Governor - Generals of India (1833–58)

Governor- Generals  of  India  (1833–58)

Lord W. Bentick  (1833–35)

First  Governor - General  of  India.  Macaulay’s  minutes  on  education were  accepted  declaring  that  English  should  be  the  official  language  of  India;  Abolished  provincial courts  of  appeal  and  circuit  set  up  by  Cornwallis,  appointment  of  Commissioners  of  revenue  and circuit.

•  Wars:  Annexed  Coorg  (1834),  Central  Cachar  (1834)  on  the  plea  of  misgovernment.

Sir  Charles  Metcalfe  (1835–1836) 

Passed  the  famous  Press  Law,  which  liberated  the  press  in India (called Liberator the Press)

Lord  Auckland  (1836–42)  

1st  Anglo -Afghan  War  (1836–42)—great  blow  to  the  prestige  of  the British  in  India.

Lord  Ellen borough  (1842–44)

Brought  an  end  to  the  Afghan  War.    Annexation  of  Sindh  (1843); War with Gwalior  (1843).

Lord  Hardings  I  (1844–48)

1st  Anglo-Sikh  war  (1845–46)  and  the  Treaty  of  Lahore  1846  (marked the  end  of  Sikh  sovereighty  in  India);  Gave  preference  to  English  education  in  employment.

Lord  Dalhousie  (1848–56)

Abolished  Titles  and  Pensions,  Widow  Remarriage  Act  (1856).  Made Shimla the summer capital.

•  Administrative  Reforms:  Introduced  the  system  of  Centralized  control  in  the  newly  acquired territories known as Bon-Regulation system; Raised Gurkha regiments.

•  Education  Reforms:  Recommended  the  Thomsonian  system  of  Vernacular  education  for whole  of  the  North  western  Provinces  (1853);  Wood’s  Educational  Despatch  of  1854  and opening of Anglo-Vernacular Schools and Government Colleges; An Engineering College was established at Roorkee. 

• Public Works: Started the first railway line in 1853 (connecting Bombay with Thana); Started electric telegraph service.  Laid the basis of the modern postal system (1854); A separate public works department was set up for the first time; Started work on the Grand Trunk Road and developed the harbours of Karachi, Bombay and Calcutta.       

   

• Wars: Introduced Doctrine of Lapse (Captured Satara (1848), Jaitpur and Sambhalpur (1849), Baghat (1850), Udaipur (1852), Jhansi (1853) and Nagpur (1854); Fought 2nd Anglo-Sikh War (1848–49) and annexed the whole of the Punjab; 2nd Anglo-Burmese War (1852) and annexation of Lower Burma or Pegu; Annexation of Berar in 1853; Annexation of Avadh in 1856 on charges of maladministration.

Lord Canning (1856–58)

The last Governor General and first Viceroy of India; Revolt of 1857; Passed the Act of 1858, which ended the rule of the East India Company.  Withdrew Doctrine of Lapse. Mutiny took place in his time.