⌨️ Use ← → arrow keys or click buttons to navigate

British Administration in India

From Governor-General to Viceroy: A Historical Overview 👑

Evolution of Administrative Posts (1773-1947) 📜

Initially, East India Company controlled Bengal through a post named “Governor of Bengal”. The first was Robert Clive.
Other Presidencies, Bombay and Madras, had their own Governors.
Governor-General of Bengal (1773-1833):
- After the passing of the Regulating Act 1773, the post of Governor of Bengal was converted.
- The first Governor-General of Bengal was Warren Hastings.
- Through this Act, the Governors of Bombay and Madras worked under the Governor-General of Bengal.
Governor-General of India (1833-1858):
- By Charter Act of 1833, the post name of Governor-General of Bengal was again converted.
- The first Governor-General of India was William Bentinck.
- This post was mainly for administrative purposes and reported to the Court of Directors of the East India Company.
Viceroy (1858-1947):
- After the Revolt of 1857, the company rule was abolished and India came under the direct control of the British Crown.
- Government of India Act 1858 passed which changed the name of post-Governor General of India to Viceroy of India.
- The Viceroy was appointed directly by the British government.
- The first Viceroy of India was Lord Canning.

Early Administrators & Key Reforms (1773-1793) ⚖️

Warren Hastings (1773-1785)

Regulating Act of 1773
Pitt’s India Act of 1784
The Rohilla War of 1774
The First Maratha War in 1775-82 and the Treaty of Salbai in 1782
Second Mysore War in 1780-84

Lord Cornwallis (1786-1793)

Third Mysore War (1790-92) and Treaty of Seringapatam (1792)
Cornwallis Code (1793)
Permanent Settlement of Bengal, 1793

Expansion & Consolidation (1798-1828) 🗺️

Lord Wellesley (1798-1805)

Introduction of the Subsidiary Alliance System (1798)
Fourth Mysore War (1799)
Second Maratha War (1803-05)

Lord Minto I (1807-1813)

Treaty of Amritsar with Ranjit Singh (1809)

Lord Hastings (1813-1823)

Anglo-Nepal War (1814-16) and the Treaty of Sagauli, 1816
Third Maratha War (1817-19) and dissolution of Maratha Confederacy
Establishment of Ryotwari System (1820)

Lord Amherst (1823-1828)

First Burmese War (1824-1826)

Social Reforms & Early Conflicts (1828-1848) 🕊️

Lord William Bentinck (1828-1835)

Abolition of Sati System (1829)
Charter Act of 1833

Lord Auckland (1836-1842)

First Afghan War (1838-42)

Lord Hardinge I (1844-1848)

First Anglo-Sikh War (1845-46) and the Treaty of Lahore (1846)
Social reforms like the abolition of female infanticide

Modernization & The Great Revolt (1848-1862) 🚂

Lord Dalhousie (1848-1856)

Second Anglo-Sikh War (1848-49)
The annexation of Lower Burma (1852)
Introduction of the Doctrine of Lapse
Wood’s Despatch 1854
Laying down of first railway line connecting Bombay and Thane in 1853
Establishment of PWD (Public Works Department)

Lord Canning (1856-1862)

Revolt of 1857
Establishment of three universities at Calcutta, Madras and Bombay in 1857
Abolition of East India Company and transfer of control to the Crown by the Government of India Act, 1858
Indian Councils Act of 1861

Administrative & Social Reforms (1864-1884) 🏛️

Lord John Lawrence (1864-1869)

Bhutan War (1865)
Establishment of the High Courts at Calcutta, Bombay and Madras (1865)

Lord Lytton (1876-1880)

The Vernacular Press Act (1878)
The Arms Act (1878)
The Second Afghan War (1878-80)
Queen Victoria assumed the title of ‘Kaiser-i-Hind’ or Queen Empress of India

Lord Ripon (1880-1884)

Repeal of the Vernacular Press Act (1882)
The first Factory Act (1881)
Government resolution on local self-government (1882)
The Ilbert Bill controversy (1883-84)
Hunter Commission on education (1882)

Rise of Nationalism & Curzon’s Era (1884-1905) 🐅

Lord Dufferin (1884-1888)

The Third Burmese War (1885-86)
Establishment of the Indian National Congress (1885)

Lord Lansdowne (1888-1894)

Factory Act (1891)
Indian Councils Act (1892)
Setting up of Durand Commission (1893)

Lord Curzon (1899-1905)

Appointment of Police Commission (1902)
Appointment of Universities Commission (1902)
Indian Universities Act (1904)
Partition of Bengal (1905)

Growing Unrest & Major Acts (1905-1921) ⚔️

Lord Minto II (1905-1910)

Swadeshi Movements. (1905-11)
Surat Split of Congress (1907)
Establishment of Muslim League (1906)
Morley-Minto Reforms (1909)

Lord Hardinge II (1910-1916)

Annulment of Partition of Bengal (1911)
Transfer of capital from Calcutta to Delhi (1911)
Establishment of the Hindu Mahasabha (1915)

Lord Chelmsford (1916-1921)

Lucknow pact (1916)
Champaran Satyagraha (1917)
Montagu’s August Declaration (1917)
Government of India Act (1919)
The Rowlatt Act (1919)
Jallianwalla Bagh massacre (1919)
Launch of Non-Cooperation and Khilafat Movements

Civil Disobedience & World War II (1921-1944) 🌍

Lord Reading (1921-1926)

Chauri Chaura incident (1922)
Withdrawal of Non-Cooperation Movement (1922)
Establishment of Swaraj Party (1922)
Kakori train robbery (1925)

Lord Irwin (1926-1931)

Simon Commission to India (1927)
Harcourt Butler Indian States Commission (1927)
Nehru Report (1928)
Deepavali Declaration (1929)
Lahore session of the Congress (Purna Swaraj Resolution) 1929
Dandi March and the Civil Disobedience Movement (1930)
First Round Table Conference (1930)
Gandhi-Irwin Pact (1931)

Lord Willingdon (1931-1936)

Communal Award (1932)
Second & Third Round Table Conference (1932)
Poona Pact (1932)
Government of India Act of 1935

Lord Linlithgow (1936-1944)

Resignation of the Congress ministries after the outbreak of the Second World War (1939)
Tripuri Crisis & formation of Forward Bloc (1939)
Lahore Resolution of the Muslim League (demand for a separate state for Muslims) 1940
‘August Offer’ (1940)
Formation of the Indian National Army (1941)
Cripps Mission (1942)
Quit India Movement (1942)

Towards Independence & Beyond (1944-1950) 🇮🇳

Lord Wavell (1944-1947)

C. Rajagopalachari’s CR Formula (1944)
Wavell Plan and the Simla Conference (1945)
Cabinet Mission (1946)
Direct Action Day (1946)
Announcement of end of British rule in India by Clement Attlee (1947)

Lord Mountbatten (1947-1948)

June Third Plan (1947)
Redcliffe commission (1947)
India’s Independence (15 August 1947)

Chakravarti Rajagopalachari (1948-1950)

Last Governor-General of India, before the office was permanently abolished in 1950.