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List of governors-general of India
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The Regulating Act 1773 created the office with the title of Governor-General of the Presidency of Fort William, or Governor-General of Bengal to be appointed by the Court of Directors of the East India Company (EIC). The Court of Directors assigned a Council of Four (based in India) to assist the Governor-General, and the decision of the council was binding on the Governor-General from 1773–1784.
The Charter Act 1833 re-designated the office with the title of Governor-General of India. William Bentinck was the first to be designated as the Governor-general of India in 1833.
After the Indian Rebellion of 1857, the company rule in India was brought to an end, but the British India along with princely states came under the direct rule of the British Crown. The Government of India Act 1858 created the office of Secretary of State for India in 1858 to oversee the affairs of India, which was advised by a new Council of India with 15 members (based in London). The existing Council of Four was formally renamed as the Council of Governor-General of India or Executive Council of India. The Council of India was later abolished by Government of India Act 1935.
Following the adoption of the Government of India Act 1858, the Governor-General representing the Crown became known as the Viceroy. The designation 'Viceroy', although it was most frequently used in ordinary parlance, had no statutory authority, and was never employed by Parliament. Although the Proclamation of 1858 announcing the assumption of the government of India by the Crown referred to Lord Canning as "first Viceroy and Governor-General", none of the Warrants appointing his successors referred to them as 'Viceroys', and the title, which was frequently used in Warrants dealing with precedence and in public notifications, was one of ceremonies used in connection with the state and social functions of the Sovereign's representative. The Governor-General continued to be the sole representative of the Crown, and the Government of India continued to be vested in the appointments of Governor-General of India which were made by the British Crown upon the advice of Secretary of State for India. The office of Governor-General continued to exist as a ceremonial post in each of the new dominions of India and Pakistan, until they adopted republican constitutions in 1950 and 1956 respectively.
List of governors-general
Fort William (Bengal) and India, 1773–1857
| Sr. No. | Governor-General | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Lifespan) | Term of office | Notable events | Appointed by | Governors-General of the Presidency of Fort William (Bengal), 1773–1833 | George III | George IV | Governors-General of India, 1833–1858 | William IV | Victoria |
| 1 | [[File:Warren Hastings.jpg | 80px]] | |||||||
| Warren Hastings | |||||||||
| (1732–1818) | 20 October | ||||||||
| 1773Originally joined on 28 April 1772. | 8 February | ||||||||
| 1785 | |||||||||
| [[File:Captain John Macpherson (1726 - 1792) by anonymous (circa 1772-1792).jpg | 80px]] | ||||||||
| Sir John Macpherson, 1st Baronet (acting) | |||||||||
| (1745–1821) | *8 February | ||||||||
| 1785* | *12 September | ||||||||
| 1786* | |||||||||
| 2 | [[File:Lord Cornwallis.jpg | 80px]] | |||||||
| Charles Cornwallis, 2nd Earl CornwallisEarl Cornwallis from 1762; created Marquess Cornwallis (1792). | |||||||||
| (1738–1805) | 12 September | ||||||||
| 1786 | 28 October | ||||||||
| 1793 | |||||||||
| 3 | [[File:JohnShore.jpg | 80px]] | |||||||
| Sir John Shore, Bt. | |||||||||
| (1751–1834) | 28 October | ||||||||
| 1793 | 18 March | ||||||||
| 1798 | |||||||||
| [[File:Field Marshal Sir Alured Clarke.jpg | 80px]] | ||||||||
| Lt. Gen Alured Clarke (acting) | |||||||||
