The Revolt Of 1857 or the First War Of Independence was the immediate cause for the Act Of Good Governance 1858. It means the control of Indian rule was transferred to the British Crown.
List of British Viceroys during British India (1858-1947)
| # | Viceroy | Tenure | Achievement / Important Events |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lord Canning | 1858-1862 | 1. Queen Victoria’s proclamation and India Act of 1858 2. White Mutiny 3. Indian Councils Act of 1861 4. Indian Penal Code in 1860 5. Suppressed Wahabis movement |
| 2 | Lord Elgin | 1862 – 1863 | Wahabi Movement |
| 3 | Lord Lawrence | 1864 – 1869 | Bhutan War ( 1865) Establishment of High Courts at Calcutta, Bombay and Madras in 1865 |
| 4 | Lord Mayo | 1869 – 1872 | – Financial Distribution between centre and state introduced for the first time – First Census in 1872 – Mayo College for the royal elite was set up – Lord Mayo was the only Governor-General who was killed in India. – He was killed by Sher Ali Afridi in Port Blair – Establishment of Statistical Survey of India – Dept. of Agriculture and Commerce – State railways |
| 5 | Lord Northbrook | 1872 – 1876 | – Civil Marriage and Arya Samaj marriage introduced – Universal Marriage Act was introduced in 1872 – Intercaste Marriage allowed – Kuka Movement in Punjab |
| 6 | Lord Lytton | 1876 – 1880 | – Royal Titles Act of 1876 – Vernacular Press Act, 1878 – Arms Act, 1878 – Nationalist view – Due to High rate of taxation purchasing power had reduced. Government view – Drought is natural phenomena due to which people become poor – Ignored severe famine and organized durbar. Proclaimed Queen Victoria “The Empress of India” – Abolished tax on cotton for British traders – Maximum age to take up the civil services exam lowered from 21 to 19 – Second Afghan War (1878-80) – Appointment of first famine commission in 1878 |
| 7 | Lord Ripon | 1880 – 1884 | – Was the most loved Governor-General – Repealed the controversial Arms and Vernacular press act – First Factory Act and First census – Set up Local self-governments – Panchayats and Municipal Boards due to which he was known as Father of Self Government – 2 new universities opened – Punjab University 1884, Allahabad University 1887 – Illbert Bill – Indian judge cannot try English Judge – Appointment of Hunter Commission on Education – Division finances of the centre in 1882 |
| 8 | Lord Dufferin | 1884 – 1888 | – III Anglo-‐Burmese war (1885-‐1886) – Indian National Congress was founded in 1885 |
| 9 | Lord Lansdowne | 1888 – 1894 | – Indian Councils Act, 1892 (Indirect election was introduced for the first time) – Factory Act, 1891 – Division of Civil services into Imperial, Provincial and Subordinate – Appointment of Durand Commission and its definition of Durand line between India (Now Pakistan) and Afghanistan |
| 10 | Lord Elgin II | 1894 – 1899 | – First British Officer called Rands was killed. He was killed by Chapekar (Ramkrishna & Damodar) Brothers. This was the first political murder. |
| 11 | Lord Curzon | 1899 – 1905 | – Indian Universities act – to control Indian Universities – Ancient Monuments Preservation Act of 1904 – Establishment of Agriculture research Institute at Pusa in Bihar – Thomas Raleigh Commission – Partition of Bengal – Curzon-Kitchener controversy |
| 12 | Lord Minto II | 1905 – 1910 | – Anti Partition and swadeshi movements – Surat session and Split in the congress – Morley – Minto reforms – Foundation of Muslim League by Aga Khan Nawab of Dacca in 1906 |
| 13 | Lord Hardinge II | 1910 – 1916 | – Mesopotamian Campaign – Annulment of partion of Bengal – Transfer of Capital from Calcutta to Delhi – Hindu Mahasabha was established by Madan Mohan Malaviya in 1915 – Death of G.K. Gokhale in 1915 |
| 14 | Lord Chelmsford | 1916 – 1921 | – Return of Ghandhji – Home Rule League Movements – Luknow Session and reunion of congress in 1916 – Lucknow pact in 1916 by the efforts of B.G.Tilak – August Declaration of Montague – Formation of Indian Liberal Federation by S.N.Banerjee – Jallian Walla Bagh Massacre (13 April 1919) – Khilafat movement (1919-20) – Rowlatt Act was passed – Montague – Chelmsford reform was passed – Appointment of Sir S.P.Sinha as Lieutenant Governor of Bihar (First Indian) |
| 15 | Lord Reading | 1921 – 1926 | – Formation of Swaraj party by C.R.Das Motilal Nehru in Dec 1922 – Chauri – Chaura incident took place – Foundation of Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh (RSS) by K.B.Hedgewar (1925) – Repeal of Rowlatt Act – Holding of simultaneous examinations in India and England – Beginning of Indianisation of officer’s cadre of the Indian Army. |
| 16 | Lord Irwin | 1926 – 1931 | – Simon commission and its Boycott – Harcourt Butler Indian States commission (1927) – Nehru report and its rejection by Muslim League & Hindu Mahasabha etc. – Deepavali declaration – Lahore session (1929) – Poornaswaraj declaration – Launch of civil disobedience movement and Dandi march – First round table conference was held – Gandi Irwin Pact |
| 17 | Lord Willingdon | 1931 – 1936 | – Second & Third Round Table Conference – Communal award (1932) by Ramsay Mac Donald – Poona pact between Gandhi and Ambedkar(1932) – Govt. of India Act 1935 – Foundation of Socialist Party by Acharya Narendra Dev and Jai Prakash Narayan (1934) – Communal award was started |
| 18 | Lord Linlithgow | 1936 – 1944 | – Formation of congress ministries – Resignation of Subash Chandra Bose from the President ship of congress – Formation of Forward Block – August offer by Linlithgow and its rejection by congress – Deliverance day by Muslim League (1939) – Cripps Mission – Quit India movement |
| 19 | Lord Wavell | 1944 – 1947 | – CR Formula 1944 – Formation of Interim Government and Launching of Direct Action Day – INA Trials – Naval Mutiny (1946) – Cabinet Mission ( Lawrence, Cripps and Alexander) – Wavell Plan & Shimla conference |
| 20 | Lord Mountbatten | 1947-48 | – June 3rd Plan – Partition of India and Independence – Last Viceroy and First Governor-General of free India |
Above the list of British Viceroys in British India will be helpful for the aspirants of the competitive exams like UPSC/PCS/SSC/CDS etc.
FAQs
Who was the first Viceroy of India?
Lord Canning was the first Viceroy of India. His tenure lasted for four years between 1858 and 1862.
Who was the first Viceroy of India after independence?
Lord Mountbatten was the last Viceroy of India and the first Governor-General of independent India. He was sent as Viceroy to India in March to make arrangements for the transfer of Power by June 1948.
Who was the last Viceroy of India?
Lord Mountbatten was the last Viceroy of India. His tenure lasted between 1947 and 1948.
Who was the best Viceroy of India?
Lord Ripon was one of the viceroys in India during the British rule who served between 1880-84. He is known to be the most liberal viceroy, popularly known as ‘Good Viceroy of India’ who launched several reform programs as soon as he took office on 8th June 1880.
How many Viceroys are there in India?
There were 20 viceroys in British India
Who is the longest serving Viceroy of India?
Victor Alexander John Hope, 2nd marquess of Linlithgow, (born Sept. 24, 1887, Abercorn, West Lothian, Scot. —died Jan. 5, 1952, Abercorn), British statesman and longest serving viceroy of India (1936–43) who suppressed opposition to British presence there during World War II.