IMPORTANT GOVERNORS-GENERAL OF INDIA

WARREN HASTINGS 

TERM OF OFFICE : 1772-1785

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS : 

• HE WAS THE FIRST GOVERNOR GENERAL OF BENGAL .

• REGULATING ACT OF 1773

• PITT'S INDIA ACT 1784

• ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF BHAGWAT GEETA BY CHARLES WILKINS .

• THE FIRST GOVERNOR GENERAL TO BE PROSECUTED FOR IMPEACHMENT .

• ABOLISHED THE DUAL SYSTEM IN BENGAL .

• JAMES HICKEY'S BENGAL GAZETTE FIRST INDIAN NEWSPAPER PUBLISHED .

CHARLES CORNWALLIS

TERM OF OFFICE : 1786-1793

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS : 

• PERMANENT SETTLEMENT IN BIHAR AND BENGAL IN 1793 .

• INTRODUCTION OF CIVIL SERVICES IN INDIA . 

• ESTABLISHED LOWER COURTS AND APPELATE COURTS .

RICHARD WELLESLEY

TERM OF OFFICE : 1798-1805

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS :

• INTRODUCTION OF SUBSIDIARY ALLIANCE .

• FORT WILLIAM COLLEGE AT CALCUTTA (1800) .

LORD HASTINGS

TERM OF OFFICE : 1807-1813

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS : 

• CHARTER ACT OF 1813

LORD WILLIAM BENTINCK

TERM OF OFFICE : 1828-1835

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS :

• HE WAS THE FIRST GOVERNOR GENERAL OF INDIA THROUGH CHARTER ACT OF 1833 .

• BENGALI SATI REGULATION , 1829 PROHIBIT PRACTICE OF SATI .

• MADE ENGLISH THE MEDIUM OF HIGHER EDUCATON IN COUNTRY .

• SUPPRESSED FEMALE INFANTICIDE 

LORD DALHOUSIE

TERM OF OFFICE : 1848-1856

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS :

• OPENED THE FIRST INDIAN RAILWAY ( FROM BOMBAY TO THANE ) IN 1853 .

• INTRODUCED THE DOCTRINE OF LAPSE .

• MADE SHIMLA THE SUMMER CAPITAL .

• WOOD DISPATCH WAS PASSED IN 1854 .

• WINDOW REMARRIAGE ACT , 1856 LEGALIZED THE REMARRIAGE OF WIDOWS .

• LAID OUT FIRST TELEGRAPH LINE ( CALCUTTA TO AGRA ) IN 1853 .

LORD CANNING

TERM OF OFFICE : 1856-1862

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS :

• HE WAS THE LAST GOVERNOR GENERAL AND  THE FIRST VICEROY OF INDIA 

• ENACTMENT OF INDIAN PENAL CODE IN 1860 .

• SYSTEM OF BUDGET INTRODUCED . 

• DOCTRINE OF LAPSE WAS WITHDRAWN .

• INDIAN COUNCIL ACT WAS PASSED IN 1861 .

• ESTABLISHED THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA .

LORD MAYO

TERM OF OFFICE : 1869-1872

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS : 

• STARTED FINANCIAL DECENTRALISATION .

• OPENING OF RAJKUMAR COLLEGE IN RAJKOT AND MAYO COLLEGE AT AJMER FOR POLITICAL TRAINING OF INDIAN PRINCESS .

• CENSUS WAS INTRODUCED FIRST TIME IN 1871 IN INDIA .

• HE WAS THE ONLY VICEORY TO BE MURDERED IN OFFICE . HE WAS ASSASSINATED BY PATHAN SHER ALI AFRIDI. 

LORD LYTTON

TERM OF OFFICE : 1876-1880

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS :

• ORGANISED THE GRAND DELHI DURBAR IN 1877 TO DECORATE QUEEN VICTORIA WITH THE TITLE OF 'KAISERI-I-HIND' .