| (1744–1832) | *18 March | ||||||||
| 1798* | *18 May | ||||||||
| 1798* | |||||||||
| 4 | [[File:Richard Wellesley 2.JPG | 80px]] | |||||||
| Richard Wellesley, 1st Marquess WellesleyCreated Marquess Wellesley (1799). | |||||||||
| (1760–1842) | 18 May | ||||||||
| 1798 | 30 July | ||||||||
| 1805 | |||||||||
| 5 | [[File:Lord Cornwallis.jpg | 80px]] | |||||||
| Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis | |||||||||
| (1738–1805) | 30 July | ||||||||
| 1805 | 5 October | ||||||||
| 1805 | |||||||||
| [[File:Sir George Barlow, 1st Bt from NPG crop.jpg | 80px]] | ||||||||
| Sir George Barlow, 1st Baronet (acting) | |||||||||
| (1762–1847) | *10 October | ||||||||
| 1805* | *31 July | ||||||||
| 1807* | |||||||||
| 6 | [[File:Gilbert Eliot, 1st Earl of Minto by James Atkinson.jpg | 80px]] | |||||||
| Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 1st Baron Minto | |||||||||
| (1751–1814) | 31 July | ||||||||
| 1807 | 4 October | ||||||||
| 1813 | |||||||||
| 7 | [[File:Francis, 1st Marquess of Hastings (Earl of Moira).jpg | 80px]] | |||||||
| Francis Rawdon-HastingsEarl of Moira prior to being created Marquess of Hastings in 1816. | |||||||||
| (1754–1826) | 4 October | ||||||||
| 1813 | 9 January | ||||||||
| 1823 | |||||||||
| [[File:John Adam governor general of India.jpg | 80px]] | ||||||||
| John Adam (acting) | |||||||||
| (1779–1825) | *9 January | ||||||||
| 1823* | *1 August | ||||||||
| 1823* | |||||||||
| 8 | [[File:Sir Thomas Lawrence - Lord Amherst.jpg | 80px]] | |||||||
| William Amherst, 1st Earl AmherstCreated Earl Amherst in 1826. | |||||||||
| (1773–1857) | 1 August | ||||||||
| 1823 | 13 March | ||||||||
| 1828 | |||||||||
| [[File:William Butterworth Bayley, governor general of India.png | 80px]] | ||||||||
| William Butterworth Bayley (acting) | |||||||||
| (1782–1860) | *13 March | ||||||||
| 1828* | *4 July | ||||||||
| 1828* | |||||||||
| 1 | [[File:Bentinck william.png | 80px]] | |||||||
| Lord William Bentinck | |||||||||
| (1774–1839) | 4 July | ||||||||
| 1828 | 20 March | ||||||||
| 1835 | |||||||||
| [[File:Charles Theophilus Metcalfe, 1st Baron Metcalfe by George Chinnery.jpg | 80px]] | ||||||||
| Charles Metcalfe, Baronet (acting) | |||||||||
| (1785–1846) | *20 March | ||||||||
| 1835* | *4 March | ||||||||
| 1836* | |||||||||
| 2 | [[File:George Eden, 1st Earl of Auckland.png | 80px]] | |||||||
| George Eden, 1st Earl of AucklandCreated Earl of Auckland in 1839. | |||||||||
| (1784–1849) | 4 March | ||||||||
| 1836 | 28 February | ||||||||
| 1842 | |||||||||
| 3 | [[File:1stEarlOfEllenborough.jpg | 80px]] | |||||||
| Edward Law, 2nd Baron Ellenborough | |||||||||
| (1790–1871) | 28 February | ||||||||
| 1842 | June | ||||||||
| 1844 | |||||||||
| [[File:William Wilberforce Bird.jpg | 80px]] | ||||||||
| William Wilberforce Bird (acting) | |||||||||
| (1784–1857) | *June | ||||||||
| 1844* | *23 July | ||||||||
| 1844* | |||||||||
| 4 | [[File:Henryhardinge.jpg | 80px]] | |||||||
| Henry HardingeCreated Viscount Hardinge in 1846. | |||||||||
| (1785–1856) | 23 July | ||||||||
| 1844 | 12 January | ||||||||
| 1848 | |||||||||
| 5 | [[File:Dalhousie.jpg | 80px]] | |||||||
| James Broun-Ramsay, 10th Earl of DalhousieCreated Marquess of Dalhousie 1849. | |||||||||
| (1812–1860) | 12 January | ||||||||
| 1848 | 28 February | ||||||||
| 1856 | |||||||||
| 6 | [[File:Lord Viscount Canning.jpg | 80px]] | |||||||
| Charles Canning, 2nd Viscount CanningCreated Earl Canning 1859. | |||||||||
| (1812–1862) | 28 February | ||||||||
| 1856 | 31 October | ||||||||
| 1858 |
Governors-General and Viceroys of India, 1858–1947
