Governors General of British India

The era of British India saw a succession of Governors-General and Viceroys who wielded significant authority over the Indian subcontinent. Initially, the British East India Company governed India through appointed officials known as Governors-General of Bengal, with Robert Clive being one of the prominent figures in the early period. The role evolved over time, leading to the establishment of the Governor-General of India after the Charter Act of 1833. These officials were responsible for overseeing British interests, implementing policies, and managing affairs across the vast territories under British control.

With the transition to direct British rule after the Indian Rebellion of 1857, the title changed to Viceroy of India, symbolising the Crown's authority. The Viceroys continued to shape Indian history through various reforms, conflicts, and movements until India gained independence in 1947.

Upon their arrival in India, the British East India Company established a bureaucratic system with written laws, including the Office of the Governor of Bengal. The Regulating Act of 1773 formalised this office, initially titled as the Governor-General of Presidency of Fort William or Governor-General of Bengal, appointed by the Court of Directors of the East India Company (EIC). This Act also introduced a Council of Four to assist the Governor-General, whose decisions held sway until 1784. In 1833, the Charter Act rebranded the position as the Governor-General of India, marking acknowledgment of Britain's growing influence across the subcontinent. Lord William Bentinck was the first to hold this new title.

After the Indian Rebellion of 1857, British India came under direct Crown rule, and the Government of India Act 1858 established the Secretary of State for India to oversee Indian affairs. This Act also introduced the term "Viceroy" for the Governor-General representing the Crown, although it held no statutory authority. The Governor-General remained the sole representative of the Crown, appointed by the British Crown upon the Secretary of State's advice.

The office of Governor-General persisted as a ceremonial post in India and Pakistan until their adoption of republican constitutions in 1950 and 1956, respectively.

List of Governors-General of Bengal:

1. Warren Hastings (1772-1785)
   • First Governor-General of Bengal
   • Ended the dual system of administration.
   • Implemented the Regulating Act of 1773, which reformed governance in Bengal.
   • Established the Supreme Court at Calcutta and the Asiatic Society of Bengal.
   • Led the First Anglo-Maratha War and negotiated the Treaty of Salbai.
   • Commissioned the first English translation of the Bhagavad Gita.
   • Supported the enactment of Pitt’s India Act in 1784.
2. Lord Cornwallis (1786-1793)
   • Established Appellate courts and lower-grade courts.
   • Sanskrit college was established during this period (1791)
   • Engaged in the Third Anglo-Mysore War and negotiated the Treaty of Seringapatam.
   • Introduced the Permanent Settlement and Civil Services system.
3. Sir John Shore (1793-1798)
   • Implemented the Charter Act of 1793.
   • Maintained a policy of non-intervention.
   • Oversaw the Battle of Kharda.
4. Lord Wellesley (1798-1805)
   • Introduced the Subsidiary Alliance System.
   • Engaged in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War and negotiated the Treaty of Bassein.
   • Led the Second Anglo-Maratha war.
   • Established the Madras presidency and Fort William College at Calcutta.
5. Sir George Barlow (1805-1807)
   • Acted as the Acting Governor-General until the arrival of Lord Minto.
   • Reduced British territory due to economic reasons.
   • Faced the Mutiny of Vellore in 1806.
6. Lord Minto I (1807-1813)
   • Concluded the treaty of Amritsar with Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1809.
   • Introduced the Charter Act of 1813.
7. • Ended the policy of non-intervention.
   • Participated in the third Anglo-Maratha war.
   • Abolished the Peshwaship.
   • Established the Ryotwari System in Madras and Bombay, and the Mahalwari system in north-western Provinces and Bombay.
8. • Annexed Assam, leading to the first Burmese War of 1824.
   • Faced the mutiny of Barrackpore in 1824.

The Charter Act of 1833 renamed the post from Governor-General of Bengal to Governor-General of India.

1. Lord William Bentinck (1828-1835)
   • Abolished Sati, the practice of widow burning.
   • Suppressed Thugee, infanticide, and child sacrifices.
   • Enacted the English Education Act of 1835.
   • Established the Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.
2. Lord Charles Metcalfe (1835-1836)
   • Earned the title "Liberator of the Indian press" for removing restrictions on the press.
3. Lord Auckland (1836-1842)
   • Focused on improving native schools and expanding the commercial industry.
   • Oversaw the first Anglo-Afghan war.
4. Lord Ellenborough (1842-1844)
   • Annexed Sindh.
5. Lord Hardinge I (1844-1848)
   • Led the First Anglo-Sikh War (1845-46).
   • Engineering college in Roorkee was founded during this period.
   • Engaged in the Second Anglo-Sikh War.
6. Lord Dalhousie(1848-1856)
   • Implemented the Doctrine of Lapse, annexing states without natural heirs.
   • Spearheaded the Charles Wood Dispatch, transforming education in India.
   • Established the Post Office Act in 1854.
   • Completed the first railway line between Bombay and Thane.
   • Founded the Public Works Department.
   • Abolished titles and pensions.
   • Initiated competitive examinations for the Indian Civil Services.
   • Enacted the Widow Remarriage Act.
7. Lord Canning (1856-1857)
   • Established universities in Calcutta, Madras, and Bombay in 1857.
   • Faced the Revolt of 1857.

