Viceroy of India: Know about Governor-General of India

By : Neha Dhyani

Updated : Feb 5, 2022, 9:54

When the East India Company first came to India for business, a Governor-General and Viceroy of India was assigned by the Imperial Kingdom or Britain, who would govern and be the administrative head of the country and represent the Queen herself. The position was created in 1773 when the British Parliament overhauled East India Company's management to establish dominion over India.

The Governor-General initially exercised control solely over the Presidency of Fort William and supervised the East India Company's operations in India. It was only after the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857 that, in 1858, when the British Raj established its complete reign over India the position came to be known as the Governor-General and Viceroy of India.

Warren Hastings, in 1773, became the first Governor-General of India. In 1858, when the British Raj took over the East India Company's dominion, Viscount Canning - renowned as Lord Canning - became the first Viceroy of India. The Viscount Mountbatten of Burma, known as Lord Mountbatten, was the last Viceroy of India and was in power till India gained Independence in 1947.

A Comprehensive List of All the Viceroys of India

From 1858 till 1947, India was administered by numerous Viceroys. While some of them shaped India's history in a positive way, many of them are known for their viciousness towards the Indians. Here's a comprehensive list of all the Viceroys of India:

Sr. No.	Name of the Viceroy	Term From	To
1	The Viscount of Canning	1 November 1958	21 March 1862
2	The Earl of Elgin	21 March 1862	20 November 1863
3	Robert Napier (Acting)	21 November 1863	2 December 1863
4	William Denison (Acting)	2 December 1863	12 January 1864
5	Sir Lawrence, Bt	12 January 1864	12 January 1869
6	The Earl of Mayo	12 January 1869	8 February 1872
7	Sir John Strachey (Acting)	9 February 1872	23 February 1872
8	Lord Napier (Acting)	24 February 1872	3 May 1872
9	Lord Northbrook	3 May 1872	12 April 1876
10	Lord Lytton	12 April 1876	8 June 1880
11	The Marquess of Ripon	8 June 1880	13 December 1884
12	The Earl of Dufferin	13 December 1884	10 December 1888
13	The Marquess of Lansdowne	10 December 1888	11 October 1894
14	The Earl of Elgin	11 October 1894	6 January 1899
15	The Lord Curzon of Kedleston	6 January 1899	18 November 1905
16	The Earl of Minto	18 November 1905	23 November 1910
17	The Lord Hardinge of Penshurst	23 November 1910	4 April 1916
18	The Lord Chelmsford	4 April 1916	2 April 1921
19	The Earl of Reading	2 April 1921	3 April 1926
20	Lord Irwin	3 April 1926	18 April 1931
21	The Earl of Willingdon	18 April 1931	18 April 1936
22	The Marquess of Linlithgow	18 April 1936	1 October 1943
23	The Viscount Wavell	1 October 1943	21 February 1947
24	The Viscount Mountbatten of Burma	21 February 1943	15 August 1947

Viceroys of India after the Indian Independence

Even after India gained Independence, the Viceroys were appointed by the British Raj till the Constitution was written and implemented. The first Viceroy of independent India was Lord Mountbatten (1947 - 1948) and the second and last Viceroy of India (and the only Indian in this position) was Chakravarti Rajagopalachari (1948 - 1950).

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FAQs about Viceroy of India

Who was the first Viceroy of India?

The first Governor-General and Viceroy of India (after the British Raj took over the East India Company) was the Viscount of Canning or Lord Canning.

Who was the last Viceroy of India?

The last Viceroy of India (pre-Independence) was Lord Mountbatten.

Who was the only Indian Viceroy of India?

Chakravarti Rajagopalachari was the only Indian Viceroy of India (after Independence).