Graduate Level intermediate Viceroys Governors-General British India Modern Indian History
Governors-General and Viceroys of India: Warren Hastings to Mountbatten
Complete chronological notes on all major Governors-General and Viceroys with key acts, reforms, and events under each for Kerala PSC.
Published: 20 Apr 2026
Sign in to continue reading
You've read 5 free study notes. Sign in to unlock all 200+ notes.
Free forever — no payment needed for study notes.
Or
The Governors-General (of Bengal, then of India) and Viceroys form one of the most consistently tested topics in Kerala PSC exams. Questions typically ask you to match a person with an act, reform, or event. This guide covers all major figures chronologically.
Understanding the Titles
| Title | Period | Appointed By |
|---|---|---|
| Governor of Bengal | 1757–1773 | East India Company |
| Governor-General of Bengal | 1773–1833 | East India Company (under Regulating Act) |
| Governor-General of India | 1833–1858 | East India Company (under Charter Act 1833) |
| Viceroy of India | 1858–1947 | British Crown (after Government of India Act 1858) |
Note: After 1858, the same person held both titles: “Viceroy” (representing the Crown) and “Governor-General” (for administrative purposes). In practice, “Viceroy” was used.
Governors-General of Bengal (1773–1833)
1. Warren Hastings (1773–1785)
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Significance | First Governor-General of Bengal |
| Regulating Act 1773 | Created the post; established Supreme Court at Calcutta (1774) |
| Revenue reforms | Introduced Quinquennial (5-year) land revenue settlement |
| Judicial reforms | Established civil and criminal courts (Diwani and Faujdari Adalats) |
| War | First Maratha War (1775–1782); Treaty of Salbai (1782) |
| Cultural | Founded Asiatic Society of Bengal (1784) — actually by William Jones, but during his tenure |
| Impeachment | Impeached by British Parliament (1787); acquitted after 7-year trial (1795) |
| Abolished | Dual system of administration in Bengal (that Clive had established) |
2. Lord Cornwallis (1786–1793)
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Permanent Settlement | 1793 — Fixed land revenue with Zamindars in Bengal and Bihar |
| Civil service reform | Separated revenue and judicial functions; created modern civil service |
| Cornwallis Code | Codified laws; established rule of law |
| Third Mysore War | Defeated Tipu Sultan; Treaty of Seringapatam (1792) |
| Indianization opposed | Europeans given preference in civil service (discriminated against Indians) |
| Known as | ”Father of Civil Service in India” |
3. Lord Wellesley (1798–1805)
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Subsidiary Alliance | Introduced this system to control Indian states without direct conquest |
| Fourth Mysore War | Defeated and killed Tipu Sultan (1799) |
| Second Maratha War | 1803–1805 |
| Fort William College | Established (1800) for training civil servants |
| Policy | Aggressive expansion; called himself “Bengal Tiger” |
4. Lord William Bentinck (1828–1835)
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Significance | First Governor-General of INDIA (from 1833, under Charter Act) |
| Social reform | Abolished Sati (1829) — Regulation XVII |
| Thuggee | Suppressed Thuggee (criminal gangs) with William Sleeman |
| Education | English Education Act 1835 (accepted Macaulay’s Minute — English as medium of instruction) |
| Charter Act 1833 | Made him Governor-General of India (not just Bengal) |
| Known as | ”Most liberal and enlightened Governor-General” |
Governors-General of India (1833–1858)
5. Lord Dalhousie (1848–1856)
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Doctrine of Lapse | Annexed states where ruler died without natural heir (Satara, Jhansi, Nagpur, etc.) |
| Railways | Introduced railways — first line Mumbai to Thane (1853) |
| Telegraph | First telegraph line Calcutta to Agra (1853) |
| Postal reform | Modern postal system introduced |
| Engineering | Established PWD (Public Works Department) |
| Education | Wood’s Despatch (1854) — blueprint for Indian education system |
| Widow Remarriage | Supported the cause (Act passed by his successor Canning in 1856) |
| Known as | ”Maker of Modern India” (for infrastructure) / most aggressive annexationist |
6. Lord Canning (1856–1862)
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Significance | Last Governor-General of Company rule; First Viceroy of British Crown |
| Revolt of 1857 | Occurred during his tenure |
| Government of India Act 1858 | Company rule ended; Crown took over |