| Sr. No. | Governor-General or Viceroy | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Lifespan) | Term of office | Notable events | Secretary of State for India | Prime Minister | Governors-General and Viceroys of India, 1858–1947 | [[File:Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (1837-1952).svg | 30x30px]] Appointed by Edward VII (1901–1910) | [[File:Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (1837-1952).svg | 30x30px]] Appointed by George V (1910–1936) | [[File:Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (1837-1952).svg | 30x30px]] Appointed by Edward VIII (1936) | [[File:Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (1837-1952).svg | 30x30px]] Appointed by George VI (1936–1947) (as Emperor of India) |
| 1 | [[File:Lord Viscount Canning.jpg | 80px]] | |||||||||||
| Charles Canning, 2nd Viscount Canning | |||||||||||||
| (1812–1862) | 1 November | ||||||||||||
| 1858 | 21 March | ||||||||||||
| 1862 | |||||||||||||
| 2 | [[File:Elgin.png | 80px]] | |||||||||||
| James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin | |||||||||||||
| (1811–1863) | 21 March | ||||||||||||
| 1862 | 20 November | ||||||||||||
| 1863 | Charles Wood | Viscount Palmerston | |||||||||||
| [[File:Robert Napier, 1st Baron Napier of Magdala - Project Gutenberg eText 16528.png | 80px]] | ||||||||||||
| Robert Napier (acting) | |||||||||||||
| (1810–1890) | *21 November | ||||||||||||
| 1863* | *2 December | ||||||||||||
| 1863* | |||||||||||||
| [[File:William Denison 2.jpg | 80px]] | ||||||||||||
| William Denison (acting) | |||||||||||||
| (1804–1871) | *2 December | ||||||||||||
| 1863* | *12 January | ||||||||||||
| 1864* | |||||||||||||
| 3 | [[File:SirJohnLawrence 16246.jpg | 80px]] | |||||||||||
| Sir John Lawrence, 1st Baronet | |||||||||||||
| (1811–1879) | 12 January | ||||||||||||
| 1864 | 12 January | ||||||||||||
| 1869 | |||||||||||||
| 4 | [[File:6th Earl of Mayo.jpg | 80px]] | |||||||||||
| Richard Bourke, 6th Earl of Mayo | |||||||||||||
| (1822–1872) | 12 January | ||||||||||||
| 1869 | 8 February | ||||||||||||
| 1872 | George Campbell, 8th Duke of Argyll | William Ewart Gladstone | |||||||||||
| [[File:John Strachey (civil servant) (cropped).jpg | 80px]] | ||||||||||||
| John Strachey (acting) | |||||||||||||
| (1823–1907) | *9 February | ||||||||||||
| 1872* | *23 February | ||||||||||||
| 1872* | |||||||||||||
| [[File:FrancisNapier10thLordNapier.jpg | 80px]] | ||||||||||||
| Francis Napier, 10th Lord Napier (acting) | |||||||||||||
| (1819–1898) | *24 February | ||||||||||||
| 1872* | *3 May | ||||||||||||
| 1872* | |||||||||||||
| 5 | [[File:Arthur Stockdale Cope - Thomas George Baring, Earl of Northbrook.jpg | 80px]] | |||||||||||
| Thomas Baring, 2nd Baron Northbrook | |||||||||||||
| (1826–1904) | 3 May | ||||||||||||
| 1872 | 12 April | ||||||||||||
| 1876 | |||||||||||||
| 6 | [[File:Robert Bulwer-Lytton by Nadar.jpg | 80px]] | |||||||||||
| Robert Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Earl of Lytton | |||||||||||||
| (1831–1891) | 12 April | ||||||||||||
| 1876 | 8 June | ||||||||||||
| 1880 | |||||||||||||
| 7 | [[File:George Robinson 1st Marquess of Ripon.jpg | 80px]] | |||||||||||
| George Robinson, 1st Marquess of Ripon | |||||||||||||
| (1827–1909) | 8 June | ||||||||||||
| 1880 | 13 December | ||||||||||||
| 1884 | |||||||||||||
| 8 | [[File:Young Lord Dufferin.jpg | 80px]] | |||||||||||
| Frederick Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 1st Earl of Dufferin | |||||||||||||
| (1826–1902) | 13 December | ||||||||||||
| 1884 | 10 December | ||||||||||||
| 1888 | |||||||||||||
| 9 | [[File:Marquess of Lansdowne crop.jpg | 80px]] | |||||||||||
| Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 5th Marquess of Lansdowne | |||||||||||||
| (1845–1927) | 10 December | ||||||||||||
| 1888 | 21 January | ||||||||||||
| 1894 | |||||||||||||
| 10 | [[File:9thEarlOfElgin.jpg | 80px]] | |||||||||||
| Victor Bruce, 9th Earl of Elgin (1849–1917) | 21 January | ||||||||||||
| 1894 | 6 January | ||||||||||||
| 1899 | |||||||||||||
| 11 | [[File:George Curzon2.jpg | 80px]] | |||||||||||
