QUICK REVISION MODULE

( UPSC PRELIMS 2021) MODERN INDIAN HISTORY

GOVERNOR GENERAL
AND VICEROYS
GOVERNOR GENERALS AND VICEROYS

(1774 - 1833) (1833 - 1858)

(1858 - 1947)
GOVERNOR GENERAL GOVERNOR GENERAL
VICEROYS
OF BENGAL OF INDIA

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 GOVERNOR GENERALS OF BENGAL

WARREN HASTINGS (1773-1785)

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Became Governor of Bengal in 1772 and then 1 Governor General of Bengal
through the Regulating Act of 1773.
Supreme Court at Fort William was established in 1774.
Act of 1781, under which the powers of jurisdiction between the governor-general-
in-council and the Supreme Court at Calcutta, were clearly divided.
Pitt's India Act of 1784.
Strained relationships with Chait Singh, the Maharaja of Benaras, led to Warren Hasting's'
impeachment in England.
Founded the Asiatic Society of Bengal (1784) with William Jones.

Established Diwani and Fauzdari adalats

at district level and Sadar Diwani and Abolished the dual government
Nizamat adalats at Calcutta. established by Robert Clive.

REFORMATIVE ACTIONS

Translation of code in Sanskrit to English in 1776, Divided Bengal into districts. Appointed
under the title of “Code of Gentoo laws” collectors and other revenue ofcials.

Second Mysore War in 1780-84. The Rohilla War of 1774.

REPRESSIVE ACTIONS

Treaty of Salbai in 1782. The First Maratha War in 1775-82.

LORD CORNWALLIS (1786-1793)

Known as “father of civil services In India” because of Europeanisation of

administrative machinery and introduction of civil services.

REPRESSIVE ACTIONS
Third Mysore War (1790-92) and Treaty of Seringapatam (1792).

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 Separation of revenue administration and civil
Created post of district judge.
jurisdiction.
REFORMATIVE ACTIONS
First person to codify laws as Cornwallis Introduced Permanent Settlement of Bengal
Code (1793). in 1793.

SIR JOHN SHORE (1793-1798)

Introduced the 1st Charter Act of 1793.
Battle of Kharda between the Nizam and the Marathas in 1795.

LORD WELLESLEY (1798-1805)

Original Name: Richard Colley Wellesley, 1st Marquess Wellesley.

Established Fort William College at Calcutta in 1800.
Madras Presidency was formed during his tenure in 1801.

Started the policy of Subsidiary Alliance System

Fourth Mysore War (1799). in 1798. The rst alliance was with Nizam of
Hyderabad (Nizam Ali) in 1798.
REFORMATIVE ACTIONS

Treaty of Bassein with Marathas(1802). Second Took over the administration of

Maratha War (1803-05) defeat of the Scindia, Tanjore (1799), Surat (1800)
the Bhosle and the Holkar. and Carnatic (1801).

SIR GEORGE BARLOW (1805-1807)

Vellore Mutiny (1806) happened during his tenure.

LORD MINTO I (1807-1813)

Treaty of Amritsar with Ranjit Singh (1809) was signed during his tenure.
Charter Act of 1813 was passed.

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 LORD HASTINGS (1813-1823)

He adopted the policy of intervention and war.

Strife with Pindaris (1817-1818) and complete destruction of Pindari Clan in India.
Creation of Bombay presidency in 1818.
Establishment of Ryotwari System by Thomas Munro, governor of Madras (1820)
and Mahalwari System in Northern India (1822).

Third Maratha War (1817-19) and dissolution Anglo-Nepal War (1814-16) and the Treaty
of Maratha Confederacy. of Sagauli, 1816.

REPRESSIVE ACTIONS

Creation of Bombay Presidency (1818). Treaty with Sindhia (1817).