| Title change | Became first Viceroy after 1858 |
| Universities | First three universities established (Calcutta, Bombay, Madras) — 1857 |
| Indian Councils Act 1861 | Introduced portfolio system; added Indian members to council |
| Known as | ”Clemency Canning” (for relatively lenient policy after 1857 revolt) |
Viceroys of India (1858–1947)
7. Lord Lytton (1876–1880)
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Vernacular Press Act 1878 | Curbed freedom of Indian language press (repealed by Ripon) |
| Arms Act 1878 | Banned Indians from keeping arms without licence |
| Delhi Durbar 1877 | Queen Victoria declared “Empress of India” |
| Famine | Great Famine (1876–1878); formed Famine Commission (Strachey Commission) |
| Civil service | Lowered maximum age for ICS exam (to exclude Indians) |
8. Lord Ripon (1880–1884)
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Vernacular Press Act repeal | 1882 — restored press freedom |
| Local Self-Government | 1882 resolution — “Father of Local Self-Government in India” |
| First Factory Act | 1881 — regulated child labour |
| Ilbert Bill | 1883 — proposed to allow Indian judges to try Europeans (defeated by European opposition) |
| Hunter Commission | 1882 — for education reform |
| Known as | Most popular Viceroy among Indians |
9. Lord Curzon (1899–1905)
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Partition of Bengal | 1905 — divided Bengal on communal lines (Hindu West, Muslim East) |
| Ancient Monuments Act | 1904 — for preservation of historical monuments |
| Indian Universities Act | 1904 — tightened government control over universities |
| Calcutta Corporation Act | Reduced elected Indian members |
| Police Commission | Appointed to reform police |
| Famine | Terrible famines during his tenure |
| Known as | Most controversial Viceroy; Bengal partition led to Swadeshi Movement |
10. Lord Minto II (1905–1910)
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Indian Councils Act 1909 | Also called Morley-Minto Reforms |
| Separate electorates | Introduced for Muslims — seeds of communal politics |
| Muslim League | Founded 1906 (during his tenure) at Dhaka |
| Swadeshi Movement | Continued |
11. Lord Hardinge II (1910–1916)
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Capital shift | Capital moved from Calcutta to Delhi (1911) |
| Delhi Durbar 1911 | King George V visited India |
| Partition of Bengal annulled | 1911 — reunification of Bengal |
| Bomb thrown | At his procession in Delhi (1912) by a revolutionary |
12. Lord Chelmsford (1916–1921)
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Government of India Act 1919 | Also called Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms |
| Dyarchy | Introduced in provinces (transferred vs reserved subjects) |
| Rowlatt Act 1919 | Allowed detention without trial |
| Jallianwala Bagh Massacre | April 13, 1919, Amritsar |
| Khilafat Movement | Started 1919–1920 |
| Non-Cooperation Movement | Launched by Gandhi (1920) |
13. Lord Reading (1921–1926)
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Chauri Chaura incident | February 1922 — Gandhi called off Non-Cooperation Movement |
| Swaraj Party | Founded 1923 by C.R. Das and Motilal Nehru |
| Communist Party | Formed (1920s underground activity) |
| Prince of Wales visit | Boycotted (1921) |
14. Lord Irwin (1926–1931)
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Simon Commission | 1927 (boycotted — “Simon Go Back”) |
| Civil Disobedience Movement | Launched by Gandhi (Dandi March, March 12, 1930) |
| Gandhi-Irwin Pact | March 5, 1931 |
| Deepavali Declaration | 1929 — promised Dominion Status for India |
| Round Table Conference | First held 1930 (Congress boycotted) |
15. Lord Willingdon (1931–1936)
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Second Civil Disobedience | Resumed 1932; brutally suppressed |
| Communal Award | 1932 — separate electorates for depressed classes |
| Poona Pact | 1932 — Gandhi-Ambedkar agreement on reserved seats instead of separate electorates |
| Second and Third Round Table Conferences | 1931, 1932 |
| Government of India Act 1935 | Passed during his tenure (implemented 1937) |
16. Lord Linlithgow (1936–1943)
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Government of India Act 1935 | Implemented — provincial autonomy began (1937 elections) |
| World War II | India declared participant without consulting Indian leaders (1939) |
| Quit India Movement | August 8, 1942 (“Do or Die” — Gandhi) |
| Cripps Mission | 1942 (failed) |
