General Awareness is considered to be one of the most integral part of the competitive exams. From history to polity, facts regarding General Science, Physics, Biology, our constitution, economy, banks and almost everything. Questions from these spheres can be found in SSC Exam and Railways Exam Question Papers. Being an SSC exam or Railway exam appearing aspirant, this list will help you to know the complete details of the list of British Governor Generals during British India from the year 1772 to 1947. It also covers the important achievements and events that took place during their time. In this blog we will discuss about List of British Governor Generals during British India.
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List of British Governor Generals during British India
Governors-general served at the pleasure of the sovereign, though the practice was to have them serve five-year terms. Governors-general could have their commission rescinded; and if one was removed, or left, a provisional governor-general was sometimes appointed until a new holder of the office could be chosen. The first governor-general in India was Warren Hastings, the first official governor-general of British India was Lord William Bentinck, and the first governor-general of the Dominion of India was Lord Mountbatten. We have listed below the Governer Generals during British India;
| Governor General | Period | Important achievements/Events | Images | |
| Warren Hastings | 1772-1785 | Warren Hastings was the first Governor of Bengal (Presidency of Fort William). In 1750 he joined the British East India Company as a clerk and sailed out to India, reaching Calcutta in August 1750. In 1814 he made a Privy Counsellor.
Zamindars were given judicial powers; establishment of civil and criminal courts in each district. In 1781, he founded the Calcutta Madrasa, for promotion of Islamic studies. He founded the Asiatic Society of Bengal with William Jones in 1784. |
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| Sir John Macpherson | 1785-1786 | He held the post temporarily. |  |
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| Lord Cornwallis | 1786-1793 | Introduced Permanent Settlement of Bengal (also called Zamindari system). It was an agreement between East India Company and Bengali landlords to fix revenues to be raised from land.He introduced Police reforms according to which each district was divided into 400 square miles and placed under a police superintendent.
Introduction of Civil Services in India. |
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| Sir John Shore | 1793-1798 | He followed policy of non-intervention.Introduced Charter Act of 1793. |  |
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| Lord Wellesley | 1798-1805 | He adopted the policy of Subsidiary Alliance- a system to keep the Indian rulers under control and to make British the supreme power.He opened College to train the Company’s servants in Calcutta. So, Known as the Father of Civil Services in India.
He founded the Fort William College at Calcutta. |
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| Sir George Barlow | 1805-1807 | The important event which took place in his time was Mutiny of Vellore in 1806 in which the Indian soldiers killed many English officials. |  |
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| Lord Minto I | 1807-1813 | He concluded the Treaty of Amritsar (1809) with Maharaja Ranjit Singh. |  |
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| Lord Hastings | 1813-1823 | He ended the policy of non-intervention, which was followed by Sir John Shore.He abolished the censorship of press.Introduced Ryotwari and Mahalawari system in Bombay.
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| Lord Amherst | 1823-1828 | His tenure was known for First Anglo Burmese War (1824-26) and Mutiny of Barrackpur (1824) |  |
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Lord William Bentick
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1828-1835 | Lord William Henry Cavendish-Bentinck (Lord William Bentick) was British Soldier and Statesman.
He was first Governor General of India. He carried out social reforms such as abolition of Sati Pratha with the help of Rajaram Mohan Roy, Suppression of Thuggee. Established first Medical College in Calcutta. He made English as the language of higher education. He also suppressed female infanticide and child sacrifice. |
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| Sir Charles Metcalfe | 1835-1836 | He held the post temporarily and removed restriction on Vernacular press. |  |
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| Lord Auckland | 1836-1842 | First Afghan War was fought in his reign. |  |
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| Lord Dalhousie | 1848-1856 | Opened first Railway line from Bombay to Thane in 1853.Opened first Telegraph line from Calcutta to Agar in 1853.
Introduced Doctrine of Lapse captured Satara (1848), Jaipur and Sambhalpur (1849), Udaipur (1852), Jhansi (1853), Nagpur (1854). Many bridges were constructed and started Grand Trunk Road. Established Postal system which made communication easier. In 1854, Wood’s Dispatch was passed, which provided the proper system of education from School to University. Widow Remarriage Bill was passed. |
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