Governor Generals of India

While the British Rule these were the Governor Generals of India.

Lord William Bentinck (1828-1835)

• Carried out social reforms like Prohibition of Sati (1829) and elimination of thug (1830)
• Made English medium of higher education in the country (after the recommendations of Macaulay)
• Suppressed female infanticide and child sacrifice
• Charter Act of 1833 was passed: made him the first Governor General of India before him, the designation was Governor General of Bengal

Sir Charles Metcalfe (1835-1836)

• Abolished all restriction on vernacular press (called Liberator of the Press)

Read Also: India under Governor generals

Lord Auckland (1836-1842)

• The most important event of his reign was the first Afghan War, which proved to be a disaster for the English

Lord Elleborogh (1842-1844)

Lord Harding I (1844-1848)

Lord Dalhousie (1848-1856)

• Opened the first Indian Railway in 1853 (from Bombay to Thane)
• Laid out the telegraph lines in 1853 (first was from Calcutta to Agra)
• Introduced the ‘Doctrine of Lapse’ and captured Satara (1848), Jaipur and Sambhalpur (1849), Udaipur (1852), Jhansi (1853) and Nagpur (1854)
• Established the postal system on the modern lines through the length and breadth of the country, which made communication easier
• Started the public works department, many bridges were constructed and the work on grand trunk road was started. The harbors of Karachi, Bombay and Calcutta were also developed.
• Made Shimla the summer capital
• Started engineering college at Roorkee
• Encouraged Science, Forestry, Commerce, Mineralogy and Industry
• In 1854, ‘Wood’s Dispatch’ was passed, which provided for the properly articulated system of education from the primary school to the university
• Due to Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar’s efforts, remarriage of widows was legalized by Widow Remarriage Act, 1856

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