| Warren Hastings |
1774 – 1785 |
First Governor General in India. The Rohilla War, Trial and execution of Nand Kumar, Case of Raja Chait Singh and Begums of Oudh. |
| Lord Cornwallis |
1786 – 1793 |
Permanent Settlement, an agreement between the East India Company and Bengali landlords to fix revenues to be raised from land was introduced during his period. |
| Lord Wellesley |
1798 – 1825 |
He introduced the Subsidiary Alliance, under which the Indian ruler agreed to keep British forces in his territory. The first state to accept the Subsidiary Alliance was the State of Hyderabad. |
| Lord William Bentick |
1828 – 1835 |
First to be designated as the Governor General of India in 1828. He outlawed the practice of Sati and also introduced English education in India. |
| Lord Dalhousie |
1848 – 1856 |
He introduced the infamous ‘Doctrine of Lapse’. He also brought Railways and Telegraph to India. He is also known as the maker of modern India. |
| Lord Canning |
1856 – 1862 |
He was the Governor General during the mutiny of 1857 and appointed the first Viceroy after the war. |
| Lord Mayo |
1869 – 1872 |
He was the Viceroy of India, who was killed by a convict in the Andaman Islands. The first census of India was conducted which did not however include some territories in India. |
| Lord Lytton |
1876 – 1880 |
The Delhi durbar or the Imperial Durbar in which Queen Victoria was proclaimed Kaisar-i-Hind was held during his period on 01 Jan 1877. Vernacular Press Act, 1878, for better control of Indian newspapers was passed during his tenure. |
| Lord Rippon |
1880 – 1884 |
He introduced the dual system of governance. The first complete and synchronous census of British Territories in India was conducted in 1881 during his period. He was also associated with Ilbert Bill which sought to allow Indian judges to try British offenders. He is hailed as the Father of Local Self Government in India. |
| Lord Dufferin |
1884 – 1888 |
The Indian National Congress was formed during his period. |
| Lord Curzon |
1899 – 1905 |
Partition of Bengal and launch of Swadeshi Movement. |
| Lord Hardinge |
1910 – 1916 |
The Capital of India was shifted from Calcutta to Delhi during his tenure in 1911. George V, the King of England visited India to attend the Delhi durbar in 1911. An assassination attempt was made on his life by Rash Bihari Bose and others. |
| Lord Chelmsford |
1916 – 1921 |
The Jallianwala Bagh tragedy of 1919 occured during his period. Montague Chelmsford reforms, Rowlatt Act, Khilafat movement are other events associated with his period. |
| Lord Reading |
1921 – 1926 |
Chauri Chaura incident occurred during his period. Mahatma Gandhi was imprisoned for the first time in India. |
| Lord Irwin |
1926 – 1931 |
His period is associated with First Round Table Conference, Simon Commission, Gandhi Irwin pact and the famous Dandi March. |
| Lord Willingdon |
1931 – 1936 |
Second and Third Round Table Conferences were held during his period. Communal award was given by British PM Ramsay Macdonald and the Poona Pact between Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Ambedkar was signed during his period. |
| Lord Linlithgow |
1936 – 1943 |
Cripps Mission visited India and the Quit India resolution was passed during his tenure. |
| Lord Wavell |
1943 – 1947 |
Simla conference and Cabinet mission are associated with his period. |