GOVERNORS OF BRITISH INDIA

 Governor-Generals and Viceroys

I. Explain about Robert Clive (1757-60, 1765-67) 

1.Started Dual Government in Bengal in 1765.

2. Forbade the Company servants from indulging in private trade

3.Bengal White Mutiny - by white brigades at Allahabad and Monghyr. They were arrested and tried.

II.  Explain  about  Warren Hastings (1772-1786):

1.First Governor-General of Bengal-- through the Regulating Act of 1773.

2.Abolished the Dual Government in 1772.

3.Introduced quinquennial settlement of land revenue in 1772, farming out lands to the highest bidder. Later on, on annual basis.

3.The Amending Act of 1781 made a clear demarcation between the jurisdiction of the Governor-General-in-Council and that of the Supreme Court at Calcutta.

4.The Act of 1773 approved for setting up of Supreme Court at Calcutta

5.Founded the basic administrative system with District Collectors and Divisional Commissioners in charge of revenue and law and order.

6.First Anglo-Maratha War 1775-1782-Treaty of Salbai

7.Second Anglo-Mysore War 1780-1784-Treaty of Manglore

8.Foundation of Asiatic Society of Bengal-1784 (by William Jones)

9.Established the Calcutta Madarsa in 1781.

10. Strained relationships with Chait Singh, Maharaja of Benaras, which led to his subsequent impeachment in England.

III. Explain  about Lord Cornwallis (1786-1793):

1.Father of Civil Services in India.

2.Codified laws-Cornwallis code. Changed laws of criminal justice which were patterned on Muslim Criminal Law

3.Introduced 'Permanent Settlement' in 1793

4.Introduced the institution of District Judge and DSP

5.Introduced the Principle of Separation of Power by the Regulating Act of 1793 Separated the revenue administration from the administration of justice

6.Third Anglo-Mysore War 1790-1792- Treaty of Seringapatnam.

IV. Explain  about Sir John Shore (1793-1798):

1. Implemented Permanent Settlement.
2. Considered an authority on revenue matters. 
3. Charter Act of 1793 opened trade with India for private English merchants.

V. Explain  about Lord Welleseley (1798-1805):

1. Described himself as 'Bengal Tiger'.
2. Introduced 'Subsidiary Alliance' system - Nizam (1798), Awadh (1801).
3.  Formation of Madras Presidency after annexation of the kingdoms of Tanjore and Carnatic.
4. Forced Shah Alam II to become a pensioner.
5. Censorship of Press Act, 1799.
6. Fourth Anglo-Mysore War 1799, defeat of Tipu and annexation of many parts of Mysore.
7.  Treaty of Bassien with Bajirao II-1802 and Second Anglo- Maratha War 1803-1806.
8. Established the Fort William College in Calcutta in 1800. But it threatened the patronage rights of the Directors. The court of Directors closed the FW College in 1805 and established the East India College at Haford which was transferred to Haileybury in 1809.

VI .Explain  about George Barlow (1805-1807): 

1. Sepoy mutiny at Vellore 1806.

VII.Explain  about  Lord Minto I (1807-1813):

1. Sent in 1808 Mission of Malcom to Persia and the Elphinstone to Kabul.
2. Treaty of Amritsar with Ranjit Singh (1809) which extended the British rule upto the river Sutlej.
3. His rule marked the end of the first stage of British relations with the Indian Princes which was based on self-defence and friendly alliances (the Ring Fence Theory).
4. Charter Act of 1813.

VIII. Explain  about Lord Hastings (1813-1823):

1. War with Nepal (1813-1823) - Treaty of Sagauli after defeating the Gorkha leader Amar Singh.
2. Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817-1818) Maratha power was finally crushed. Peshwa Bajirao II deposed.
3. Extermination of the Pindaris (1817-1818).
4. Treaty with Sindhia (1817).
5. Introduced the Ryotwari Settlement in Madras - Thomas Munro.
6. Mahalwari (village community) system of land revenue was made in North-West Province by James Thomson.
7. Beginning of the Subordinate Isolation Policy towards Indian States.

IX.Explain  about  Lord Amherst (1823-1828):

1.   First Anglo-Burmese War (1824-1826). Treaty of Yaudaboo in 1826 by which British merchants were allowed to settle in the southern coast of Burma. 
2.  Acquisition of territory of Malaya peninsula.
3. Capture of Bharatpur.

X. Explain  about  Lord William Bentinck (1823-1836):

1. The first Governor-General of India.
2. Suppression of 'Thugee' - highway robbers - through Regulation 30.
3.  Abolition of 'Sati' through regulation XVII of 1829, declaring sati as 'culpable homicide'.
4. Charter Act of 1833. It opened the services for the Indians without discrimination.
5. Macaulay's Minutes-1835, educational reforms and introduction of English as the official language.
6.  Abolition of the provincial courts of appeal and circuit set up by Cornwallis. Sadar Nizamat Adalat and Sadar Diwani Adalat set up at Allahabad. Appointment of commissioners of revenue and circuit.
7. Concluded a treaty of perpetual friendship with Ranjit Singh.
8. Deposition of Raja of Mysore (1831), annexation of Coorg (1834) and Central Cachar (1834).
9. Formation of Agra province.

XI. Explain  about Lord Auckland (1836-1842):

1. 'Forward Policy'.
2.  First Afghan War (1838-42) - disaster of the British in the war
3.  Death of Ranjit Singh (1839).

XII. Explain  about Lord Ellenborough (1842-1844):

1. Termination of Afghan War
2. Annexation of Sindh. Imposition of humiliating treaties on Sindhia and Gwalior
3.  Was recalled for defying the orders

XIII. Explain  about Lord Hardinge (1844-1848):

1.     First Anglo-Sikh War (1845-1846). Treaty of Lahore. This extended the British territory to the lands between the Beas and the Sutlej. Lal Singh led the Sikh army.
2.  Prohibition of female infanticide and suppression of human sacrifice among the khonds.
3. Transferred the state of J&K to Gulab Singh for a payment of Rs. One crore.

XIV. Explain  about  Lord Dalhousie (1848-1856):

1. Doctrine of Lapse'-applied on subsidiary states. Annexation of Satara, Sambalpur, Udaipur, Jhansi, Nagpur and Awadh.
2. Second Anglo-Sikh War (1848-1849)-annexation of Punjab.
3. Second Anglo-Burmese War (1852) annexation of lower Burma or Pegu.
4. Abolition of Titles and Pensions.
5. Introduced the system of centralised control-Non-Regulation System.
6. Charter Act of 1853.
7. Introduction of Railways (1853, Bombay to Thane, 2nd Calcutta to Raniganj), Postal System (1854) and Telegraph (Calcutta to Agra).
8. Charles Wood's Despatch (1854) recommended Anglo- Vernacular schools. Rejected 'Filtration Theory' Considered the Magna Carta of English education in India
9. Ganges canal declared open (1854).
10. Establishment of a separate Public Works Department
11. Shimla was made the summer capital and army HQ
12. Widow Remarriage Act, 1856.
13. Santhal Uprising (1855-1856) - Sido & Kanhu
14. Introduced the system of open competition through examination for ICS

