List of Viceroys of India: Tenure And Incidents During Their Regime

Regardless of which competitive examination you are preparing for, history is a crucial subject. In this blog we have listed all the viceroys who have ruled India throughout history. If you are preparing for exams like KAS, KPSI, KPTCL, KPC, KPWD Oliveboard has mock tests for each exam and to make you prepare for the exam faster Oliveboard has courses for KAS, KPSI you can visit Karnataka Exam Section on our website. 

Viceroy Meaning

You might have wondered what viceroy means, viceroy meaning a ruler who exercises authority on behalf of a sovereign over a colony or, viceroy meaning someone who represents a king or queen and rules for him or her in another country.

A Brief History of Viceroy Rule

By receiving the royal charter from Queen Elizabeth I, the British came to our land as traders. Through trading they started to rule the place they were able to. They ruled their trading places within no time. And within three centuries they became the most powerful country in the world. A governor general was chosen to look after the fortification of William in Kolkata. Progressively, the representative came to work out more noteworthy specialists over all the regions managed by the East India Company. Taking after the Indian Resistance of 1857 and concerns over fumbles inside the East India Company, in 1858, control of the regions was passed to the crown. The title of emissary was presented and people were designated by the paramount council of the British government, rather than the Court of Executives of the East India Company. After autonomy in 1947, the title emissary was abandoned and in spite of the fact that governors kept on acting as agents of Ruler George VI, India and Pakistan were headed by their local governor-generals. Louis Mountbatten, Earl Mountbatten of Burma got to be governor-general and directed the move of British India to autonomy. Chakravarti Rajagopalachari (1878-1972) became the only Indian and final governor-general after freedom.

The rule of Viceroy directly under the Britain crown came into existence after the 1857 revolt. Before that governor general rule was there in India. Bengal, Mumbai and Madras presidencies had their own governor general. But the revolt 1857 brought viceroys rule in India making Lord Canning as the first viceroy of India

Viceroy (1858-1947): The company rule was abolished after the revolt of 1857 and India came under direct British control. An Act of Government of India passed in 1858 changed the name of the post to Viceroy of India from Governor General of India. In this case, the Viceroy was appointed directly by the British government. The first Viceroy of India was Lord Canning.

First Viceroy and Last Viceroy of India
The first viceroy and governor general of India was Warren Hastings. Whereas Lord Canning was the actual first viceroy of India. But the last governor of India was Chakravarti Rajagopalachari.

List of Viceroys of India

ViceroysIncidents during their regime
Viceroy Lord Canning (1856-1862)
First Viceroy of India 
– Revolt of 1857Three universities established Calcutta, Madras and Bombay in 1857
– 1858: As a result of the Government of India Act, the East India Company is abolished and its control transferred to the Crown
Indian Councils Act of 1861
Lord John Lawrence (1864-1869)Bhutan War (1865)High Courts at Calcutta, Bombay and Madras established (1865)
Lord Lytton
(1876-1880)
The Vernacular Press Act (1878)
The Arms Act (1878)
The Second Afghan War (1878-80)
During the reign of Queen Victoria, she acquired the title of ‘Kaiser-i-Hind’, or the 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)
Lord Dufferin
(1884-1888)
The Third Burmese War (1885-86).
Indian National Congress established (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)
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
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
Formation of the Indian National Army (1941)
Cripps Mission (1942)Quit India Movement (1942)
Lord Wavell
(1944-1947)
C. Rajagopalachari’s CR Formula (1944)
Wavell Plan and the Simla Conference (1942)
Cabinet Mission (1946)
Direct Action Day (1946)
Announcement of end of British rule in India by Clement Attlee (1947)
Lord Mountbatten (1947-1948)
Last Viceroy of India (British)
June Third Plan (1947)
Redcliff commission (1947)
India’s Independence (15 August 1947)
Chakravarti Rajagopalachari (1948-1950)
Last viceroy of India 
Last Governor-General of India, before the office, was permanently abolished in 1950

Conclusion:

Before the viceroys, governor generals ruled presidencies like Bengal, Madras and Bombay. The revolt of 1857 brought the viceroys rule in India. With this Lord Canning became first viceroy of India of India and Lord Mountbatten became last viceroy of India (British) but Chakravarti Rajagopalachari is the last viceroy of India. 

FAQs

Q: Who was the first viceroy of India?

A: Lord Canning was the first viceroy of India. Many Confusions are there in regarding who was the first viceroy of India, Warren Hasting was First Governor General of India but Lord Canning was the first viceroy of India.

Q: Who was the last British viceroy of India?

A: Lord Mountbatten was the last viceroy of India (British) but Chakravarti Rajagopalachari is the last viceroy of India. 

Q. What is the full name of lord Canning

A. Charles Canning was the full name of Lord Canning who was the first viceroy of India.

Q. When did the viceroy system come into existence?

A. After the 1857 revolt the viceroy system come into existence

Q. Who was given the title Viceroy?

A. Governor General was give the new title of Viceroy


BANNER ads

Download 500+ Free Ebooks (Limited Offer)👉👉

X