Governor Generals Of British

 During the company rule, we have to understand the topic of governor general from the regulating act of 1773 till the revolt of 1857, as after this the power was transferred to the crown and the governor-general was replace by viceroy of India.

Governor-General of Bengal

Governor-General	Time period	Important details
Robert Clive	1754-67	He established the British Raj in India. During the first Anglo-Mysore war, he was called back. Haider Ali defeated British forces between 1766 and 1769.
Warren Hastings	1773-85	He implemented a Ring-Fence policy. He ended Clive’s dual administration. He fought in the First Anglo-Maratha War, which lasted from 1775 to 1782 and ended with the defeat of the East India Company and the signing of the Treaty of Wadgaon. Hastings declared the deal void, claiming Bombay lacked the legal authority to do so. As a result, Hastings dispatched a force to beat the Marathas, and the Treaty of Salbai was concluded. In the Second Anglo-Mysore War (1780-1784), Haider Ali was killed. The Rohilla dispute was begun by him. He was impeached in England due to his strained relationship with the Maharaja of Benares and Chait Singh.
Lord Cornwallis	1786-93	He was regarded as the founding father of the Indian civil service. He implemented civil service reforms such as increased salaries and seniority-based promotions. Collectors’ powers were taken away, and a new position of District Judge was formed. The Cornwallis Code, enacted in 1793, consolidated laws and divided revenue and civil administration. Judicial reforms: Indians are completely excluded from the systems. The Treaty of Seringapatam was signed after the Third  Anglo-Mysore war (1790-92). (1792). In Bengal and Bihar, he established permanent settlements.
Sir John Shore	1793-98	He defeated Nizam of Hyderabad who later joined a subsidiary alliance during Wellesley’s tenure.
Lord Wellesley	1798-05	In 1800, he established Fort Williams for the teaching of new recruits to the civil services, which was eventually relocated to Haileybury in 1806. He fought in both the 4th Anglo-Mysore war (1799) and the 2nd Anglo-Maratha war (1799). (1803-05)
Sir George Barlow	1805-07	Involved in the White Mutiny at Vellore (1806), also known as Vellore mutiny. It is different from the white Mutiny (1858) that occurred in which Indian sepoys feared that they were going to be Christianised (Muslim rid of the beard, Sikh of Turban, etc).
Lord Minto I	1807-13	He concluded the Amritsar treaty (1809) with Maharaja Ranjit Singh
Lord Francis Hastings	1813-23	The Anglo-Nepal war lasted from 1814 to 1816, with the Treaty of Sugauli ending the conflict. In the third Anglo-Maratha war (1817-1819), the Maratha confidence was broken and the Bombay presidency was established in 1818. During his reign, the Pindari war was fought (1817-18), and a treaty with Sindhia was signed in 1817.
Lord Amherst	1823-28	The first was the Anglo-Burmese war was fought during his time and the Treaty of Yandabo was made in 1826.

Governor-General of India

Governor-General	Period	Important Details
Lord William Bentinck	1828-35	During his term, the Collector/Magistrate was promoted to Chief of Police, and the Commissioner assumed the role of Superintendent of Police. He elevated the standing and authority of Indians in the judiciary. In 1829, he prohibited Sati and other painful practices. In 1830, he also put down Thugs. The 1833 Charter Act was passed. He improves schooling and makes English the official language.  He made a lifelong friendship contract with Ranjeet Singh. During his reign, he annexed Mysore (1831), Coorg (1834), and Central Cachar (1834).
Lord Metcalfe	1835-36	He was the liberator of the press and repealed licensing act of 1823.
Lord Auckland	1836-42	During his time 1st Afghan was fought (1838-42) which turned out disastrous for Britishers.
Lord Ellenborough	1842-44	He successfully completed the Afghan war and annexed Sindh in 1843.
Lord Hardinge I	1844-48	He was instrumental in ending female infanticide and human sacrifice. He was involved in the Anglo-Sikh war (1845-46).
Lord Dalhousie	1848-56	He pioneered railways and other forms of communication (Bombay to Thane). He also introduced the telegraph and postal systems in 1853. (the first telegraph connection was from Calcutta to Agra). He also established the Lapse Doctrine. During his reign, the Hindu widows remarriage act of 1856 and Wood’s Education despatch of 1854 (the Magna Carta of contemporary western education) were both passed. He fought in the Second Anglo-Sikh war (1848-49) and the second Burmese war (1852).
Lord Canning	1856-62	General service Enlistment act passed during his time in which future recruits of the Bengal Army would be made to serve anywhere.   The revolt of 1857 was fought during his time.

