Governors-General of Bengal and Governors-General of India

 

Governor-General of India & Important Events

The first Governor-General of Bengal was Warren Hastings with tenure of office from 1772-1785. Warren Hastings was an English statesman, the head of the Supreme Council of Bengal. He brought an end to the Dual Government system by enforcing the Regulating Act of 1773. He founded the Calcutta Madrasa for the promotion of Islamic studies, and the Asiatic Society of Bengal with William Jones in the year 1781 and 1784 respectively. Hastings was also elected as a fellow of the Royal Society in 1801.

Charter Act of 1833 made Governor-General of Bengal as Governor-General of British India. And, William Bentick was the first Governor-General of British India. 

More such information on different Viceroys and Governor-General Of India along with the major reforms brought by them are given below in the form of a list. 

List of Governors-General of Bengal

Year	Governor-General of Bengal	Major Reforms & Events
1772-1785	Warren Hastings	First Governor-General of Bengal End to the dual system of administration Regulating Act of 1773 Supreme Court at Calcutta Asiatic Society of Bengal First Anglo-Maratha War and Treaty of Salbai First English translation of Bhagavad Gita Pitt’s India Act-1784
1786-1793	Lord Cornwallis	Establishment of Appellate courts and lower grade courts Establishment of Sanskrit college Third Anglo-Mysore War and Treaty of Seringapatam Introduction of Permanent Settlement and civil services
1793-1798	Sir John Shore	Charter act of 1793 Policy of Non-intervention Battle of Kharda
1798-1805	Lord Wellesley	Introduction of Subsidiary Alliance System Fourth Anglo- Mysore war and the Treaty of Bassein Second Anglo – Maratha war Establishment of Madras presidency Establishing Fort William College at Calcutta
1805-1807	Sir George Barlow	The Acting Governor-General of India until the arrival of Lord Minto, Diminished the area of British territory because of his passion for economy and retrenchment, The Mutiny of Vellore took place in 1806
1807-1813	Lord Minto I	Concluded the treaty of Amritsar with Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1809, Introduced the Charter Act of 1813
1813-1823	Lord Hastings	The policy of Non-intervention came to an end third Anglo-Maratha war Abolition of Peshwaship Establishment of the Ryotwari System in Madras (By Thomas Munroe) and Bombay Mahalwari system in north-western Provinces and Bombay
1823-1828	Lord Amherst	The annexation of Assam leading to the first Burmese war of 1824, The mutiny of Barrackpore in 1824

Governors-General of India

Year	Governors-General of India	Major Reforms
1828-1835	Lord William Bentinck	First Governor-General of India (Charter Act of 1833 made Governor-General of Bengal as Governor-General of India.) Abolition of Sati Suppression of Thugee, infanticide and child sacrifices. English Education Act of 1835 Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata
1835-1836	Lord Charles Metcalfe	‘Liberator of the Indian press detached all restraints on an open press
1836-1842	Lord Auckland	Dedicated himself to the improvement of native schools and the expansion of the commercial industry of India The first Anglo-Afghan war
1842-1844	Lord Ellenborough	Sindh was annexed
1844-1848	Lord Hardinge I	First Anglo Sikh War (1845-46)
	Lord Dalhousie (Governors-General of India)	introduced ‘Doctrine of Lapse‘ Doctrine of Good Charles Wood Dispatch Post Office Act, 1854 1st Railway line connecting Bombay and Thane Established engineering college in Roorkee Second Anglo-Sikh War  First telegraph line  Establishment of the Public Works Department  Abolition of titles and pensions. Started Competitive  examination for Indian Civil Services  Widow Remarriage Act
1856-1857	Lord Canning	Three universities at Calcutta, Madras and Bombay in 1857 were established Revolt of 1857 took place Note – Post-1857 Revolt, Governor-General of India was made Viceroy of British India and Canning became the first Viceroy of India/British India.