Governors-General and Viceroys — Who Did What, 1773 to 1947

The list of Governors-General and Viceroys is the most reliably asked matching set in Indian history, and the reason is simple: every major British-era reform, war, act and famine is attached to a name, so one memorised list answers questions drawn from four different chapters. The trouble is that students learn thirty names in order and remember none of them.

Learn the four titles first, because the paper tests those more often than the people. Warren Hastings was the first Governor-General of Bengal, from 1774. William Bentinck became the first Governor-General of India in 1833. Canning was the last Governor-General and the first Viceroy, from 1858. Mountbatten was the last Viceroy, and C. Rajagopalachari the last Governor-General of independent India. Those five sentences are worth more marks than the entire middle of the list.

1. Who was the first Viceroy of India?

2. The Vernacular Press Act of 1878 was passed during the tenure of:

3. India's first census was conducted during the tenure of:

4. The Permanent Settlement of 1793 in Bengal was introduced by:

5. Sati was legally abolished in 1829 during the tenure of:

6. Who is known as the father of local self-government in India?

7. The Partition of Bengal announced in 1905 was annulled in 1911 during the tenure of:

8. The Doctrine of Lapse, used to annex Satara, Jhansi and Nagpur, is associated with: