List of Governors-General[edit]

Name Took
# Picture Left office Happenings Appointer
(birth–death) office

Governors of the Presidency of Fort William (Bengal), 1773–1833

 Regulating Act of
1773
 Supreme Court at
Warren Hastings 20 October 1 February Calcutta
1
(1732–1818) 1773 1785  Asiatic Society of
Bengal
 English Translation
of Bhagwat Gita[2]

Sir John 12
Macpherson 1 February
2 September
(acting) 1785
(1745–1821)
1786
East India
Company

 Established lower
courts and appellate
courts
 Sanskrit College
established by
Jonathan Duncan
The Earl 12
28 October  Permanent
3 Cornwallis[3] September
1793 Settlement in Bihar
(1738–1805) 1786
and Bengal in 1793
 Introduction of
Cornwallis Code
 Introduction of
Civil Services in
India
  Policy of Non-
Sir John Shore 28 October 18 March intervention
4
(1751–1834) 1793 1798
 Charter Act of 1793

Sir Alured
Clarke 18 March 18 May
5
(acting) 1798 1798
(1744–1832)

 Introduction of
Subsidiary Alliance
 Fourth Anglo
The Marquess Mysore War 1799
18 May 30 July
6 Wellesley [4]  Fort William
1798 1805
(1760–1842) College at Calcutta
 Formation of
Madras Presidency
in 1801

The Marquess 30 July 5 October

7 Cornwallis 1805 1805
(1738–1805)

Sir George * Sepoy mutiny at

Barlow, Bt 10 October 31 July
8 Vellore took place
(acting) 1805 1807
(1762–1847)
during his tenure
 The Lord Minto 31 July 4 October
9  Charter Act of 1813
(1751–1814) 1807 1813

 Ended the policy of

Non-intervention
 Third Anglo-
The Marquess of Maratha War
Hastings 4 October 9 January (1816-1818)
10 (1754–1826)
1813 1823  Creation of Bombay
[5]
Presidency in 1818
 Establishment of
Ryotwari System in
Madras

John Adam 9 January 1 August

11 (acting)
(1779–1825)
1823 1823

The Lord 1 August 13 March

12 Amherst[6] 1823 1828
(1773–1857)

William
Butterworth 13 March
13 Bayley 4 July 1828
1828
(acting)
(1782–1860)

Lord William  Bengal Sati

14 Bentinck 4 July 1828 1833 Regulation, 1829
(1774–1839)  Charter Act 1833

Governors-General of India, 1833–1858

 Lord William 20 March
14 Bentinck 1833
1835
(1774–1839)

Sir Charles
Metcalfe, Bt 20 March 4 March
15
(acting) 1835 1836
(1785–1846)

The Lord 28
4 March
16 Auckland[7] February
1836
(1784–1849) 1842
East India
Company

The Lord 28
17 Ellenborough February June 1844
(1790–1871) 1842

William
Wilberforce 23 July
18 Bird June 1844
1844
(acting)
(1784–1857)

Sir Henry 23 July 12 January

19 Hardinge[8] 1844 1848
(1785–1856)
  Doctrine of Lapse
 Charles Wood
Dispatch
 1st Railway line
connecting Bombay
and Thane
The Marquess of 28
12 January  Post Office Act,
20 Dalhousie[9] February
1848 1854
(1812–1860) 1856
 Established Public
Works Department
 Engineering
College was
established at
Roorkee
 University of
Bombay, Calcutta
and Madras were
set up in 1857
The Viscount 28 1  The revolt of 1857
21 Canning February November
 The Government of
(1812–1862) 1856 1858
India Act, 1858
 Hindu Widows'
Remarriage Act,
1856
Governors-General and Viceroys of India, 1858–1947

The Earl 1
21 March
21 Canning[10] November
1862
(1812–1862) 1858

Victoria

The Earl of 20
21 March
22 Elgin November
1862
(1811–1863) 1863
 Sir Robert 21 2
23 Napier November December
(acting)
(1810–1890)
1863 1863

Sir William 2
Denison 12 January
24 December
(acting) 1864
(1804–1871)
1863

Sir John 12 January 12 January

25 Lawrence, Bt 1864 1869
(1811–1879)

The Earl of 12 January 8 February

26 Mayo
1869 1872
(1822–1872)

Sir John 23
Strachey 9 February
27 February
(acting) 1872
(1823–1907)
1872

The Lord Napier 24

3 May
28 (acting) February
(1819–1898)
1872
1872
 The Lord 3 May 12 April
29 Northbrook 1872 1876
(1826–1904)

The Lord Lytton 12 April 8 June

30
(1831–1891) 1876 1880

 First Factory
Act(1881)
The Marquess of 13  Repeal of the
8 June
31 Ripon December Vernacular Press
1880
(1827–1909) 1884 Act (1882)
 Ilbert Bill
Controversy

The Earl of 13 10
32 Dufferin December December
(1826–1902) 1884 1888

The Marquess of 10
11 October
33 Lansdowne December
1894
(1845–1927) 1888
 The Earl of 11 October 6 January
34 Elgin 1894 1899
(1849–1917)

The Lord 18
Curzon of 6 January
35 November
Kedleston[11] 1899
1905
(1859–1925)

The Earl of 18 23
Edward
36 Minto November November
VII
(1845–1914) 1905 1910

The Lord 23
Hardinge of 4 April
37 November
Penshurst 1916
1910
(1858–1944)

The Lord 4 April 2 April

38 Chelmsford 1916 1921 George V
(1868–1933)

The Earl of 2 April 3 April

39 Reading 1921 1926
(1860–1935)
 The Lord Irwin 3 April 18 April
40
(1881–1959) 1926 1931

The Earl of 18 April 18 April

41 Willingdon 1931 1936
(1866–1941)

The Marquess of 18 April 1 October Edward

42 Linlithgow 1936 1943 VIII
(1887–1952)

The Viscount 21
1 October
43 Wavell February
1943
(1883–1950) 1947

George VI

The Viscount
21 15 August
Mountbatten of
44 February 1947
Burma
1947
(1900–1979)