XV. Explain  about Lord Canning (1856-1858 as Governor-General, Viceroy):

1.     Doctrine of Lapse withdrawn. The policy towards Indian States changed from 'Subordinate Isolation' to 'Subordinate Union'.
2. Indigo Revolt- (1859-1860).
3. 'White Mutiny' by European troops in 1859.
4. Establishment of three universities (at Calcutta, Madras and Bombay).
5. Indian Council Act, 1861. The Imperial Legislative Council came into existence after the Act.
6. Indian High Court Act, 1861. Introduced judicial reforms and reorganised the police department.
7. The recommendations of the Police Commission (1860) led to the Indian Police Act, (1861).
8. Indian Civil Services Act 1861 theoretically opened the services to all subjects, but exams only in London.
9. In 1863 Satyendra Nath Tagore became the first Indian to qualify for the Civil Services.
10. Introduced the portfolio system of Cabinet in the Indian Council Act of 1861.
11. Set up Forest Department, for utilisation of forest resources.
12. He passed the General Service Enlistment Act in 1856 under which all recruits of the Bengal Army had to march wherever ordered.
13. Issued the 'Queen's Proclamation' at a durbar in Allahabad on Nov 1, 1858, by which the British Crown assumed direct responsibility for the administration of the country.
14. The Proclamation restored the right of the Princes to adopt their heirs (which was taken away by Lord Dalhousie)
15. The Bengal Rent Act removed some of the defects of the Permanent Settlement.

XVI.Explain  about  Lord Elgin (1862-1864):

1.   Wahabi movement broke out le destroyed their stronghold Malka in 1863
2. He died in office

XVII.Explain  about  Sir John Lawrence (1864-1869):

1.  'Masterly Inactivity' policy - not a policy of indifference but one of non-interference.
2. War with Bhutan which brought the territory of the Dooars to the British.
3. Establishment of High Courts at Calcutta, Madras and Bombay - 1865.
4. Passed the Punjab Tenancy Act (1868).
5. The first Governor-General who raised loans for productive works, built railways, dug canals and such other works. 

XVIII. Explain  about Lord Mayo (1869-1872):

1. Organisation of Statistical Survey of India.
2. Establishment of Department of Agriculture and Commerce.
3. Mayo's Resolution of 1870 - Started the process of decentralisation of finances. Evolved a proper system of budgeting as a result of which persistent deficits were converted into surpluses. The provincial governments were authorised to resort to local taxation to balance their budgets.
4. Introduced Prison reforms, famine measures and development of local self-govt.
5. Opening of Rajkot College at Kathiawar and the Mayo College at Ajmer for political training of Indian princes.
6. Beginning of the system of State Railways.
7. Was assassinated by a convict in Andaman.

XIX.Explain  about  Lord Northbrook (1872-1876):

1. Kuka rebellion broke out in Punjab.
2. Trial of Gaekwad of Baroda.
3. Visit of Prince of Wales (Edward VIII) in 1875.
4. Resigned over the Afghan question.

XX.Explain  about  Lord Lytton (1876-1880):

1. Was a reputed literary figure - known as Owen Meredith.
2. Introduced the Royal Titles Act, 1876 to confer upon Queen Victoria the title of Kaiser-i-Hind or the Empress of India during the First Delhi Durbar 1877.
3. Vernacular Press Act nicknamed "the gagging act", and Arms Act, 1878.
4. Statutory Civil Services Act - reduced age from 21 to 19.
5. Second Afghan War - to establish a Scientific Frontier. His forward Afghan policy led to disastrous consequences.
6. First Famine Commission under Richard Strachey.
7. Introduced the gold standard into the monetary system.
8. Creation of a North West Frontier province.

XXI. Explain  about Lord Ripon (1880-1884):

1. Repealed the Vernacular Press Act (of 1878) in 1882.
2. Prohibited employment of child labour (below the age of 7) through the First Factory Act of 1881.
3. First census of India, 1881 - 254 millions.
4.  Introduction of local self-government (1882) (hence called the pioneer of local self-government in India). It introduced the direct election for the first time in India.
5. Appointment of Educational Commission under William Hunter.
6. Decentralisation of finances - Imperial and Provincial.
7. Famine Code in 1883.
8. Ilbert Bill controversy (1884). Resigned before his term was over.

XXII. Explain  about Lord Dufferin (1884-1888):

1. Third Anglo-Burmese War (1885).
2. Foundation of the Indian National Congress. Lord Cross was the Secretary of State.
3. A number of new taxes were introduced, e.g., Salt tax and Petroleum tax.
4. Income tax as a direct tax for the first time.
5. Dubbed the Congress' demand as 'a big jump into the unknown'.