• VERNACULAR PRESS ACT 1878 WAS PASSED . 

• QUEEN VICTORIA ASSUMING THE TITLE OF "EMPRESS OF INDIA " .

LORD RIPPON 

TERM OF OFFICE : 1880-1884

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS :

• VERNACULAR PRESS ACT (1882) WAS REPEALED .

• ILBERT BILL ( 1883 ) WAS PASSED .

• APPOINTMENT OF EDUCATION COMMISSION UNDER SIR WILLIAM HUNTER .

• A NEGOTIABLE INSTRUMENT ACT 1881 WAS PASSED .

LORD CURZON

TERM OF OFFICE : 1899-1905

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS : 

• PARTITION OF BENGAL IN 1905

• 2ND SWADESHI MOVEMENT AGAINST PARTITION OF BENGAL WAS STARTED BY LAL-BAL-PAL-AURBINDO GHOSH .

LORD MINTO

TERM OF OFFICE : 1905-1910

SIGNIFICANT EVENT :

• THE INDIAN COUNCIL ACT OF 1909 OR MORLEY MINTO REFORMS WAS PASSED . 

LORD HARDINGE

TERM OF OFFICE : 1910-1916

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS :

• TRANSFER OF CAPITAL FROM CALCUTTA TO DELHI IN 1911 .

• McMAHON BORDER LINE WAS CREATED BETWEEN INDIA AND CHINA IN 1914 .

LORD CHELMSFORD

TERM OF OFFICE : 1916-1921

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS :

• FORMATION OF INDIAN HOME RULE MOVEMENT IN 1916 .

• LUCKNOW PACT WAS SIGNED IN 1916 .

• MONTAGU-CHELMSFORD REFORMS WERE INTRODUCED .

• GOVERNMENT OF INDIA ACT 1919 WAS PASSED TO EXPAND PARTICIPATION OF INDIANS IN GOVERNMENT OF INDIA .

• ROWLATT OR BLACK ACT WAS PASSED IN DELHI IN 1919 .

• JALLIANWALA BAGH MASSACRE TOOK PLACE IN AMRITSAR , PUNJAB ON 13 APRIL 1919 .

• IMPERIAL BANK OF INDIA ( NOW STATE BANK OF INDIA )  ESTABLISHED IN 1921 . 

LORD IRWIN

TERM OF OFFICE : 1926-1931

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS :

• FIRST ROUND TABLE CONFERENCE HELD IN 1930 .

• LALA LAJPAT RAI DIED IN 1928 . 

• EXECUTION OF BHAGAT SINGH , SHIVARAM RAJGURU AND SHUKDEV THAPAR IN 1931 .

• FOURTEEN POINTS OF JINNAH WERE PROPOSED BY MUHAMMAD ALI JINNAH AS A CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM .

• GANDHI IRWIN PACT WAS SIGNED BETWEEN AND MAHATMA GANDHI AND LORD IRWIN .

LORD LINLITHGOW

TERM OF OFFICE : 1936-1943

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS :

• QUIT INDIA MOVEMENT ALSO KNOWN AS AUGUST MOVEMENT WAS LAUNCHED AT BOMBAY SESSION BY MAHATMA GANDHI .

• CRIPPS MISSION WAS SENT BY BRITISH GOVT. TO INDIA IN 1942 TO OBTAIN INDIAN COOPERATION FOR BRITISH IN WORLD WAR 2 .

LORD MOUNTBATTEN 

TERM OF OFFICE : 1947-1948

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS :

• HE WAS LAST GOVERNOR GENERAL OF PRE INDEPEDENCE INDIA AND FIRST GOVERNOR GENERAL OF POST INDEPENDENCE INDIA . 

CHAKRAVARTI RAJAGOPALACHARI 

TERM OF OFFICE : 1948-1950

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS : 

• HE WAS THE LAST GOVERNOR GENERAL OF INDIA BEFORE THE OFFICE WAS PERMANENTLY ABOLISHED IN 1950 .