LORD AMHERST (1823-1828)

Establishment of Sanskrit College at Calcutta (1824).
First Burmese War (1824-1826) and Treaty of Yandabo (1826) Acquisition of territories of Malay
Peninsula.
Capture of Bharatpur (1826).

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 GOVERNOR GENERALS OF INDIA
LORD WILLIAM BENTINCK (1828-1835)
Most liberal and enlightened Governor General of India.
Till 1833, served as Governor General of Bengal and from 1833-1835, served as
the rst Governor General of India.
Suppression of Thugi (1830).
Charter Act of 1833: It provided that no Indian subject of the Company will be
debarred from holding an ofce on account of his religion, place of birth, descent and colour.
Regarded as “father of modern western education in India.”

REFORMATIVE ACTIONS REPRESSIVE ACTIONS

Resolution of 1835, and educational Annexation of Mysore (1831),
reforms and introduction of English as Coorg (1834) and Central Cachar
the ofcial language (Macaulay’ 1834).
minutes on education).
Treaty of ‘perpetual friendship’
Abolition of sati and other cruel with Ranjeet Singh in 1831.
rites (1829).

Abolition of the provincial courts

of appeal and circuit set up by
Cornwallis and appointment of the
commissioners of revenue and circuit.

LORD METCALFE (1835-1836)

REPRESSIVE ACTIONS
New press law removing restrictions on the press in India were passed by him.
Repealed Licensing Regulation of 1823.
Known as “liberator of press in India.”
Established Calcutta Public Library in 1836.

LORD ELLENBOROUGH (1842-1844) Bank of Bombay

Death of Ranjit Singh (1839) during his tenure.

Tripartite Treaty in 1838 between British , Shah Shuja and Ranjit Singh against
Dost Muhammad Khan.
First Afghan War (1838-42). This was a great blow to the prestige of British in
India.
Bank of Bombay was established in 1840. (This later became, Imperial Bank of India and now SBI).

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 LORD AUCKLAND (1836-1842)

REFORMATIVE ACTIONS REPRESSIVE

REPRESSIVE ACTIONS
ACTIONS
He brought an end to Afghan War.
Abolished slavery in 1843
Annexation of Sindh (1843).
War with Gwalior (1843).

LORD HARDINGE I (1844-1848)

REFORMATIVE ACTIONS REPRESSIVE ACTIONS

Abolition of female infanticide First Anglo-Sikh War (1845-46)

and human sacrice. and the Treaty of Lahore (1846).
Establishment of Roorkee Preferred to English educated
Engineering College in 1847. in employment.

LORD DALHOUSIE (1848-1856)

Original Name: James Andrew Brown Ramsay.
Railway Minute of 1853; and 1st passenger train connecting Bombay and Thane
in 1853.
Telegraph (4000 miles of telegraph lines to connect Calcutta with Bombay, Madras
and Peshawar) and postal (Post Ofce Act, 1854) reforms.
Ganges Canal declared open (1854).
Establishment of separate public works department in every province.

REFORMATIVE ACTIONS REPRESSIVE ACTIONS

“Wood’s Educational Despatch” of Fought Second Anglo-Sikh War

1854 and opening of Anglo-vernacular (1848-49 that led to annexation of
schools and government colleges Punjab (1849).
(Note: Charles Wood was President of 2nd Aglo-Burmese war and
the Board of Control). annexation of Lower Burma or Peg
Widow Remarriage Act (1856). (1852).

Banned Female Infanticide Santhal Rebellion

completely and Human Sacrice in of 1855 happened.
Central province, Odisha and
Maharashtra.

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 GOVERNOR GENERALS OF INDIA
LORD CANNING (1856-1857)
Till 1858 served as Governor General of India and after 1858, served as
Viceroy of India.
Revolt of 1857 happened during his tenure.
Government of India Act 1858 was passed as an Act of Good Governance in
India.
White Mutiny' by European troops in 1859.
Indian Council Act of 1861 was passed.
System of Budget and Portfolio System was introduced.

