Governor-Generals and Viceroys of India Notes for SSC Exams

The Governors-General and Viceroys of India are among the most asked topics of modern history in SSC exams. Questions are asked as "Who was the Viceroy when this event happened?" or "Which reform is linked to this Viceroy?". The topic looks long, but it becomes easy when you learn the list in groups and link every name to one or two famous events. These Viceroys of India notes for SSC give the full list with years, events and practice questions.

Governors-General of Bengal and India

Viceroys of India (1858 to 1947)

After the Revolt of 1857, the title of Governor-General was changed to Viceroy, because he now represented the British Crown.

Governors-General of Independent India

• Lord Mountbatten was the first Governor-General of free India (15 August 1947 to June 1948).
• C. Rajagopalachari was the first Indian and the last Governor-General of India (1948 to 1950).
• The post ended when India became a republic on 26 January 1950.

Memory Tips for the List

• Group the Viceroys into four phases: 1858 to 1880, 1880 to 1905, 1905 to 1931 and 1931 to 1947.
• Link each name to the most famous event only, such as Ripon with local self-government and Curzon with the partition of Bengal.
• Learn the pair of Dufferin with the Congress (1885) and Hardinge with the Delhi capital (1911).

Quick Tips

• Do not try to learn all dates. Learn the famous event first, then the period.
• In an exam question that asks for "first" or "last", the answer is always in the first and last rows of the table.
• Remember that Lord Curzon, Lord Minto II and Lord Hardinge II came one after another between 1899 and 1916.
• Attempt previous year questions on this topic, because they repeat the same names.

Quick Revision Points

• Warren Hastings was the first Governor-General of Bengal.
• William Bentinck was the first Governor-General of India.
• Lord Canning was the first Viceroy.
• Lord Mountbatten was the last Viceroy and the first Governor-General of free India.
• C. Rajagopalachari was the last Governor-General.

Practice Questions With Answers

1. Who was the first Governor-General of Bengal?
   Answer: Warren Hastings
2. Who was the first Governor-General of India?
   Answer: Lord William Bentinck
3. Who was the first Viceroy of India?
   Answer: Lord Canning
4. In whose period was the Indian National Congress founded?
   Answer: Lord Dufferin (1885)
5. Who was the Viceroy when Bengal was partitioned in 1905?
   Answer: Lord Curzon
6. Who was the Viceroy when the capital shifted to Delhi in 1911?
   Answer: Lord Hardinge II
7. Who was the last Viceroy of India?
   Answer: Lord Mountbatten
8. Who was the last Governor-General of India?
   Answer: C. Rajagopalachari
9. The Gandhi-Irwin Pact was signed in which year?
   Answer: 1931
10. Who introduced the Doctrine of Lapse?
    Answer: Lord Dalhousie

How to Practise This Chapter

Revise the table of Viceroys once a week and ask a friend to quiz you on the events. Then attempt timed sets from our practice papers and see how real exams ask this topic on the previous year papers page. Read the previous chapter, Revolt of 1857, and the next chapter, Indian National Congress Sessions and Presidents. You can also study Indian Polity for the constitutional Acts linked to these Viceroys.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who was the first Viceroy of India?

Lord Canning was the first Viceroy of India. He became Viceroy in 1858 after the Government of India Act, 1858 ended the rule of the East India Company.

Who was the last Viceroy of India?

Lord Mountbatten was the last Viceroy of India. He served in 1947 and then became the first Governor-General of independent India.

What is the difference between Governor-General and Viceroy?

Governor-General was the head of the Company's government in India. After 1858, the same post was called Viceroy because he also represented the British Crown.

Who was the first Governor-General of India?

Lord William Bentinck was the first Governor-General of India after the Charter Act of 1833. Before him, Warren Hastings was the first Governor-General of Bengal.

Which Viceroy partitioned Bengal?

Lord Curzon partitioned Bengal in 1905. The partition was cancelled in 1911 during the period of Lord Hardinge II.

Who started the Doctrine of Lapse?

Lord Dalhousie started the Doctrine of Lapse. Under this policy, the British annexed a state if its ruler died without a natural heir.

Who was the Viceroy during the Jallianwala Bagh massacre?

Lord Chelmsford was the Viceroy in 1919, when the Jallianwala Bagh massacre took place at Amritsar.

Who was the Viceroy during the Quit India Movement?

Lord Linlithgow was the Viceroy when the Quit India Movement began in August 1942.

Who was the first Indian Governor-General?

C. Rajagopalachari was the first Indian and the last Governor-General of India. He served from 1948 to 1950.

How can I remember the list of Viceroys easily?

Divide the list into four phases, learn one famous event for every Viceroy and revise the table every week. Practising previous year questions makes the list easier to remember.

How many questions come from Viceroys in SSC exams?

Usually one or two questions come from this topic in SSC General Awareness papers, but the number changes from year to year.

Which Viceroy is linked to the Indian Councils Act of 1909?

Lord Minto II is linked to the Indian Councils Act of 1909, also called the Morley-Minto Reforms. It gave separate electorates to Muslims.