{"id":2761,"date":"2026-04-02T10:00:18","date_gmt":"2026-04-02T04:30:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/?p=2761"},"modified":"2026-04-10T17:52:42","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T12:22:42","slug":"viceroys-of-india","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/viceroys-of-india\/","title":{"rendered":"List of Viceroys of India (1858\u20131947), Events, UPSC Notes"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>After the\u00a0<strong>1857 battle,<\/strong>\u00a0the British government, having observed mismanagement by the\u00a0<strong>East India Company<\/strong>, decided to appoint a representative head to oversee the governance of the region. As a result, the British introduced the\u00a0<strong>Government of India Act 1858<\/strong>.<\/p>\r\n<p><strong>The act established two offices:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><strong>Secretary of State of India:\u00a0<\/strong>Who was assisted by a\u00a0<strong>Council of 15 members<\/strong>, which had an advisory role, and the secretary acted as the channel of communication between the British government and Indian administration.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Viceroy of India:\u00a0<\/strong>The Governor General\/Viceroy, appointed by the Crown, represented the British government in India and was assisted by an\u00a0<strong>Executive Council<\/strong>.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2><strong>Viceroys of India<\/strong><\/h2>\r\n<p>The viceroys of India, were appointed by the British monarchy as representatives to govern British India, following the title's introduction in 1858 after the\u00a0<strong>Revolt of 1857,\u00a0<\/strong>which led to the end of the rule of the East India Company and the beginning of direct British rule over India.<\/p>\r\n<figure>\r\n<table>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td class=\"tb-color\"><strong>Name of the Viceroy<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td class=\"tb-color\"><strong>Notable Work and Events\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td><strong>Lord Canning (1858 - 1862)<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p>-The introduction of the\u00a0<strong>Indian Penal Code in 1860<\/strong>, replacing English Criminal Law, and the\u00a0<strong>Civil Procedure Code of 1859<\/strong>\u00a0and<strong>\u00a0Criminal Procedure Code of 1861<\/strong>, which regulated court procedures in civil and criminal matters.<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>The<strong>\u00a0Indian High Courts Act of 1861<\/strong>\u00a0abolished the existing Supreme Court and established High Courts.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>The<strong>\u00a0withdrawal of the\u00a0<\/strong><strong><u>Doctrine of Lapse<\/u><\/strong>.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>The Indian Police Act of 1861<\/strong>\u00a0recommended guidelines for the police set up in the provinces.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>The establishment of the\u00a0<strong>Universities of Bombay, Calcutta, and Madras<\/strong>\u00a0in 1857, as recommended by\u00a0<strong>Wood's Dispatch.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td><strong>Lord Elgin-I (1862 - 1863)<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td><strong>-Experienced the\u00a0<\/strong><strong><u>Wahabi Movement<\/u><\/strong>, which involved the suppression of the fanatic Muslim tribe known as the Wahabis.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td><strong>Lord Lawrence (1864 - 1869)<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><strong>-Established the Indian Forest Department\u00a0<\/strong>and introduced a telegraph line connecting India with Europe.<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>Known for the policy of\u00a0<strong>\"Masterly inactivity,\"<\/strong>\u00a0which emphasised a cautious and\u00a0<strong>non-interventionist\u00a0<\/strong>approach.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Engaged in a<strong>\u00a0war with Bhutan\u00a0<\/strong>(1864-65)<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Enacted the\u00a0<strong>Punjab and Oudh Tenancy Acts<\/strong>.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td><strong>Lord Mayo (1869 - 1872)<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><strong>-He was the sole Viceroy to be assassinated while in office.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>The\u00a0<strong>first-ever census in Indian history was conducted in 1871.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n\t<li>The\u00a0<strong>Statistical Survey of India<\/strong>\u00a0was established, and Financial Decentralization was initiated in India.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td><strong>Lord Northbrook (1872 - 1876)<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td>-The removal of the Gaikwad of Baroda in 1875, the Prince of Wales's visit, the\u00a0<strong>Bihar Famine<\/strong>, and the\u00a0<strong><u>Kuka Movement<\/u><\/strong>\u00a0in Punjab were notable occurrences during his reign.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td><strong>Lord Lytton (1876 - 1880)<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p>-He gained notoriety as the most\u00a0<strong>infamous viceroy<\/strong>\u00a0in India.