| George Curzon, 1st Baron Curzon of KedlestonOliver Russell, 2nd Baron Ampthill was acting Governor-General in 1904. | |||||||||||||
| (1859–1925) | 6 January | ||||||||||||
| 1899 | 18 November | ||||||||||||
| 1905 | |||||||||||||
| 12 | [[File:Earl Minto.jpg | 80px]] | |||||||||||
| Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 4th Earl of Minto | |||||||||||||
| (1845–1914) | 18 November | ||||||||||||
| 1905 | 23 November | ||||||||||||
| 1910 | |||||||||||||
| 13 | [[File:Charles Hardinge01 crop.jpg | 80px]] | |||||||||||
| Charles Hardinge, 1st Baron Hardinge of Penshurst | |||||||||||||
| (1858–1944) | 23 November | ||||||||||||
| 1910 | 4 April | ||||||||||||
| 1916 | |||||||||||||
| 14 | [[File:Chelmsford Governor.jpg | 80px]] | |||||||||||
| Frederic Thesiger, 1st Viscount Chelmsford | |||||||||||||
| (1868–1933) | 4 April | ||||||||||||
| 1916 | 2 April | ||||||||||||
| 1921 | |||||||||||||
| 15 | [[File:Rufus Isaacs.jpg | 80px]] | |||||||||||
| Rufus Isaacs, 1st Marquess of Reading | |||||||||||||
| (1860–1935) | 2 April | ||||||||||||
| 1921 | 3 April | ||||||||||||
| 1926 | |||||||||||||
| 16 | [[File:1st Earl of Halifax 1947.jpg | 80px]] | |||||||||||
| E. F. L. Wood, 1st Baron Irwin | |||||||||||||
| (1881–1959) | 3 April | ||||||||||||
| 1926 | 18 April | ||||||||||||
| 1931 | |||||||||||||
| [[File:Viscount Goschen.jpg | 80px]] | ||||||||||||
| George Goschen, 2nd Viscount Goschen (acting) | |||||||||||||
| (1866–1952) | *29 June | ||||||||||||
| 1929* | 11 November 1929 | ||||||||||||
| 17 | [[File:Freeman Freeman-Thomas by Henry Walter Barnett.jpg | 80px]] | |||||||||||
| Freeman Freeman-Thomas, 1st Earl of Willingdon | |||||||||||||
| (1866–1941) | 18 April | ||||||||||||
| 1931 | 18 April | ||||||||||||
| 1936 | |||||||||||||
| 18 | [[File:Victor Hope, 2nd Marquess of Linlithgow.jpg | 80px]] | |||||||||||
| Victor Hope, 2nd Marquess of Linlithgow | |||||||||||||
| (1887–1952) | 18 April | ||||||||||||
| 1936 | 1 October | ||||||||||||
| 1943 | |||||||||||||
| 19 | [[File:Archibald Wavell2.jpg | 80px]] | |||||||||||
| Archibald Wavell, 1st Viscount Wavell | |||||||||||||
| (1883–1950) | 1 October | ||||||||||||
| 1943 | 21 February | ||||||||||||
| 1947 | |||||||||||||
| 20 | [[File:Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten, 1943. TR1230 (cropped).jpg | 80px]] | |||||||||||
| Louis Mountbatten, 1st Viscount Mountbatten of Burma | |||||||||||||
| (1900–1979) | 21 February | ||||||||||||
| 1947 | 15 August | ||||||||||||
| 1947 |
Governors-General of the [[Dominion of India]], 1947–1950
| Governor-General | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Lifespan) | Term of office | Notable events | Prime Minister | Governors-General of the Dominion of India, 1947–1950 | [[File:Emblem of India (without motto).svg | 30x30px]] Appointed by George VI (1947–1950) (as King of India) |
| [[File:Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten, 1943. TR1230 (cropped).jpg | 80px]] | |||||
| Louis Mountbatten, 1st Viscount Mountbatten of BurmaCreated Earl Mountbatten of Burma on 28 October 1947. | ||||||
| (1900–1979) | 15 August | |||||
| 1947 | 21 June | |||||
| 1948 | ||||||
| [[File:Chakravarthi Rajagopalachari.jpg | 80px]] | |||||
| Chakravarti Rajagopalachari | ||||||
| (1878–1972) | 21 June | |||||
| 1948 | 26 January | |||||
| 1950 |
Timeline and tenures
File:Timeline GGIs.png|Timeline of governors and governors-general File:Gov Gen Tenure.svg|Tenures of governors and governors-general
Notes
Citations
References
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- Information Management Group, IIT Roorkee. "Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee Index".
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- (18 April 2008). "A Short History of Burma". New Internationalist.
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