REFORMATIVE ACTIONS REPRESSIVE ACTIONS

Hindu Widows Remarriage Act of 1856 Revolt of 1857 was crushed with all might of
was passed. the empire.
Establishment of three universities at Indigo Revolt (1859-60)
Calcutta, Madras and Bombay in 1857. occurred because of
Formation of Imperial Civil Services. British atrocities.
Establishment of Archaeological Survey
of India by Alexander Cunningham in 1861.

LORD ELGIN I (1862-1863)

REFORMATIVE ACTIONS REPRESSIVE ACTIONS

Establishment of High Courts at Calcutta,
Wahabi Movement was suppressed.
Bombay and Madras.

LORD JOHN LAWRENCE (1864-1869)

Tabernacle of New Dispensation was setup by Keshub Chandra Sen.

REFORMATIVE ACTIONS REPRESSIVE ACTIONS

Establishment of Shimla as India's summer Bhutan War (1865): The British defeated
capital in 1863. Bhutan and annexed Assam and Bengal
Allahabad High Court was setup in 1866. Duars.

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 LORD MAYO (1869-1872)

He was assassinated during his tenure.

He started nancial decentralisation.
Sedition Act of 1870 to tackle the Wahabi movement.

REFORMATIVE ACTIONS

Opened the Rajkot College in Kathiawar and the Mayo College at Ajmer for political training
of Indian princes.
Establishment of Statistical Survey of India and Department of Agriculture and Commerce.
Introduction of state railways.

LORD NORTHBROOK (1872-1876)

Jyotiba Phule launched Satyashodhak Samaj in 1873.

Prince of Wales visited India in 1875.
Trial of Gaekwar of Baroda happened during his tenure.
Kuka Movement in Punjab.
He resigned because of Afghanistan issue.

LORD LYTTON (1876-1880)

Under Royal Titles Act (1876), Queen Victoria assumed the title of 'Kaiser-i-Hind'
or Queen Empress of India.
Famine Commission under the presidency of Richard Strachey (1878).
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1 Delhi Durbar happened during his tenure 1877.
Deccan Agrarian Relief Act 1876.
Famine of 1876-78.

REPRESSIVE ACTIONS

Decreased the maximum age for ICS from 21 years to 16 years.

The Vernacular Press Act (1878).
The Arms Act (1878).
The Second Afghan War (1878-80).

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 LORD RIPON (1880-1884)

The Ilbert Bill controversy (1883-84) happened during his tenure.

Rendition of Mysore.
He is known as father of Local self governance in India.

REFORMATIVE ACTIONS

He repealed of the Vernacular Press Act (1882). Centralization

The rst Factory Act (1881) to improve labour conditions. Administrative
Government resolution on local self-government (1882). Decentralization

First complete census was conducted. Financial

Decentralization
Hunter Commission (1882).
Political Decentralization

LORD DUFFERIN (1884-1888)

The Third Burmese War (1885-86).

Bengal Tenancy Act of 1885.
During his tenure the Indian National Congress (INC) was formed.

LORD LANSDOWNE (1888-1894)

Set up of Durand Commission (1893) to dene the boundary, i.e. Durand Line,
between India and Afghanistan.

NOTE: The current Durand line is between Pakistan and Afghanistan. A small
portion of the line touches India in Pakistan occupied Kashmir.

REFORMATIVE ACTIONS

Factory Act (1891).

Age of Consent Act, 1891, also known as Act X of 1891, prohibited the marriage of below 12
years girls.
Categorisation of civil services into imperial, provisional and subordinate.
Indian Councils Act (1892).

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 LORD ELGIN II (1894-1899)

Indian Famine of 1896-97 happened. Lyall commission appointed after famine.

Santhal and Munda Uprisings under Birsa Munda.
Spreading of plague in Bombay and assassination of two British ofcials the Chapekar brothers (1897).