<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><strong>The Delhi Durbar<\/strong>\u00a0was organised in 1877 to commemorate\u00a0<strong>Queen Victoria's\u00a0<\/strong>assumption of the<strong>\u00a0title \"Kaiser-i-Hind.\"<\/strong><\/li>\r\n\t<li>In response to the\u00a0<strong>Great Famine of 1876-78<\/strong>, General Richard Strachey led the\u00a0<strong>Famine Commission in 1878<\/strong>.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>The Arms Act of 1878\u00a0<\/strong>made it mandatory for Indians to obtain a license to possess arms.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>In 1879, the enactment of the\u00a0<strong>Statutory Civil Service\u00a0<\/strong>brought about a significant change, stating that\u00a0<strong>1\/6 of covenanted posts<\/strong>\u00a0would now be occupied by Indians from high-status families. Additionally, the maximum age for Indian candidates was<strong>\u00a0lowered from 21 to 19 years.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td><strong>Lord Ripon (1880 - 1884)<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p>-Known as the most liberal Lord, he sympathised with Indians and earned the title of\u00a0<strong>\"Father of Local Self-Government in India.\"<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>As the first Viceroy in India, he repealed all controversial Acts, including the\u00a0<strong>Vernacular Press Act of 1882.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n\t<li>The introduction of the\u00a0<strong>First Factory Act in 1881<\/strong>\u00a0aimed to ban\u00a0<strong>child labour<\/strong>.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>To address the recurrence of famines in India, a\u00a0<strong>Famine Code<\/strong>\u00a0was implemented.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>The resolution for\u00a0<strong>Local Self-Government in India in 1882\u00a0<\/strong>aimed to continue\u00a0<strong>financial decentralisation<\/strong>\u00a0in order to improve administration.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p>-The Provincial Government divided revenue sources into three groups:\u00a0<strong>Centre, Provincial, and those to be shared between the Centre and the Provinces.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><strong>The Hunter Commission on Education (1882)\u00a0<\/strong>was constituted to review the progress of education in India since the\u00a0<strong><u>Wood's Dispatch of 1854<\/u><\/strong>.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>The age requirement for the Civil Service exam was raised back to 21 years from 19.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>The Ilbert Bill (1883) Controversy<\/strong>, which aimed to authorise Indian judges to hear cases involving Europeans, resulted in a revolt by the Europeans, leading to the withdrawal of the bill.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td><strong>Lord Dufferin (1884 - 1888)<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p>-Witnessed the establishment of the\u00a0<strong>Indian National Congress\u00a0<\/strong><strong>in 1885.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>The\u00a0<strong>annexation of Burma (1886)\u00a0<\/strong>took place during the Third Burmese War, resulting in the exile of the Burmese ruler to India.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>The Panjdeh Incident\u00a0<\/strong>occurred in 1885, where Russian forces seized Afghan territory south of the Amu Darya.\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>This event led to a diplomatic crisis between Russia and the United Kingdom.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td><strong>Lord Lansdowne (1888 - 1894)<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><strong>-The Indian Council Act of 1892<\/strong>\u00a0brought an increase in the number of\u00a0<strong>Indian Representatives\u00a0<\/strong>in the government, allowing them to discuss the budget but without the right to vote on it.<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>The\u00a0<strong>Second Factory Act of 1891\u00a0<\/strong>was introduced to establish\u00a0<strong>regulations on working hours<\/strong>\u00a0for female workers.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>The\u00a0<strong>Durand Commission<\/strong>\u00a0was established in 1893 with the purpose of defining a borderline between\u00a0<strong>India and Afghanistan<\/strong>.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td><strong>Lord Elgin-II (1894 - 1899)<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>The devastating\u00a0<strong>Great Famine of 1896-1897\u00a0<\/strong>had a widespread impact across India, resulting in significant loss of life and property.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td><strong>Lord Curzon (1899 - 1905)<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p>-The Bengal Province was divided into two parts, Bengal and East Bengal, in 1905.<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>Various institutions were established under his leadership, including the<strong><u>Archaeological Survey of India<\/u><\/strong>, the\u00a0<strong>Department of Commerce\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0<strong>Industry\u00a0<\/strong>and<strong>\u00a0Agricultural banks.