Important Governors-General & Viceroys

Lord Wellesley (1798–1805) introduced the Subsidiary Alliance system to expand British influence and keep Indian states under control.

The Charter Act of 1833 designated the Governor-General of Bengal as the Governor-General of India, and Lord William Bentinck was the first to hold this title.

Lord Dalhousie implemented the Doctrine of Lapse to annex Indian states where the ruler died without a natural male heir.

Lord Canning was the Governor-General of India during the 1857 revolt and became the first Viceroy after the Government of India Act 1858.

Lord Lytton passed the Vernacular Press Act to curtail the freedom of the Indian language press.

Lord Ripon is hailed as the father of local self-government in India due to his significant reforms in 1882 regarding municipal administration.

Lord Curzon ordered the partition of Bengal in 1905, which triggered the Swadeshi Movement.

The Indian Councils Act 1909, known as the Morley-Minto Reforms, introduced separate communal electorates for Muslims.

Lord Hardinge II announced the shifting of the capital from Calcutta to Delhi during the Delhi Durbar in 1911.

Lord Chelmsford was the Viceroy of India from 1916 to 1921, covering the period of the Jallianwala Bagh incident.

The Gandhi-Irwin Pact was signed in March 1931 by Mahatma Gandhi and Lord Irwin.

Lord Mountbatten was the last Viceroy of British India and the first Governor-General of independent India.

The first non-synchronous census of India was held in 1872 during the tenure of Lord Mayo.

Lord William Bentinck is known for his social reforms, including the abolition of Sati in 1829, and educational reforms.

Lord Dufferin was the Viceroy of India (1884–1888) when the Indian National Congress was established.

Lord Linlithgow was the Viceroy of India during the Second World War and the arrival of the Cripps Mission in 1942.

The Anarchical and Revolutionary Crimes Act, 1919, which gave the government enormous powers to repress political activities, is known as the Rowlatt Act.

C. Rajagopalachari served as the last Governor-General of India from 1948 to 1950.

Lord Wellesley established Fort William College in 1800 to train British officers in Indian languages and culture.

Lord Cornwallis introduced the Cornwallis Code and systematically organized the civil services, separating revenue collection from judicial administration.

Lord Cornwallis led the British forces against Tipu Sultan in the Third Anglo-Mysore War, concluding it with the Treaty of Seringapatam.

Warren Hastings followed the policy of Ring Fence to protect the British frontiers against the Marathas and Afghans, primarily by defending the territories of his allies like Oudh.

The Vellore Mutiny occurred in 1806, during the brief tenure of Sir George Barlow, triggered by new dress regulations that offended the religious sentiments of sepoys.

Sir John Shore followed a policy of non-intervention (or non-interference) in the internal affairs of Indian states, as exemplified by his handling of the Nizam's defeat at Kharda.

Warren Hastings was the first Governor-General of Bengal, and the Regulating Act of 1773 was passed during his tenure, leading to the creation of the Supreme Court at Fort William.

The Ilbert Bill was introduced during the tenure of Lord Ripon to remove racial discrimination in judicial proceedings, though it faced massive backlash from the European community.

Lord Dalhousie laid the foundations of the modern PWD and took steps to professionalize engineering and infrastructure development in India.

Lord Curzon passed the Indian Universities Act of 1904, based on the recommendations of the Raleigh Commission, to curb the autonomy of Indian universities.

Lord Ripon appointed the Hunter Commission in 1882 under the chairmanship of William Hunter to look into the educational reforms in India.

Lord Mayo became the only Viceroy to be murdered in office when he was stabbed by an Afghan convict while visiting the Penal Settlement at Port Blair.

Lord Hardinge II was the Viceroy when King George V announced the annulment of the Partition of Bengal and the shifting of the capital from Calcutta to Delhi.

Lord Lytton is well-known for his aggressive and interventionist policies, including the Second Anglo-Afghan War and the hosting of the Grand Delhi Durbar in 1877.

Lord Dufferin was the Viceroy of India when the Indian National Congress was founded by A.O. Hume in 1885.

Lord Linlithgow issued the 'August Offer' in 1940 to gain Indian support for the British war effort during World War II.

Lord Linlithgow was the Viceroy when the Indian National Congress launched the Quit India Movement in August 1942.

Lord Wavell was the Viceroy when the Cabinet Mission arrived in India in 1946 to discuss the framework for the transfer of power.

Lord Mountbatten, the last British Viceroy, announced the plan for the partition of India on June 3, 1947, known as the Mountbatten Plan.

Lord Dalhousie is credited with modernizing communications in India by introducing the first telegraph line and uniform postal rates.

The Charter Act of 1853, which introduced open competition for civil services, was passed during the tenure of Lord Dalhousie.

Sir Thomas Munro, as Governor of Madras, implemented the Ryotwari system, which established a direct relationship between the government and the cultivators.

Wood's Despatch on education was dispatched in 1854 during the term of Lord Dalhousie, who was known for his extensive administrative and infrastructural reforms.

Lord Hastings (also known as the Earl of Moira) presided over the Third Anglo-Maratha War, which resulted in the final defeat of the Maratha Confederacy.

Lord Lytton introduced the Statutory Civil Service in 1878 to pacify Indian aspirations, though it was eventually abolished.

Lord Mayo, known for his interest in agricultural reform and financial decentralization, created the Department of Revenue, Agriculture and Commerce in 1871.

John Lawrence followed a 'Policy of Masterly Inactivity' towards Afghanistan, avoiding direct interference in their internal affairs.

Lord Curzon was deeply interested in Indian archaeology and passed the Ancient Monuments Preservation Act in 1904 to restore and protect historical monuments.

Lord Ripon, often viewed as a liberal Viceroy, repealed the Vernacular Press Act in 1882, effectively restoring press freedom.

Lord Curzon passed the Official Secrets Act in 1904, which further restricted the press and tightened control over information.

Lord Chelmsford was the Viceroy when the Rowlatt Act was passed, which empowered the government to arrest and imprison people without trial.