| August Offer | 1940 |
| Individual Satyagraha | 1940 |
| Longest-serving Viceroy | 7 years |
17. Lord Wavell (1943–1947)
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Wavell Plan and Simla Conference | 1945 (failed) |
| INA Trials | 1945 — trial of Subhas Bose’s Indian National Army officers |
| Cabinet Mission | 1946 — proposed Indian Union with grouped provinces |
| Direct Action Day | August 16, 1946 (led to communal riots) |
| Interim Government | Formed September 1946 (Nehru as VP of Viceroy’s Council) |
| Bengal Famine | 1943 — occurred early in his tenure |
18. Lord Mountbatten (1947)
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Last Viceroy | February–August 1947 |
| Mountbatten Plan | June 3, 1947 — announced partition and independence |
| Indian Independence Act 1947 | Passed by British Parliament |
| Independence | August 15, 1947 |
| First Governor-General of free India | Mountbatten continued (till June 1948) |
| Last Governor-General of free India | C. Rajagopalachari (1948–1950) |
Quick Revision — Match the Following Format
| Person | Most Associated With |
|---|---|
| Warren Hastings | First Governor-General of Bengal; Regulating Act |
| Cornwallis | Permanent Settlement (1793) |
| Wellesley | Subsidiary Alliance |
| Bentinck | Abolition of Sati (1829); English education |
| Dalhousie | Doctrine of Lapse; Railways; Telegraph |
| Canning | 1857 Revolt; First Viceroy |
| Lytton | Vernacular Press Act; Delhi Durbar 1877 |
| Ripon | Local Self-Government; Ilbert Bill |
| Curzon | Partition of Bengal (1905) |
| Minto II | Morley-Minto Reforms (1909); Separate Electorates |
| Hardinge II | Capital shift to Delhi (1911) |
| Chelmsford | Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms (1919); Jallianwala Bagh |
| Irwin | Dandi March; Gandhi-Irwin Pact |
| Willingdon | Poona Pact; Communal Award |
| Linlithgow | Quit India Movement; WWII |
| Wavell | Cabinet Mission; INA Trials |
| Mountbatten | Partition and Independence (1947) |
Important Acts — Chronological
| Act | Year | Viceroy/GG | Key Provision |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regulating Act | 1773 | Warren Hastings | Created Governor-General of Bengal; Supreme Court at Calcutta |
| Pitt’s India Act | 1784 | Warren Hastings | Board of Control (dual government) |
| Charter Act | 1833 | Bentinck | Governor-General of India (not just Bengal) |
| Government of India Act | 1858 | Canning | Crown rule; Secretary of State for India |
| Indian Councils Act | 1861 | Canning | Portfolio system; Indians in council |
| Indian Councils Act | 1892 | Lansdowne | Indirect elections; enlarged councils |
| Indian Councils Act | 1909 | Minto II | Morley-Minto Reforms; separate electorates |
| Government of India Act | 1919 | Chelmsford | Montagu-Chelmsford; Dyarchy in provinces |
| Government of India Act | 1935 | Willingdon/Linlithgow | Provincial autonomy; Federal structure (never fully implemented) |
| Indian Independence Act | 1947 | Mountbatten | Partition; two dominions |
Frequently Asked PSC Questions
Q: First Governor-General of Bengal? A: Warren Hastings (1773)
Q: First Governor-General of India? A: Lord William Bentinck (1833)
Q: Last Governor-General of India (British)? A: Lord Mountbatten
Q: Last Governor-General of free India? A: C. Rajagopalachari (1948–1950)
Q: Who introduced Permanent Settlement? A: Lord Cornwallis (1793)
Q: Doctrine of Lapse was introduced by? A: Lord Dalhousie
Q: Who abolished Sati? A: Lord William Bentinck (1829)
Q: Jallianwala Bagh massacre occurred under which Viceroy? A: Lord Chelmsford (1919)
Q: Partition of Bengal (1905) under whom? A: Lord Curzon
Q: Who is called “Father of Local Self-Government in India”? A: Lord Ripon
Q: Quit India Movement (1942) under which Viceroy? A: Lord Linlithgow
Q: First railway line in India was introduced under? A: Lord Dalhousie (Bombay to Thane, 1853)
Exam Tips
- Dalhousie (Doctrine of Lapse, Railways) and Curzon (Bengal Partition) are the two most tested names
- Know the “firsts” and “lasts” — PSC loves boundary questions
- The progression of Acts (1773, 1784, 1833, 1858, 1861, 1892, 1909, 1919, 1935, 1947) is a standard sequence question
- Match the Viceroy with the Act/Reform — this is the most common question format
- Remember: Viceroy and Governor-General were the SAME person after 1858 — just different titles
- Lord Ripon is “most popular” among Indians; Lord Curzon is “most controversial”
- Cornwallis = Civil Service + Permanent Settlement — two answers from one person
Found an error or have a suggestion?
Thank you! Your feedback has been submitted.