The Viceroy of India was the highest-ranking British official in India from 1858 to 1947. The position was created after the Indian Rebellion of 1857, when the British East India Company was dissolved and direct rule of India was assumed by the British Crown.
The Viceroy was responsible for all aspects of the government of India, including the military, the civil service, and the finances. He was also the representative of the British monarch in India.
The Viceroys were appointed by the British government and served for a period of five years. They were usually drawn from the ranks of the British aristocracy or the military.
Here is a list of all the Viceroy of India from 1858 to 1947, with their tenure and notable work in chronological order:
| Viceroy | Tenure | Notable Work |
|---|---|---|
| Lord Canning | 1858-1862 | First Viceroy of India, Indian Rebellion of 1857 |
| Lord Elgin I | 1862-1863 | |
| Lord Lawrence | 1864-1869 | Mutiny Commission, Land Revenue Settlement of Punjab |
| Lord Mayo | 1869-1872 | |
| Lord Northbrook | 1872-1876 | Civil Marriage and Arya Samaj marriage introduced, Universal Marriage Act introduced, Intercaste Marriage allowed, Kuka Movement in Punjab |
| Lord Lytton | 1876-1880 | Vernacular Press Act, Arms Act, Proclamation of Queen Victoria as Empress of India |
| Lord Ripon | 1880-1884 | Repealed the controversial Arms and Vernacular press act, Set up Local self-governments – Panchayats and Municipal Boards, 2 new universities opened – Punjab University 1884, Allahabad University 1887, Illbert Bill |
| Lord Dufferin | 1884-1888 | III Anglo-Burmese war (1885-1886), Indian National Congress was founded in 1885 |
| Lord Lansdowne | 1888-1894 | Indian Councils Act, 1892 (Indirect election was introduced for the time), Factory Act, 1891 |
| Lord Elgin II | 1894-1899 | First British Officer called Rands was killed. He was killed by Chapekar (Ramkrishna & Damodar) Brothers. This was the first political murder |
| Lord Curzon | 1899-1905 | Partition of Bengal |
| Lord Minto II | 1905-1910 | Morley-Minto reforms |
| Lord Hardinge | 1910-1916 | |
| Lord Chelmsford | 1916-1921 | Montagu-Chelmsford reforms |
| Lord Reading | 1921-1926 | |
| Lord Irwin | 1926-1931 | Round Table Conference |
| Lord Willingdon | 1931-1936 | Communal Award |
| Lord Linlithgow | 1936-1943 | |
| Sir Archibald Wavell | 1943-1947 | |
| Lord Mountbatten | 1947 | Last Viceroy of India, Partition of India |
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