Governor General of Bengal (1773–1833)
| Term | Name | Events |
| 1773-85 Highest tenure of all | Warren Hastings | Regulating Act of 1773 Act of 1781 Pitt’s India Act of 1784 Supreme Council Of Bengal Asiatic Society of Bengal by him and William Jones Stopped Mughal pension to Shah Alam II Abolished the Dual System in Bengal Moved Treasury from Murshidabad to Calcutta Bengal Gazette- First Indian newspaper published 1st Anglo-Maratha War (1775–82) 2nd Anglo–Mysore war (1780–84) 1st Rohilla War of 1773–1774 “Ring fence policy” 2nd Rohilla War 1779 Naba Kumar episode 1775 Experimentation on land settlements. (1772-five years’ settlement, changed to 1 year in 1776) English Translation of Bhagwat Gita |
| 1785-86 | John Macpherson | |
| 1786-93 | Lord Cornwallis | Established lower courts and appellate courts Permanent Settlement in Bihar and Bengal in 1793 3rd Mysore war Introduction of Cornwallis Code Introduce Covenanted Civil Services in India Sanskrit Vidyalaya at Benares was established by Johnathan Duncan(Governor of Bombay) |
| 1793-98 | John Shore | Policy of Non–intervention Charter Act of 1793 Battle of Kharda between Nizam and Marathas (1795) |
| 1798-1805 | Richard Wellesley | Introduction of Subsidiary Alliance Subsidiary treaty with Nizam 1798 4th Anglo Mysore War 1799 Subsidiary treaty of Bassein 1802 2nd Anglo–Maratha War (1803–05) Fort William College at Calcutta Formation of Madras Presidency after annexation of Tanjore and Carnatic |
| 1805-07 | George Barlow | Sepoy mutiny at Vellore 1806 Bank of Calcutta established (later Imperial Bank of India, now SBI) |
| 1807-1813 | Lord Minto I | Charter Act of 1813 Treaty of Amritsar 1809 with Ranjit Singh |
| 1813-23 | Lord Hastings | Ended the policy of Non-intervention Doctrine of Paramountcy Gorkha war at Nepal 1814-16 Treaty of Sugauli 3rd Anglo–Maratha War (1816-1818) abolition of Peshwaship Creation of Bombay Presidency in 1818 Ryotwari System in Madras by governor Thomas Munro Mahalwari System in Central India, Punjab and Western UP Hindu College at Calcutta in 1817 Pindari War (1817-1818) General Committee of Public Instruction was formed in 1823 |
| 1823 | John Adam | Licensing Regulations Calcutta Unitarian Committee was established by Raja Ram Mohan Roy |
| 1823-28 | Lord Amherst | 1st Anglo–Burmese War (1824–26) Annexes Assam, Manipur, Arakan Treaty of Yandabo, 1826 |
Governor Generals of India (1833-58)
| # | Name | Important Works |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | William Bentinck (1828-35) | 1st Governor General of India Bengal Sati Regulation, 1829 Suppression of thuggee (Henry Sleeman was superintendent) Charter Act, 1833 Saint Helena Act 1833 Law Commission 1834 Annexation of – Cachar 1832 – Jaintia 1832 – Coorg 1834 Formation of Agra province Macaulay’s Minutes 1835 English Education Act 1835 English as a medium of instructions Medical College, Kolkata |
| 2 | Charles Metcalfe (1835-36) | Repealed 1823 Licensing Regulations Known as Liberator of India Press |
| 3 | Lord Auckland (1836-42) | Tripartite Treaty between British, Shah Shuja (Afghan traitor) and Ranjit Singh against Dost Muhammad Khan 1st Anglo Afghan War(1840-42) Bank of Bombay established (later Imperial Bank of India, now SBI) |
| 4 | Lord Ellenborough (1842-44) | Gwalior War (1843) (British Crush Marathas once and for all) Annexation of Sindh 1843 Bank of Madras established |
| 5 | Henry Hardinge I (1844-48) | 1st Anglo-Sikh War (1845–46) Treaty of Lahore(1846) British confiscate Kashmir from the Sikhs and sell it to Raja of Jammu |
| 6 | Dalhousie (1848-56) | Highest tenure as Governor General of India Doctrine of Lapse Charles Wood Dispatch 1854 2nd Anglo-Sikh War (1848-1849) 2nd Anglo-Burmese War (1852) 1st train between Bombay and Thane 1st telegraph Line Diamond Harbour to Calcutta Post Office Act, 1854 Santhal Rebellion (1855) Widow Remarriage Act 1856 – drafted Established Public Works Department Engineering College was established at Roorkee |
FAQs
Who was the first Governor-General of Bengal?
The first Governor-General of Bengal was Warren Hastings with tenure of office from 1772-1785.
Who was the first Governor-General of British India?
William Bentick was the first Governor-General of British India. It was after the Charter Act of 1833 was passed that the Governor-General of Bengal was made the Governor-General of British India.