XXIII. Explain  about  Lord Landsdowne (1888-1894):

1. Second Factory Act of 1891.
2. Indian Council Act of 1892.
3. Appointment of Durand Commission (between India and Afghanistan).
4. Categorisation of civil services into imperial, provincial and subordinate.
5. Rebellion in the state of Manipur.
6. Took over the administration of Kashmir from Maharaja Pratap Singh. The state of Kashmir was finally restored to its ruler in 1935.
7. Foundation of the Indian National Congress (Lord Cross was the SoS).
8. Age of Consent Act, 1891, which forbade marriage of girls below 12.

XXIV.Explain  about  Lord Elgin II (1894-1899):

1. Afridi uprisings (after the Chitral expedition) and Santhal uprisings (1899-1900).
2.  Assassination of Rand and Ayherst by Chapekar brothers (1897).
3.  Great famine (1896-97). Sir James Lyall Commission appointed.

XXV.Explain  about  Lord Curzon (1899-1905):

1. Appointment of 4 commissions and 3 missions:
2. Frazer Commission - Police Commission (1902) - recommended the establishment of CID in the provinces and a Central Intelligence Bureau at the centre.
3. Raleigh Commission - Educational Commission.
4. MacDonell Commission - Famine Commission.
5. Robertson Commission - Irrigation Commission.
6. Flag Waving Mission - to Persian Gulf.
7. Young Husband Mission - to Tibet.
8. Louis Dane Mission to Kabul.
9. Ancient Monuments Preservation Act, 1904.
10. Establishment of Agricultural Institute at Pusa, Bihar.
11. Indian Universities Act, 1904.
12. Introduced paper currency for the first time.
13. Partition of Bengal, 1905.
14. Resigned over his difference with Lord Kitchener, the Commander-in-Chief.

XXVI.Explain  about  Lord Minto II (1905-1910):

1.Anti-Partition and Swadeshi movements.

2.Foundation of Muslim League, 1906.

3.Morley-Minto Reforms, 1909 - increased the number of

4.elected members in the central and provincial legislatures, also

5.introduced the system of communal electorates.

6.A Decentralisation Commission appointed under Sir Charles Hobhouse.

7.Anglo-Russian Convention of 1907 by which Britain and Russia agreed to demarcate their sphere of influence in Persia and respect the integrity of Afghanistan in view of the growing threat from Germany.

8.Agreement to reduce the opium trade with China.

XXVII.Explain  about  Lord Hardinge II (1910-1916):

    1.The Second Delhi Durbar - George V and Queen Mary

    2.Annulment of the Partition of Bengal, 1911. Creation of Bengal Presidency.

    3.Transfer of capital to Delhi, 1911. Hardinge bomb case

    4.Foundation of Ghadar Party (1913), Hindu Mahasabha (1915) by M.M. Malviya.

    5.Conducted the disastrous Mesopotamian conquest against Turkey.

XXVIII.Explain  about  Lord Chelmsford (1916-1921):

    1.Foundation of Home Rule League (1916).

    2.Congress-League Pact (1916-Lucknow session).

    3.Advent of Gandhi (1916). Foundation of Sabarmati Ashram

    4.Third Anglo-Afghan War.

    5.Rowlatt Act, 1919. Jallianwala Bagh Tragedy, 1919.

    6.Montague-Chelmsford Reforms, 1919. Introduced Dyarchy in the Provinces and increased the powers of the Centre.

    7.Khilafat movement, Non Co-operation movement.

    8.Appointment of Sir S.P. Sinha as Lt. Governor of Bihar. (Sir Sinha was the second Indian, after Dadabhai Naoroji, to become a member of the British Parliament).

    9.Sadler commission Higher Education (1917).

