| Tenure | Governor-General / Viceroy | Major Reforms & Events |
|---|---|---|
| 1858–1862 | Lord Canning | • First Viceroy of India after the Indian Rebellion of 1857 • Doctrine of Lapse abolished • Introduced Policy of Clemency toward rebels |
| 1862–1863 | Lord Elgin I | • Suppression of Wahabi Movement |
| 1864–1869 | Lord Lawrence | • High Courts established in Calcutta, Bombay, Madras (1862) • Anglo-Bhutan War (1864–65) |
| 1869–1872 | Lord Mayo | • Financial decentralisation between Centre & Provinces • First Census of India (1872) • Mayo College, Ajmer established • Founded Statistical Survey of India • Assassinated by Sher Ali Afridi at Port Blair (1872) |
| 1872–1876 | Lord Northbrook | • Civil Marriage / Special Marriage Act (1872) • Inter-caste marriages legalised • Arya Samaj marriages recognised • Kuka Movement in Punjab |
| 1876–1880 | Lord Lytton | • Vernacular Press Act • Arms Act (1878) • Delhi Durbar (1877) – Queen Victoria declared Empress of India • Age for ICS exam reduced (21 → 19) • Severe famine ignored |
| 1880–1884 | Lord Ripon | • Known as “Father of Local Self-Government” • Local self-government (Municipalities & Panchayats) • Factory Act (1881) • Hunter Commission on Education (1882) • Ilbert Bill controversy (1883) |
| 1884–1888 | Lord Dufferin | • Third Anglo-Burmese War (1885–86) • Indian National Congress founded 1885 |
| 1888–1894 | Lord Lansdowne | • Indian Councils Act 1892 – Indirect election introduced • Factory Act (1891) |
| 1894–1899 | Lord Elgin II | • Assassination of British officer Rand (1897) • Killing by Damodar Hari Chapekar and Chapekar brothers |
| 1899–1905 | Lord Curzon | • Partition of Bengal • Indian Universities Act (1904) • Raleigh Commission (1902) • Police Commission (1902) • Curzon-Kitchener controversy |
| 1905–1910 | Lord Minto II | • Morley-Minto Reforms • Separate electorates for Muslims |
| 1910–1916 | Lord Hardinge II | • Capital shifted from Calcutta to Delhi (1911) • Delhi Durbar (1911) • Hindu Mahasabha founded by Madan Mohan Malaviya • Mesopotamian Campaign (WWI) |
| 1916–1921 | Lord Chelmsford | • Home Rule Movement • Rowlatt Act • Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms |
| 1921–1926 | Lord Reading | • Swaraj Party formed (1923) • Chauri Chaura incident |
| 1926–1931 | Lord Irwin | • Civil Disobedience Movement (1930) • Dandi March by Mahatma Gandhi • First Round Table Conference (1930) |
| 1931–1936 | Lord Willingdon | • Second & Third Round Table Conferences • Poona Pact • Communal Award |
| 1936–1944 | Lord Linlithgow | • Cripps Mission • Quit India Movement |
| 1944–1947 | Lord Wavell | • Wavell Plan • Shimla Conference (1945) • Direct Action Day |
| 1947–1948 | Louis Mountbatten | • Mountbatten Plan • Partition of India (1947) • Last Viceroy & First Governor-General of Independent India |