LORD CURZON (1899-1905)

Indian Famine of 1899-1900. Famine commission under Macdonell was setup.

In 1901, created North West Frontier Province to curb the uprising by frontier
tribes.
Curzon-Kitchener controversy.
2nd Delhi Durbar was held in 1903.
Swadesi Movement against the partition of Bengal was launched by Congress.

REFORMATIVE ACTIONS REPRESSIVE ACTIONS

Calcutta Corporation Act (1899). Ofcial Secrets Act 1904 was launched to
Appointment of Police Commission (1902) curb the free speech.
under Sir Andrew Frazer to review police Partition of Bengal (1905).
administration. Younghusband’s Mission to Tibet was sent
Appointment of Universities Commission in 1904.
(1902) and passing of Indian Universities Act
(1904).
PUSA Agricultural Institute was setup in
1903.
Establishment of Department of Commerce
and Industry.
Ancient Monuments Preservation Act
(1904).

LORD MINTO II (1905-1910)

Popularisation of anti-partition and Swadeshi Movements.
Split in Congress in the annual session of 1907 in Surat.
Muslim League was formed in 1906.
Jamsetji Tata established TISCO in 1907.
Morley Minto Reforms of 1909 of the Indian Council Act of 1909. It also provided
separate electorates.
Seditious Meeting (Prohibition) Act 1909 to curb the rise of extremists.
Indian Press Act, of 1910 to curb the free speech.

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 LORD HARDINGE II (1910-1916)

Creation of Bengal Presidency (like Bombay and Madras) in 1911.

Transfer of capital from Calcutta to Delhi (1911).
Establishment of the Hindu Mahasabha (1915) by Madan Mohan Malaviya.
Coronation durbar of King George V was held at Delhi Durbar III (1911).
Creation of McMohan Line between India and China in 1914.
Ghadar Mutiny of 1915.
Arrival of Gandhiji to India in 1905.
A bomb was thrown at him near Chandni Chowk but he escaped unhurt.

LORD CHELMSFORD (1916-1921)

Home Rule Movement by Annie Besant and Tilak (1916).

Lucknow session of the Congress (1916) and coming together of moderates
and extremists.
Lucknow pact between the Congress and Muslim League (1916).
Foundation of Sabarmati Ashram (1916) after Gandhi's return from South Africa.
Launch of Champaran Satyagraha (1916), Kheda Satyagraha (1918), and Satyagraha at Ahmedabad
(1918).
Launch of Non-Cooperation and Khilafat Movements.
Death of Bal Gangadhar Tilak (August 1, 1920).

REFORMATIVE ACTIONS REPRESSIVE ACTIONS

Montagu’s August Declaration (1917) and

Government of India Act (1919).
Foundation of Women’s University at
Poona (1916) and appointment of Saddler’s The Rowlatt Act (1919) was opposed by
Commission (1917). launch of Rowlatt Satyagraha.
Appointment of S.P. Sinha as governor of Jallianwalla Bagh massacre (1919).
Bihar (the rst Indian to become a governor).
Imperial Bank of India (now SBI) was
formed in 1921.

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transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or
otherwise, without prior permission of Vision IAS.

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 LORD READING (1921-1926)

Chauri Chaura incident (February 5, 1922) and the subsequent withdrawal

of Non-Cooperation Movement.
Moplah rebellion in Kerala (1921).
Rabindra Nath Tagore founded Visva Bharati University in 1921.
Formation of Swaraj Party by C.R. Das and Motilal Nehru (1922).
Communal riots in Multan, Amritsar, Delhi, Aligarh, Arvi and Calcutta.
UTTAR
Kakori train robbery (1925). PRADESH

Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) was formed in 1925. CHAURI CHAURA

Murder of Swami Shraddhanand (1926).

