Governor Generals Under British Rule-Modern Indian History 

Terms of office : 1773- 1785

Important Events:

• He was the first Governor General of Bengal.
• Treasury transferred from Murshidabad to Calcutta.
• 1774- establishment of first high court in Calcutta.
• 1780- First Indian news paper 'The Bengal Gazette' published (by James Augustus Hickey).
• 1781- establishment of 'Madarsa' in Calcutta (by Warren Hastings).
• 1782- Sanskrit College in Varanasi established (by Jonathan Duncan).
• 1784- establishment of 'Asiatic Society of Bengal' (by William Jones).
• 1775 to 1782- First Anglo- Maratha War, ended by treaty of Salbai.
• 1780 to 1784- Second Anglo-Mysore War, ended by treaty of Manglore.
• Establishment of Board of Revenue.
• Charles Wilkins (First notable English Translator of Bhagavad Geeta) supported by Warren Hastings.

Term of office: 1785- 1786

Term of office: 1786- 1793

Important Events:

• He worked to reduce nepotism and political favoritism.
• Establishment of Circuit court and set up of appellate court in Calcutta.
• Introduction of 'Cornwallis Code' (in 1793) based on power distribution ie- division between administration and commercial services.
• All power related to district given to collector.
• Increment of payment of police and restriction on their private business, establishment of police station.
• Introduction of 'Permanent Settlement'.
• Introduction of Civil Services.
• Third Anglo- Mysore War.

Term of office: 1793- 1798

Important Events:

• Policy of non-intervention.
• Charter Act 1793.

Term of office: 1798- 1805

Important Events:

• Introduction of Subsidiary Alliance.
• 1799 Fourth Anglo- Mysore War (death of Tipu Sultan).
• 1803 to 1805- Second Anglo- Maratha War.
• Establishment of Fort William College at Calcutta (for training of Civil Services)

Term of office: 1805- 1807

Important Events:

• Sepoy Mutiny at Vellore.

Term of office: 1807- 1813

Important Events:

• 1809 Treaty of Amritsar with Ranjit Sing.
• Charter Act of 1813.

Term of office: 1813- 1823

Important Events:

• End of non- intervention policy.
• 1814 to 1816- Anglo- Nepal War (surrender of Amar Singh Thapa of Nepal).
• 1816- Treaty of Sungauli with Gorkha.
• Suppression of the power of Maratha and Pindari.
• Restriction on press removed, rule formed to direct the press.
• Approval of Mahalwari and Ryotwari system (Tenancy Act 1822).

Term of office: 1823- 1828

Important Events:

• 1824- Sepoy Mutiny of Bairakpur.
• 1824 to 1826- First Anglo- Burmese War.
• 1826- Treaty of Yandabo with Burmese.

Term of office: 1828- 1835

Important Events:

• Charter Act 1833, according to this Act Governor General of Bengal turned to Governor General of India.
• William Bentinck the first Governor General of India.
• 1829- Abolition of 'Sati Pratha' with the help of Raja Ram Mohan Rai.
• 1830- Suppression of 'Thugs' with the help of Sir William Sleeman.
• 1831- Mysore, 1834- Kurg and Madhyakacher are grabbed.
• 1835 Establishment of Calcutta Medical college.
• Suppression of practicing of killing of infant girl.
• Recruitment of Indians for Public Services.
• He made English language as a medium of Education.

Term of office: 1835- 1836

Important Events:

• Liberty given to Indian Press.
• Charles Metcalfe known as liberator of Indian Press.

Term of office: 1836- 1842

Important Events:

• 1839 to 1842 - First Anglo- Afghan war was fought.
• Maintenance of Grand Trunk Road
• Bank of Bombay established(now State Bank of India).

Term of office: 1842- 1844

Important Events:

• End of first Anglo Afghan war.
• 1843- Annexation of Sindh by Britishers.
• Abolition of slavery.
• Ban of Madras established (now State Bank of India)

Term of office: 1844- 1848

Important Events:

• 1845 to 1846 -First Anglo-Sikh war(Sikh empire crushed by Britishers).
• 1846-Treaty of Lahore.
• Prohibition of Human sacrifice.

Term of office: 1848- 1856

Important Events:

• Doctrine of Lapse, a policy of annexation introduced to expand the realm of British Rule. Under this policy merged states of India- Satara(1848), Jaipur and Sambalpur(849), Baghat(1850), Udaipur(1852), Jhansi(1853), Nagpur(1854).
• 1848 to 1849- Second Anglo- Sikh war(Punjab merged into British Rule).
• 1853- Second Anglo- Burma war (Lower Burma and Pigu merged into British Rule).
• Annexation of Sikkim.
• Wood Dispatch - related to improvement in education. Anglo- Vernacular school established in every district. At that time Government colleges also established in every city.
• Three Universities established in -Calcutta, Bombay and Madras.
• Headquarter of Artillery shifted from Calcutta to Merat. headquarter of Military established in Shimla.
• Railway was introduce. First train was between Bombay to Thane.
• Postal Act passed.
• Public Work Department (PWD) established.
• Shimla declared as Capital during summer season.
• First Telegraph Line service (operated by electricity) introduced between Calcutta and Agra.
• First time competitive exam was conducted for Indian Civil Services.

Term of office: 1856- 1862

Important Events:

• Lord Canning was the last Governor General appointed by East India Company and also the first Viceroy of India under British Government.
• Revolt of 1857 (a historical event). After that the control was transferred from company to British Government.
• In 1856 - Indian High Court Act passed. Establishment of High Court in Bombay, Madras and Calcutta (one in each).
• 1856- Widow's Remarriage Act passed
• According to 1858 Act, the post of Mughal Samrat was ended.
• Doctrine of Lapse Policy Ended.
• 1861 Indian Council Act passed. Portfolio System was Applied.