Viceroys during the British Rule

LORD MAYO (1869-1872) He was very popular among the Indian princes. During his reign were relations were improved with Sher Ali; for the first time in Indian history a census was held in 1871; and a college was set up at Ajmer, the 'Mayo College'. Lord Mayo was assassinated in 1872, while he was touring the convict settlement in the Andamans.

LORD NORTHBROOK (1872-1876) The events in his reign were: the deposition of the Gaekwar (1875); visit of Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII); abolition of income tax; and the Kuka Movement.

LORD LYITON (1876-1880) During his reign, the Parliament passed the Royal Titles Act conferring upon Queen Victoria the title of 'Empress of India'; Lord Lytton held a magnificent Durbar at Delhi on January 1, 1877 where the Queen was declared 'Kaiser-i-Hind'; the Vernacu­lar Press Act was passed in 1"878; the foundation stone of the Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental College, Aligarh was laid in 1877; Second Anglo-Afghan War (1878-1880); lI;)wered the age of candidates giving the I.C.S. examination to 19 years; and a Famine Committee under Gen. Richard Stratchey was appointed (1878).

LORD RIPON (1880-1884) The chief events of his period were: end of the Second Anglo-Afghan War; Mysore restored to the deposed Raja Krishna (188i); Factory Act of 1881; the Vernacular Press Act repealed in 1882; the Punjab University founded in 1882 (now in Pakistan); and po~cy of free trade introduced. The most important con­structive work of Lord Ripon was the enactment of a series of Acts, which made local self-government more effective. The llbert Bill was intrpduced during his time. The Hunter Commission Report on education came in 1882. Lord Ripon . was the most liked of the British Viceroys.

LORD DUFFERIN (1884-1888) The important events of Lord Dufferin's time were: the Third Anglo-Burmese War, leading to annexation of upper Burma; the Punjdeh Affair (1885); formation of the Indian National Congress (1885); and Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee celebration in 1887.

LORD LANSDOWNE (1888-1894) lmportant events were: demarcation of the Afghan boundary (Durand line); rebel­lion in Manipur; and the Second Indian Council Act (1892).

LORD ELGIN II (1894-1899) He was the son of Elgin I. The important events of his period were: a bubonic plague in Bombay (1896); and severe drought in 1896-97 at Bikaner and the Hissar district.

LORD CURZON (1899-1905) He was the ablest among the viceroys. Some of the important events of his period were: creation of the North-West Frontier Province in order to suppress the revolt of the frontier tribes (1897-1898); a mission sent to Tibet (1904); reduction of the salt-tax to one­half and raising of the limit of taxable income; enactment of the Punjab Land Alienation Act (1900); founding of. an Agricultural Research Institute at Pusa (Bihar); improvment of irrigation with the construction of the 'Triple Canal Project'. Also, in 1904, he passed the Ancient Monuments Preservation Act and founded the Archaeological Depart­ment. Victoria Memorial was constructed in 1905, in memory of Queen Victoria, who died in 1901; and the second Delhi Durbar was held in 1903 to mark the accession to the throne of Edward VII. The most eventful event of his reign was the partition of Bengal on October 16, 1905.

LORD MINTO II (1905-1910) Great-grand son of Lord Minto I, his reign is especially known for the Minto-Morley Reforms (1909).

LORD HARDINGE II (1910-1916) He was the grandson of Lord Hardinge I. The chief events of his time were: Coronation Durbar in 1911, in honour of George V; r:evo­cation of the partition of Bengal (1911); capital shifted from Calcutta to Delhi (1911); and laying of the foundation stone of the Banaras Hindu University (1916).

LORD CHELMSFORD (1916-1921) Lord Chelmsford's regime proved to be reactionary and it led to great Unrest in the country. The chief events of his time were: passing of the Government of India Act, 1919, which introduced dyarchy in the Provinces; Rowlatt Act 1919; the Jallianwala Bagh massacre on April 13, 1919; starting of the Non­cooperation Movement; and the Third Anglo-Afghan War in 1919.

LORD READING (1921-1926) The chief events were: put an end to the Non-cooperation movement; arrival of the Prince of Wales, who ascended the throne as King Edward VIII; and the Moplah Revolt of 1921 on the southwestern coast .of India.

LORD IRWIN (1926-1931) Lord Irwin, afterwards Lord Halifax, was the grandson of Charles Wood. The chief events of his period were: (i) the appointment of the Simon Commission (1928); passing of Independence R~solution (1929) by the Indian National Congress; the Civil Disobe­dience Movement started on March 12, 1930; the First Round Table Conference (1930); and the Gandhi-Irwin Pact (1931).

LORD WILLINGDON (1931-1936) The important events of his period were: Second Round Table Conference (1931); Communal Award of August 1932 announced; the Poona Pact of 1932; the Third Round Table Conference (1932); and passing of the Government of India Act, 1935.

LORD LINLITHGOW (1936-1943) He had the longest reign as viceroy of India. During his time, the Act' of 1935 came into operation on April 1, 1937; Congress ministries were formed; Cripps Mission (1942) came into being; and Quit India Resolution passed on August 8, 1942. A terrible
famine occurred in Bengal in 1943.

LORD W AVELL (1943-1947) The important events of his time were: founding of Indian National Army (1943); Simla Conference (1945); a Naval Mutiny in Bombay (1946); coming of the Cabinet Mission to India; observation of 16th August, 1946 as the Direct Action Day in Calcutta by the Muslim League; riots in Bengal and Bihar; setting up of an Interim Government; and British Prime Minister Attlee's announcement of 20th February 1947, that power would be transferred to the Indians by June 1948.

LORD MOUNTBATIEN (March 1947-August 1947) tie was the last viceroy of India. Some of the important events of his period were: Declaration of June 3, 1947; passing of Independence Act, 1947; Pakistart's coming into being on 14th August 1947, and at midnight of August 14-15, the British authority in India coming to an end.