discuss.
- Assess the reforms of Lord Ripon and their significance for local self-government.
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