XXIX.Explain  about  Lord Reading (1921-1926):

    1.Only Jew Viceroy.

    2.Chauri Chaura incident (5 Feb., 1921), Moplah Rebellion.

    3.Gaya session of Congress, 1922-formation of Swaraj Party.

    4.Repeal of Rowlatt Act. Criminal Law Amendment Act and abolition of cotton excise.

    5.Foundation of RSS (1925), CPI (1924).

    6.Kakori train robbery (1925).

    7.Holding of simultaneous exams for ICS from 1923 both in Delhi and London.

    8.Beginning of Indianisation of the officer's cadre of the Indian army

    9. Skeen Committee or Indian Sandhurst Committee on Army reforms (1925),

    10.Motilal Nehru accepted a seat on the Skeen Committee

    11. Young Hilton Committee on currency (1926).

XXX.Explain  about  Lord Irwin (1926-1931):

    1.Appointment of Simon Commission.

    2.An All-Parties Conference at Lucknow leading to the Nehru Report 1928. Rejected by Muslim League, Hindu Mahasabha etc.

    3.Appointment of Indian States Commission - Harcourt Butler Its report reasserted that 'Paramountcy must remain Paramount' but explicitly stated that it was not automatically transferrable from the Crown to any dominion.

    4.'Poorna Swaraj' declaration (1929)-Lahore Session.

    5.'Deepavali Declaration' by Irwin to grant dominion status to India in due course.

    6.Royal Commission on Labour (1929) under John Henry Whitley.

    7.Dandi March (March 12, 1930) and launching of Civil Disobedience Movement.

    8.First Round Table Conference (1930).

    9.Gandhi-Irwin Pact (March 5, 1931), suspension of CD movt.

XXXI.Explain  about  Lord Willingdon (1931-1936):

    1.Second and Third Round Table Conferences.

    2.'Communal Award' (1932)- Poona Pact between Gandhi and Ambedkar.

    3.Government of India Act, 1935.

    4.Orissa, Bihar and Sindh were made new states (1935).

    5.Separation of Burma from India, 1935.

    6.Foundation of Congress Socialist Party (1934) by Acharya Narendra Dev and Jai Prakash Narayan.

    7.Formation of All-India Kissan Sabha (1936).

    8.Gandhi retires from active politics (1934), starts Harijan seva.

XXXII.Explain  about  Lord Linlithgow (1936-1943):

1.The longest serving viceroy of India.

2 First general election in 1937. Formation of Congress ministry. Resignation of the Congress ministries after the outbreak of the WW-II.

3.Subhash Bose resigned from Congress membership and formed the Forward Block (1939). Escape of Bose from India (1941) and organisation of the INA.

4. Lahore Resolution (March 1940) by League, demand for separate state for Muslims.

5.August Offer (Aug. 8, 1940). Criticised by Congress and

endorsed by League.

6.Cripps Mission-offering Dominion Status to India and setting up of a Constituent Assembly. Gandhi rejected it as a 'postdated cheque'.

7.Quit India Movement (Aug. 8, 1942).

8.Divide and Quit' slogan at the Karachi session (1944) of the Muslim League.

XXXIII.Explain  about  Lord Wavell (1943-Mar. 1947):

1.Visit of King George V.

2.C.R. formula and Gandhi-Jinnah talks (1944).

3.Wavell Plan and Shimla Conference (1945).

4.INA trials and Ratings Mutiny (Feb. 1946).

5.Cabinet Mission (May 1946). Its acceptance by both the Congress and the League.

6.Direct Action Day call by the League (Aug. 16. 1946).

7.Elections to the Constituent Assembly, formation of Interim Govt. by the Congress (Sept. 1946).

8.Feb. 20, 1947 - Atlee's Declaration.

XXXIV.Explain  about  Lord Mountbatten (Mar. 24, 1947-June 1948):

1.June 3rd Plan or Partition Plan.

2.Partition and Independence of India.