By Charter Act of 1833, the post name of Governor-General of Bengal again converted into “Governor-General of India” (first Governor-General of India was William Bentinck.
- This post was mainly for administrative purposes and reported to the Court of Directors of the East India Company.
| Year | Governors-General of India | Major Reforms & Events |
|---|---|---|
| 1828-1835 | Lord William Bentinck | First Governor General of India Abolition of Sati System (Bengal Sati Regulation, 1829) Brahmo samaj established by Ram Mohan Roy Mahalwari System in Central India, Punjab And Western UP. Saint Helena Act 1833 or Charter Act 1833 (Christian Missionaries get Exclusive rights to spread Christianity in British India which included the present day Pakistan) Kol Rebellion in 1831 Barasat Uprising in 1831, led by Titumir English Education Act 1835 and introduction of English as a medium of instruction Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata (1835) Suppression of Thuggee (1829–35), infanticide and child sacrifices. Annexation of Mysore(1831), Coorg(1834), and central Cachar(1834) Abolition of the provincial courts of appeal and circuit set by Cornwallis, appointment of commissioners of revenue and circuit |
| 1835-1836 | Lord Charles Metcalfe | Repealed 1823 Licensing Regulations Known as Liberator of India Press Establishment of Calcutta Public Library in 1836 (currently known as National Library of India) |
| 1836-1842 | Lord Auckland | Tripartite Treaty in 1838 between British, Shah Shuja and Maharaja Ranjit Singh against Dost Muhammad Khan. The First Anglo Afghan War(1840–1842) (British Army massacred by the strong Afghan army and militia during the 1842 Retreat from Kabul-worst British Military disaster) Bank of Bombay (1840) established (later Imperial Bank of India, now State Bank of India) First Bengali daily newspaper Sambad Prabhakar was published in 1839 Tattwabodhini Sabha was formed by Debendranath Tagore in 1839 advocated the Forward Policy in India (to take initiatives to protect British India’s boundary from a probable Russian attack) |
| 1842-1844 | Lord Ellenborough | Gwalior War (1843) (British defeat Marathas) Bank of Madras (1843) established (later Imperial Bank of India, now State Bank of India) Conquest and annexation of Sind Province by British (1843) Indian Slavery Act, 1843 |
| 1844-1848 | Lord Hardinge I | The First Anglo-Sikh War (1845–46) (British Empire defeats the Sikh Empire and confiscate major portion of its territory) Treaty of Lahore (1846) (British confiscated Kashmir from the Sikhs and sold it to Raja of Jammu for 75 lakh rupees) Treaty of Bhairowal (1846) Establishment of Roorkee Engineering College (1847) |
| 1848-1856 | Lord Dalhousie | Doctrine of Lapse in 1848 Charter Act, 1853 Bethune Collegiate School (1849) (was also known as Calcutta Female School) was established by John Elliot Drinkwater Bethune Charles Wood Despatch (1854) Establishment of summer capital at Shimla Second Anglo-Burmese War (1852) (The sole aim of Dalhousie was to humiliate and annex more of Burmese Territories. Burma was attacked unprovoked) First Passenger train between Bombay and Thane (1853) First telegraph Line was laid between Diamond Harbour to Calcutta. (1851) Post Office Act, 1854 Established Public Works Department (1854) The Second Anglo-Sikh War (1848–1849) (The British totally defeated the Sikh Empire and annexed Punjab) Santhal Rebellion (1855) (15,000 Santhals were killed by the British Army during the rebellion. Elephants were used to destroy Santhal Dwellings) Religious Disabilities Act, 1856 Annexation of Oudh on the grounds of alleged internal misrule (1856) Banned Female Infanticide completely and Human Sacrifice in Central province, Odisha and Maharashtra Widow Remarriage Act (draft) Started Competitive examination for Indian Civil Services Abolition of titles and pensions. |
| 1856-1857 | Lord Canning | Hindu Widows’ Remarriage Act, 1856 (The law was drafted by The Earl of Dalhousie) Indian Rebellion of 1857 Three universities: University of Calcutta, University of Bombay, and University of Madras were set up in 1857 |