Plain-text reference: every Governor-General and Viceroy of British India and the events of his tenure, behind the interactive Governors-General & Viceroys tool.
Grouped into the three offices: Governors-General of Bengal, Governors-General of India, and Viceroys. Open an era for each tenure's events, sorted by category.
| Governor-General | Tenure | Events |
|---|---|---|
| Warren Hastings First Governor-General of Bengal | 1773–1785 | Wars & Treaties: 1st Rohilla War (1773–74); 1st Anglo-Maratha War (1775–82); Treaty of Salbai (1782); 2nd Anglo-Mysore War (1780–84); Treaty of Mangalore (1784) Acts & Admin: Regulating Act (1773); Supreme Court, Fort William (1774); Pitt's India Act (1784); Abolished Dual System & Dastaks; Ended Shah Alam II's pension Land & Revenue: Treasury: Murshidabad → Calcutta Education & Press: Hicky's Bengal Gazette (1780); Calcutta Madrasa (1781); Asiatic Society of Bengal, William Jones (1784) Policy & Legacy: Impeached in Britain on return (trial 1788–95) |
| Lord Cornwallis Father of the civil services in India | 1786–1793 | Wars & Treaties: 3rd Anglo-Mysore War (1790–92); Treaty of Seringapatam (1792) Acts & Admin: Lower & appellate courts; Cornwallis Code (1793); Civil services introduced Land & Revenue: Permanent Settlement of Bengal (1793) Education & Press: Sanskrit College, Benares, Jonathan Duncan (1791) |
| Sir John Shore | 1793–1798 | Wars & Treaties: 2nd Rohilla War (1794); Battle of Kharda, Nizam vs Marathas (1795) Acts & Admin: Charter Act (1793) Policy & Legacy: Policy of non-intervention |
| Lord Wellesley Called himself the 'Bengal Tiger' | 1798–1805 | Wars & Treaties: 4th Anglo-Mysore War (1799); Tipu killed; Treaty of Bassein (1802); 2nd Anglo-Maratha War (1803–05) Acts & Admin: Government House (Raj Bhavan), Calcutta (1803) Education & Press: Censorship of the Press Act (1799); Fort William College (1800) Annexations: Tanjore (1799); Surat (1800); Carnatic (1801) Policy & Legacy: Subsidiary Alliance (1798); Nizam of Hyderabad first to accept |
| Lord Minto I | 1807–1813 | Wars & Treaties: Treaty of Amritsar with Ranjit Singh (1809); Treaty with the Talpur Amirs of Sindh (1809) Acts & Admin: Charter Act (1813) Land & Revenue: Bank of Calcutta (1806) (under acting G-G Barlow) Revolts & Movements: Vellore Mutiny (1806) (under acting G-G Barlow) |
| Lord Hastings | 1813–1823 | Wars & Treaties: Anglo-Nepalese War (1814–16); Treaty of Sugauli (1816); Pindari War (1817–18); 3rd Anglo-Maratha War (1817–18) Land & Revenue: Ryotwari in Madras, Thomas Munro (1820); Mahalwari in North-West Provinces (1822) Education & Press: Hindu College, Calcutta (1817); General Committee of Public Instruction (1823) Annexations: Peshwa's lands → Bombay Presidency (1818) Policy & Legacy: Ended the policy of non-intervention |
| Lord Amherst | 1823–1828 | Wars & Treaties: 1st Anglo-Burmese War (1824–26); Treaty of Yandabo (1826) Education & Press: Licensing Regulations, press curbs (1823) (under acting G-G John Adam); Sanskrit College, Calcutta (1824) Annexations: Assam, Arakan, Tenasserim (1826) Revolts & Movements: Barrackpore Mutiny (1824) |
| Governor-General | Tenure | Events |
|---|---|---|
| Lord William Bentinck First Governor-General of India | 1828–1835 | Acts & Admin: Charter Act (1833) Education & Press: English Education Act, Macaulay's Minute (1835); Medical College, Calcutta (1835) Social Reform: Abolition of Sati (1829); Suppression of Thuggee, William Sleeman (1830s); Brahmo Samaj, Raja Ram Mohan Roy (1828) Annexations: Mysore (1831); Cachar (1832); Coorg (1834) Revolts & Movements: Kol Rebellion (1831–32) Policy & Legacy: Became G-G of India under the Charter Act, 1833 |