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>The Cooperative Credit Societies Act of 1904<\/strong>\u00a0was passed under his administration.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>To improve the police administration, the\u00a0<strong>Police Commission in 1902 was appointed, which was\u00a0<\/strong>led by Sir Andrew Frazer, and recommended the establishment of the\u00a0<strong>Criminal Investigation Department (CID).<\/strong><\/li>\r\n\t<li>Establishment of the\u00a0<strong>Agriculture Research Institute at Pusa<\/strong>.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>The appointment of the\u00a0<strong>Raleigh Commission in 1902\u00a0<\/strong>aimed to suggest improvements to universities, and the\u00a0<strong>Indian Universities Act<\/strong>\u00a0was passed in 1904 based on its recommendations.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td><strong>Lord Minto-II (1905 - 1910)<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p>-His reign is marked as the<strong>\u00a0\"Era of Great Political Unrest\"\u00a0<\/strong>in India.<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>The Morley-Minto Reforms of 1909, known for its<strong>\u00a0'Divide &amp; Rule Policy'<\/strong>, introduced\u00a0<strong>Separate Electorates for Muslims.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>The Anti-Partition and Swadeshi Movement<\/strong>\u00a0aimed to prevent the\u00a0<strong>unjust partition<\/strong>\u00a0of Bengal through the\u00a0<strong>boycott of foreign goods<\/strong>.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>The foundation of the\u00a0<strong><u>Muslim League<\/u><\/strong><strong>\u00a0in 1906.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n\t<li>The split in Congress occurred during the\u00a0<strong>Surat Session in 1907.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td><strong>Lord Hardinge-II (1910 - 1916)<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p>-The\u00a0<strong>annulment\u00a0<\/strong>of the<strong>\u00a0Partition of Bengal in 1911<\/strong>\u00a0was done to suppress revolutionary activities.<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>Delhi became the new capital in 1912.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>The\u00a0<strong>3rd Delhi Durba<\/strong>r was held in 1911 to celebrate the coronation of King George V.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td><strong>Lord Chelmsford (1916 - 1921)<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><strong>-The Government of India Act 1919,<\/strong>\u00a0also known as the\u00a0<strong>Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms,\u00a0<\/strong>introduced constitutional reforms and the concept of \"<strong>Diarchy<\/strong>\" or dual administration in India.<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><strong>The\u00a0<\/strong><strong><u>Rowlatt Act 1919<\/u><\/strong><strong>,<\/strong>\u00a0referred to as the \"<strong>Black Act<\/strong>,\" allowed for imprisonment without trial.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>S.P. Sinha<\/strong>\u00a0became the first Indian to be appointed as the Governor of Bihar.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>The Women's University was founded in Pune in 1916<\/strong>.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>The Saddler's Commission (1917)\u00a0<\/strong>was formed to propose reforms in\u00a0<strong>educational policy<\/strong>.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td><strong>Lord Reading (1921 - 1926)<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p>-The<strong>\u00a0Rowlatt Act<\/strong>\u00a0was repealed.<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><strong>Prince of Wales<\/strong>\u00a0visited India in 1921.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>The Moplah Rebellion<\/strong>, a communal riot by Muslim peasants, broke out in Kerala.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>The decision to hold<strong>\u00a0simultaneous examinations for the Indian Civil Service (ICS) in both Delhi and London\u00a0<\/strong>was made, starting from 1923.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td><strong>Lord Irwin (1926 - 1931)<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><strong>-The Gandhi-Irwin Pact of\u00a0<\/strong>a compromise between Gandhi and Lord Irwin was concluded.<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>In\u00a0<strong>1928, the boycott of the Simon Commission was organised.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n\t<li>In response to the inadequacy of the Simon Report, T<strong>hree Round Table Conferences in London were convened to discuss the future of India.<\/strong><\/li>\r\n\t<li>The First Round Table Conference in 1930 concluded without substantial results and was deemed unsuccessful.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td><strong>Lord Willingdon (1931 - 1936)<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><strong>-Introduction of the Government of India Act, 1935.