Important Questions 

Q1: Under which governor-general (General service Enlistment act) was passed?

A. Lord William Bentinck
B. Lord Canning
C. Lord Metcalfe
D. Lord Dalhousie

Ans: B
Explanation: 

In 1856-57, Lord Canning was the governor-general of India when the General service Enlistment act was passed in which future recruits of the Bengal Army would be made to serve anywhere and the revolt of 1857 was also fought during his time.

Q2. Under which Governor-General regime English was made the official language?

A. Lord William Bentinck
B. Lord Reading
C. Lord Metcalfe
D. George Barlow

Ans: A
Explanation: 

Lord William Bentinck designated Persian and a vernacular language as official languages for lower court proceedings and English as the official language for Supreme Court proceedings.

Q3. Which of the following was known as the first governor-general of Bengal?

A. William Wedderburn
B. Warren Hastings
C. Robert Clive
D. Sir John Shore

Ans: B
Explanation: 

Under British India, Lord Warren Hastings was made the first Governor-General of Bengal.

Q4. Who was the governor-general when the 1st Afghan war was fought?

A. Sir John Shore
B. Lord Metcalfe
C. Lord Cornwallis
D. Warren Hastings

Ans: B
Explanation:

Lord Metcalfe was the governor-general when 1st Afghan was fought (1838-42) which turned out disastrous for Britishers.

Q5. Who among the following official is popularly known as the ‘Father of Civil Services in India’?

A. Sir John Shore
B. Lord Metcalfe
C. Lord Cornwallis
D. Warren Hastings

Ans: C
Explanation: 

Lord Cornwallis restructured, modernised, and rationalised the civil service, which was founded by Warren Hastings. So for this work, Cornwallis got the Title of “Father of Indian Civil Service.”

Q6. Which Governor-General contribute to abolishing the Dual system?

A. Sir John Shore
B. Lord Cornwallis
C. Lord Wellesley
D. Lord Hasting

Ans: D
Explanation:

Warren Hastings is related to Abolishing Dual system
Lord Cornwallis is known for his policy of Permanent Settlement in Bengal
Sir John Shore is known for his Policy of Non-Interference
Lord Wellesley was famous for the Subsidiary Alliance system

Q7. Among the following British Governor-General, who set up the Public Work Department (P.W.D) in India?

A. Lord Ellenborough
B. Lord Wellesley
C. Lord Dalhousie
D. Lord William Bentinck

Ans: C
Explanation: 

Military boards were in charge of Public Works projects prior to Lord Dalhousie. As a result, the military board largely ignored civilian projects. Lord Dalhousie create a distinct Public Works Department (PWD).

Q8. When did the post of Governor-General of India was created?

A. 1773
B. 1780
C. 1813
D. 1833

Ans: A
Explanation: 

The Regulating Act of 1773 create the post of Governor-General of Bengal and established a four-member Executive Council to assist him.

Q9. Which British Governor-General was the Pioneer in abolishing slavery in India?

A. Lord Ellenborough
B. Charles Metcalfe
C. Lord Chelmsford
D. Lord Amherst

Ans: A
Explanation: 

The Indian Slavery Act was passed in 1843 during Company’s reign, making many economic activities related to slavery illegal. During the time of the abolition of slavery, Lord Ellenborough was the Governor-General of India.

Q10. When Bombay was made one of the presidency of British India, who was the governor-general at that time?

A. Lord Hastings
B. Lord Palmerston
C. Lord reading
D. Lord Wellesley

Ans: A
Explanation: 

Lord Hastings was the British Governor-General when Bombay was designated as Presidency.

Q11. Which of the following British governors-general prohibits female Infanticide?

A. Lord Auckland
B. Lord William Bentinck
C. Lord Reading
D. Lord Hardinge

Ans: B
Explanation:

Female infanticide was prohibited by Lord William Bentinck, the Governor-General. He made it illegal. Female infanticide is a phenomenon that has been discovered in western India. In the part of Central India, female infanticide and human sacrifice are forbidden by Bentinck. Sati was abolished and prohibited by Lord William Bentinck.

Q12. When was Satara got annexed by Lord Dalhousie under the Doctrine of Lapse?

A. 1848
B. 1855
C. 1854
D. 1860

Ans: A
Explanation: 

Under the theory of lapse, the company took over the princely states of Satara (1848), Jaitpur and Sambalpur (1849), Nagpur and Jhansi (1854), Tanjore and Arcot (1855), and Udaipur (Chhattisgarh-1860).