| Lord Auckland | 1836–1842 | Wars & Treaties: Tripartite Treaty: British, Ranjit Singh, Shah Shuja (1838); 1st Anglo-Afghan War (1839–42) Land & Revenue: Bank of Bombay (1840) Education & Press: Press Act (1835) repeals 1823 Licensing Regulations; 'Liberator of the Indian Press' (under acting G-G Metcalfe); Calcutta Public Library (1836) (under acting G-G Metcalfe) Social Reform: Tattwabodhini Sabha, Debendranath Tagore (1839) |
| Lord Ellenborough | 1842–1844 | Wars & Treaties: Gwalior War (1843) Land & Revenue: Bank of Madras (1843) Social Reform: Indian Slavery Act, slavery abolished (1843) Annexations: Sindh (1843) |
| Lord Hardinge I | 1844–1848 | Wars & Treaties: 1st Anglo-Sikh War (1845–46); Treaty of Lahore (1846); Kashmir sold to Gulab Singh (1846); Treaty of Bhairowal (1846) Education & Press: Roorkee Engineering College (1847) |
| Lord Dalhousie Father of Indian railways | 1848–1856 | Wars & Treaties: 2nd Anglo-Sikh War (1848–49); 2nd Anglo-Burmese War (1852) Acts & Admin: Charter Act (1853); Railway, Bombay–Thane (1853); Telegraph, Calcutta–Agra (1853); Post Office Act (1854); Public Works Department; Shimla made summer capital Education & Press: Bethune School, Calcutta (1849); Wood's Despatch (1854) Social Reform: Caste Disabilities Removal Act (1850) Annexations: By lapse: Satara (1848), Jaitpur, Sambalpur (1849), Udaipur, Jhansi (1853), Nagpur (1854); Punjab (1849); Lower Burma (1852); Awadh, misgovernance (1856) Revolts & Movements: Santhal Rebellion (1855–56) Policy & Legacy: Doctrine of Lapse |
| Lord Canning Last Governor-General under the Company; became the first Viceroy in 1858 | 1856–1858 | Acts & Admin: General Service Enlistment Act (1856) Education & Press: Universities of Calcutta, Bombay, Madras (1857) Social Reform: Hindu Widows' Remarriage Act (1856) Revolts & Movements: Revolt of 1857 |
| Governor-General | Tenure | Events |
|---|---|---|
| Lord Canning First Viceroy of India | 1858–1862 | Acts & Admin: Queen's Proclamation & GoI Act (1858); Indian Penal Code (1860); Indian High Courts Act (1861); Indian Councils Act (1861), portfolio system; Indian Civil Services Act (1861); Police Act (1861); Archaeological Survey of India (1861) Land & Revenue: Income tax introduced (1860) Revolts & Movements: White Mutiny (1859); Indigo Revolt (1859–60) |
| Lord Elgin I Died in office at Dharamsala (1863) | 1862–1863 | Acts & Admin: High Courts at Calcutta, Bombay, Madras (1862) Revolts & Movements: Wahabi Movement suppressed |
| Sir John Lawrence | 1864–1869 | Wars & Treaties: Bhutan War (1864–65) Acts & Admin: Shimla made summer capital (1864); Allahabad High Court (1866); Famine Commission, Henry Campbell (1867), after Orissa famine (1866) Land & Revenue: Tenancy Acts, Punjab & Oudh (1868) Annexations: Bengal & Assam Duars (1865) Policy & Legacy: 'Masterly inactivity' towards Afghanistan |
| Lord Mayo | 1869–1872 | Acts & Admin: Sedition, IPC Sec. 124A (1870), against the Wahabis; First census, non-synchronous (1872); Dept. of Agriculture & Commerce (1872); Statistical Survey of India (1872) Land & Revenue: Financial decentralisation (1870) Education & Press: Rajkumar College, Rajkot & Mayo College, Ajmer Social Reform: Indian Reform Association, Keshub Chandra Sen (1870) Policy & Legacy: Assassinated in the Andamans by Sher Ali Afridi (1872) |