REFORMATIVE ACTIONS

Repeal of the Press Act of 1910 and the Rowlatt Act of 1919.
Criminal Law Amendment Act and abolition of cotton excise.
Lee Commission for public services was appointed in 1923.
Decision to hold simultaneous examinations for the ICS both in Delhi and London, with
effect from 1923.

LORD IRWIN (1926-1931)

Appointment of the Harcourt Butler Indian States Commission (1927).

Visit of Simon Commission to India (1928) and the boycott of the commission by
the Indians. Death of Lala Lajpat Rai.
Murder of Saunders, the assistant superintendent of police of Lahore. Bomb blast
in the Assembly Hall of
Delhi (1929). Bomb accident in train in Delhi (1929).
Lahore Conspiracy Case and death of Jatin Das after prolonged hunger strike (1929).
Lahore session of the Congress (1929) and Purna Swaraj Resolution.
'Deepavali Declaration' by Lord Irwin (1929).
Dandi March (March 12, 1930) by Gandhi to launch the Civil Disobedience
Movement.
Gandhi-Irwin Pact (1931) and suspension of Civil Disobedience Movement.
Execution of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev (1931).

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 LORD WILLINGDON (1931-1936)

Second Round Table Conference (1931) and failure of the conference.

Resumption of Civil Disobedience Movement.
Announcement of Communal Award (1932)
under which separate communal electorates were set up.
'Fast unto death' by Gandhi in Yeravada prison, broken after the Poona Pact (1932).
Third Round Table Conference (1932).
The Government of India Act of 1935.
Establishment of All India Kisan Sabha (1936).
Congress Socialist Party by Acharya Narendra Dev and Jayaprakash Narayan in 1934.
Burma separated from India (1935).
Reserve Bank of India was established.

LORD LINLITHGOW (1936-1944)

Resignation of the Congress ministries after the outbreak of the Second World
War (1939).
Subhash Chandra Bose elected as the president of Congress at the fty-rst
session of the Congress (1938).
Resignation of Bose in 1939 and formation of the Forward Bloc (1939).
Lahore Resolution (March 1940) by the Muslim League, demand for separate state for Muslims.
Winston Churchill elected prime minister of England (1940).
Escape of Subhash Chandra Bose from India (1941) and organisation of the Indian National Army.
Passing of the 'Quit India Resolution' by the Congress (1942) and outbreak of 'August Revolution' or
Revolt of 1942 after the arrest of national leaders.
Divide and Quit' slogan at the Karachi session (1944) of the Muslim League.

REFORMATIVE ACTIONS REPRESSIVE ACTIONS

First general elections (1936-37) were held

in which Congress attained absolute majority.
‘August Offer’ (1940) by the viceroy and its Imperialist’s used their force to crush the
criticism by the Congress and endorsement by Quit India Movement.
the Mulsim League. Bengal Famine of 1943 due to diversion of
Cripps Mission’s to offer dominion status to food grains to feed soldiers during World
India and setting up of a Constituent War II.
Assembly. It was rejected by the Congress.

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LORD WAVELL (1944-1947)

CR Formula (1944) and failure of Gandhi - Jinnah talks (1944).

End of Second World War (1945).
Observance of 'Direct Action Day' (August 16, 1948) by the Muslim League.
Wavell Plan and the Shimla Conference (1942).
Proposals of the Cabinet Mission (1946) and its acceptance by the Congress.
Trials of soldiers of INA and suppression of Royal Indian Navy Mutiny.

REFORMATIVE ACTIONS

Elections to the Constituent Assembly, formation of Interim Government by the Congress

(September 1946).
Announcement of end of British rule by Clement Attlee on February 20, 1947.

LORD MOUNTBATTEN (1947-1948)

June Third Plan (June 3, 1947) announced.

Introduction of Indian Independence Bill in the House of Commons and its
passing.
Appointment of two boundary commissions under Sir Cyril Radcliff for the
partition of Bengal and Punjab.
st
He became the 1 Governor General of Dominion of India (1947-1950).

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