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><strong>The Second Round Table Conference, held in 1931,<\/strong>\u00a0saw the participation of Gandhi as a representative of the Congress.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>British Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald introduced the\u00a0<strong>Communal Award<\/strong>\u00a0in 1932.\u00a0<strong>The Poona Pact of 1932<\/strong>\u00a0was reached between Gandhi and Ambedkar to address provisions related to fair representation of backward classes.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>The\u00a0<strong>Third Round Table Conference, held in 1932,\u00a0<\/strong>failed as neither Gandhi nor Congress attended.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td><strong>Lord Linlithgow (1936 - 1944)<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p>-Viceroy of India with the longest reign.<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>The Government of India Act was implemented in provinces participating in the 1937 elections.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Congress formed the government at the federation level during the General Elections of 1936-37.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Subhas Chandra Bose<\/strong>\u00a0formed the\u00a0<strong>Forward Bloc in 1939<\/strong>.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>The<strong>\u00a0August Offer<\/strong>\u00a0in 1940 proposed<strong>\u00a0Dominion status<\/strong>\u00a0for India in exchange for Indian support in World War II.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>The Cripps Mission arrived in India in 1942<\/strong>\u00a0with a constitutional proposal.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>The<\/strong><strong><u>\u00a0Quit India Movement<\/u><\/strong><strong>\u00a0was launched in 1942<\/strong>\u00a0after the failure of the Cripps Mission.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td><strong>Lord Wavell (1944 - 1947)<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p>-Th<strong>e \"Wavell Plan<\/strong>\" aimed to achieve a balanced representation of all Indians and resolve the constitutional deadlock in India caused by the<strong>\u00a0Muslim League's demand for Partition.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><strong>The C.R. Formula (1944)<\/strong>, devised by<strong><u>C.Rajagopalachari<\/u><\/strong><strong>,<\/strong>\u00a0aimed to address the political impasse between the Muslim League and Congress concerning the independence of British India by fostering cooperation.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>The Cabinet Mission of 1946\u00a0<\/strong>was established to facilitate the peaceful transfer of power to India.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>On August 16, 1946,<strong>\u00a0the Muslim League observed \"Direct Action Day\"\u00a0<\/strong>to protest against the rejection of their demands for a separate Muslim state.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Clement Atlee, the Prime Minister of England, made the\u00a0<strong>\"Atlee's Declaration<\/strong>\", announcing the end of British rule in India by June 1948.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>The Sergeant Plan of Education in 1944\u00a0<\/strong>proposed a comprehensive scheme to achieve universal literacy in India, inspired by educational standards prevalent in England.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td><strong>Lord Mountbatten (1947 - 1948)<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p>-Lord Mountbatten served as the last Viceroy of British India and later became the<strong>\u00a0first Governor General of independent India.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><strong>The Indian Independence Act of 1947,<\/strong>\u00a0passed by the British Parliament, ratified the plan for dividing\u00a0<strong>India<\/strong>\u00a0into two separate states, India and Pakistan, with Lord Mountbatten and Jinnah serving as their respective Governor Generals.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>The Mountbatten Plan,<\/strong>\u00a0proposed on June 3, 1947, outlined the partition of India.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<\/figure>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Accomplishments of viceroys in India from 1858 to 1947 &#038; significant reforms implemented during their respective tenures.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":18044,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[156,40],"class_list":{"0":"post-2761","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-upsc-notes","8":"tag-list-of-viceroys-of-india","9":"tag-quest"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2761","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2761"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2761\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18048,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2761\/revisions\/18048"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18044"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2761"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2761"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2761"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}