| Lord Northbrook | 1872–1876 | Acts & Admin: Trial of the Gaekwad of Baroda (1874); Prince of Wales' visit (1875–76) Education & Press: MAO College, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan (1875); Dramatic Performances Act (1876) Social Reform: Satyashodhak Samaj, Jyotiba Phule (1873) Revolts & Movements: Kuka rebellion of Ram Singh suppressed (1872) Policy & Legacy: Resigned over Disraeli's push for a treaty with Sher Ali (1876) |
| Lord Lytton | 1876–1880 | Wars & Treaties: 2nd Anglo-Afghan War (1878–80); Treaty of Gandamak (1879) Acts & Admin: Royal Titles Act: 'Empress of India' (1876); 1st Delhi Durbar (1877); Arms Act (1878); Civil services max age 21 → 19 (1878) Land & Revenue: Great Famine (1876–78); Famine Commission, Richard Strachey (1878) Education & Press: Vernacular Press Act (1878) |
| Lord Ripon Father of local self-government | 1880–1884 | Acts & Admin: First Factory Act (1881); Negotiable Instruments Act (1881); First synchronous census (1881); Resolution on local self-government (1882); Ilbert Bill controversy (1883); Civil services max age 19 → 21 Land & Revenue: Famine Code (1883) Education & Press: Vernacular Press Act repealed (1882); Panjab University (1882); Hunter Education Commission (1882) |
| Lord Dufferin | 1884–1888 | Wars & Treaties: 3rd Anglo-Burmese War (1885) Land & Revenue: Bengal Tenancy Act (1885) Annexations: Burma made a province, capital Rangoon (1886) Revolts & Movements: Indian National Congress founded (1885) |
| Lord Lansdowne | 1888–1894 | Wars & Treaties: Durand Commission; Durand Line with Afghanistan (1893) Acts & Admin: Second Factory Act (1891); Indian Councils Act (1892) Social Reform: Age of Consent Act, age raised to 12 (1891) |
| Lord Elgin II | 1894–1899 | Acts & Admin: Bubonic plague in Bombay (1896) Land & Revenue: Famine of 1896–97; Lyall Commission Social Reform: Ramakrishna Mission, Swami Vivekananda (1897) Revolts & Movements: Chapekar brothers kill Rand & Ayerst (1897) |
| Lord Curzon Partitioned Bengal | 1899–1905 | Wars & Treaties: Younghusband expedition to Tibet (1903–04) Acts & Admin: North-West Frontier Province created (1901); Police Commission, Andrew Fraser (1902); 2nd Delhi Durbar (1903); Ancient Monuments Preservation Act (1904); Archaeological Dept reorganised; Official Secrets Act (1904); Partition of Bengal (16 Oct 1905) Land & Revenue: Famine of 1899–1900; MacDonnell Commission; Department of Agriculture (1901); Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa (1905) Education & Press: Raleigh Commission (1902) → Universities Act (1904); Central Hindu Girls School, Annie Besant (1904) Revolts & Movements: Munda Ulgulan, Birsa Munda (1899–1900); Swadeshi Movement begins (1905) |
| Lord Minto II | 1905–1910 | Acts & Admin: Victoria Memorial foundation stone (1906); Seditious Meetings Act (1907); Morley–Minto Reforms / Indian Councils Act (1909), separate electorates; S. P. Sinha joins Viceroy's Executive Council (1909) Land & Revenue: TISCO established (1907) Education & Press: Newspapers (Incitement to Offences) Act (1908); Indian Press Act (1910) Revolts & Movements: Muslim League founded at Dacca (1906); Jugantar group, Bengal (1906); Surat Split (1907) |
| Lord Hardinge II | 1910–1916 | Wars & Treaties: World War I begins (1914); McMahon Line, Simla Convention (1914) Acts & Admin: 3rd Delhi Durbar (1911); Partition of Bengal annulled (1911); Capital: Calcutta → Delhi (1911); Bihar & Orissa separated from Bengal (1912) Education & Press: Banaras Hindu University (1916) Revolts & Movements: Delhi Conspiracy: bomb at Hardinge (1912); Ghadar Party (1913); Komagata Maru (1914); Ghadar Mutiny (1915); Gandhi returns from South Africa (1915); Hindu Mahasabha (1915) |