Government of India Act 1858 led to the abolition of East India Company's rule. After that, Viceroys were appointed directly by the British government.

1. Lord Canning (1858-1862)
   • Abolished the Doctrine of Lapse.
2. Lord Elgin (1862-1863)
   • Oversaw the Wahabi Movement.
3. Lord Lawrence (1864-1869)
   • Established High Courts in Calcutta and Madras.
   • Led the Anglo-Bhutanese war.
4. Lord Mayo (1869-1872)
   • Introduced financial distribution between the centre and the states (Financial Decentralisation beginning).
   • Conducted the first Census in 1872.
   • Established Mayo College for the royal elite.
   • Initiated the Statistical Survey of India.
5. Lord Northbrook (1872-1876)
   • Introduction of Civil Marriage and Arya Samaj marriage during this period.
   • Enacted the Universal Marriage Act.
   • Allowed intercaste marriages.
   • Faced the Kuka Movement in Punjab.
6. Lord Lytton (1876-1880)
   • Implemented the Vernacular Press Act and the Arms Act.
   • Faced criticism for his handling of severe famine.
   • Proclaimed Queen Victoria as "The Empress of India."
   • Lowered the age limit for civil services exams.
7. Lord Ripon (1880-1884)
   • Repealed the controversial Arms and Vernacular Press acts.
   • Established local self-governments, known as Panchayats and Municipal Boards.
   • Opened Punjab University in 1884 and Allahabad University in 1887.
   • Introduced the Illbert Bill, allowing Indian judges to try English judges.
   • Appointed the Hunter Commission(to improve the Indian education system)
8. Lord Dufferin (1884-1888)
   • Led the Third Anglo-Burmese war.
   • Witnessed the founding of the Indian National Congress in 1885.
9. Lord Lansdowne (1888-1894)
   • Introduced the Indian Councils Act of 1892, enabling indirect elections.
   • Enacted the Factory Act of 1891.
10. Lord Elgin II (1894-1899)
    • Faced the first political murder of a British officer by the Chapekar Brothers.
11. Lord Curzon (1899-1905)
    • Passed the Indian Universities Act.
    • Initiated the Raleigh Commission (to inquire into the condition and prospects of universities in India).
    • Implemented the controversial Partition of Bengal.
12. Lord Minto II (1905-1910)
    • Introduced the Morley-Minto constitutional reforms.
13. Lord Hardinge II (1910-1916)
    • Led the Mesopotamian Campaign.
    • Oversaw the transfer of the capital from Calcutta to Delhi.
14. Lord Chelmsford (1916-1921)
    • Faced the Home Rule League Movements.
    • Passed the Rowlatt Act.
    • Implemented the Montague-Chelmsford reforms.
15. Lord Reading (1921-1926)
    • Witnessed the formation of the Swaraj Party.
    • Faced the Chauri-Chaura incident.
16. Lord Irwin (1926-1931)
    • Launching of civil disobedience movement and Dandi march took place.
    • Held the first round table conference.
17. Lord Willingdon (1931-1936)
    • Led the Second and Third Round Table Conferences.
    • Signing of Poona Pact.
    • Implemented the Communal Award.
18. Lord Linlithgow (1936-1944)
    • Introduced the Cripps Mission and faced the Quit India movement.
19. Lord Wavell (1944-1947)
    • Witnessed the launch of Direct Action Day.
    • Led the Wavell Plan and the Shimla conference.
20. Lord Mountbatten (1947-1948)
    • Formulated the June 3rd Plan.
    • Served as the last Viceroy and first Governor-General of free India.
21. Chakravarti Rajagopalachari (1948-1950)
    • Rajagopalachari served as the last Governor-General of India and the first Indian to hold this office before the position was permanently abolished in 1950.
    • His tenure marked the conclusion of the Governor-General's role in India, as the country transitioned to a republic.

The tenure of British governors-general and viceroys in the Indian subcontinent was marked by a mix of achievements and controversies. On one hand, they introduced administrative reforms, established educational institutions, and facilitated infrastructural development such as railways and telegraphs, which laid the groundwork for modernization. However, their policies also led to significant socio-economic disruptions, including the implementation of exploitative land revenue systems like the Permanent Settlement, the introduction of oppressive laws such as the Vernacular Press Act, and the separate electorate for Muslims sowing communal tensions. While some governors-general promoted social reforms like the abolition of Sati and the suppression of Thugee, others faced criticism for their mishandling of famines and civil unrest. Despite their contributions to the region's progress, the legacy of British colonial rule remains complex, reflecting a period of both advancement and exploitation in the history of the Indian subcontinent.