| Lord Chelmsford | 1916–1921 | Acts & Admin: August Declaration (20 Aug 1917); Rowlatt Act (1919); Montagu–Chelmsford Reforms / GoI Act (1919), dyarchy Education & Press: SNDT Women's University, D. K. Karve (1916); Sadler Commission (1917); Aligarh Muslim University (1920) Revolts & Movements: Home Rule Leagues (1916); Lucknow Pact (1916); Champaran Satyagraha (1917); Kheda & Ahmedabad mill strike (1918); Jallianwala Bagh (13 Apr 1919); Khilafat Movement (1919–20); Non-Cooperation Movement (1920) |
| Lord Reading | 1921–1926 | Acts & Admin: Rowlatt Act repealed; Lee Commission on public services (1923) Land & Revenue: Imperial Bank of India (1921); Railway budget separated (1924) Education & Press: Press Act, 1910 repealed; Visva-Bharati, Rabindranath Tagore (1921) Revolts & Movements: Moplah Rebellion (1921); Chauri Chaura; NCM withdrawn (1922); Swaraj Party (1923); Kakori train robbery (1925); RSS, K. B. Hedgewar (1925); CPI formalised at Kanpur (1925) |
| Lord Irwin | 1926–1931 | Acts & Admin: Simon Commission (1927–28); Deepavali Declaration on dominion status (1929); 1st Round Table Conference (1930); Gandhi–Irwin Pact (1931) Education & Press: Hartog Committee (1929) Social Reform: Child Marriage Restraint (Sarda) Act (1929) Revolts & Movements: Nehru Report (1928); Death of Lala Lajpat Rai (1928); Bardoli Satyagraha (1928); Jinnah's Fourteen Points (1929); Meerut Conspiracy Case (1929); Assembly bomb, Bhagat Singh & B. K. Dutt (1929); Purna Swaraj, Lahore session (1929); Civil Disobedience & Dandi March (1930); Dharasana Satyagraha (1930); Chittagong Armoury Raid (1930); Iqbal's Allahabad address (1930); Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, Sukhdev executed (1931) |
| Lord Willingdon | 1931–1936 | Acts & Admin: 2nd Round Table Conference (1931); Communal Award (1932); 3rd Round Table Conference (1932); Government of India Act (1935), provincial autonomy Land & Revenue: Reserve Bank of India Act (1934) Revolts & Movements: Poona Pact, Gandhi & Ambedkar (1932); 'Now or Never' coins 'Pakistan' (1933); Congress Socialist Party (1934); All India Kisan Sabha (1936) |
| Lord Linlithgow Longest-serving Viceroy | 1936–1943 | Wars & Treaties: India declared belligerent in WWII (1939) Acts & Admin: Provincial elections; Congress ministries (1937); August Offer (1940); Cripps Mission (1942) Land & Revenue: Bengal Famine (1943) Revolts & Movements: Congress ministries resign (1939); Day of Deliverance (1939); Forward Bloc, Subhas Bose (1939); Lahore Resolution (1940); Individual Satyagraha (1940); Bose escapes India (1941); Quit India (8 Aug 1942); First INA, Mohan Singh (1942) |
| Lord Wavell | 1943–1947 | Wars & Treaties: End of World War II (1945) Acts & Admin: Wavell Plan & Simla Conference (1945); Cabinet Mission (1946); Interim Government (2 Sep 1946); Constituent Assembly first meets (9 Dec 1946); Attlee's June 1948 deadline (Feb 1947) Revolts & Movements: Bose leads INA; Azad Hind Govt (1943); C. R. Formula (1944); Gandhi–Jinnah talks (1944); INA trials at Red Fort (1945); RIN Mutiny (1946); Direct Action Day (16 Aug 1946) |
| Lord Mountbatten Last Viceroy | 1947 | Acts & Admin: Mountbatten Plan / 3 June Plan (1947); Indian Independence Act (18 Jul 1947); Radcliffe Boundary Commission; Independence & Partition (15 Aug 1947) Policy & Legacy: Stayed on as first G-G of independent India (1947–48) |
