Viceroy and Governor MCQ Quiz - Objective Question with Answer for Viceroy and Governor - Download Free PDF

Key Points

• Lord Hardinge II (Viceroy of India: 1910-1916):
  • Played a significant role in Indian history, especially during World War I.
• Key Events During Lord Hardinge II's Tenure:
  • Delhi Durbar (1911):
    • Organized to celebrate King George V's coronation.
  • Announced two major decisions:
    • Shift of India's capital from Calcutta to Delhi.
    • Annulment of the Partition of Bengal.
  • Delhi Conspiracy Case (1912):
    • An assassination attempt where a bomb was thrown at his procession, injuring him.
    • Led to a trial and execution of some revolutionaries.
  • World War I:
    • Dispatched a large number of Indian and European soldiers from India to aid the British war effort.
  • Hindu Mahasabha (1915):
    • The Hindu Mahasabha, a Hindu nationalist organization, was founded during his time as Viceroy.
  • Mahatma Gandhi's Return to India (1915):
    • Coincided with his tenure as Viceroy.

• Lord Hardinge was the Governor-General of India during the First Anglo-Sikh War.
• The First Anglo-Sikh War took place in 1845-1846.
• The Second Anglo-Sikh War took place in 1848-1849.
• Lord Hardinge served as the Governor-General of India from 1844-1848.
• Lord Cornwallis served as the Governor-General of India from 1786-1793.
• Lord Dalhousie served as the Governor-General of India from 1848-1856.
• Lord Canning served as the Governor-General of India from 1856-1862.

The correct answer is Lord Cornwallis.

• Lord Cornwallis was the Governor-General of Bengal when the Permanent Settlement was introduced there in 1793.

Key Points

• Permanent Settlement is also known as Permanent Settlement of Bengal was an agreement between the British East India Company and the Landlords of Bengal to fix the land revenue.
• Land revenue was the major source of income for the British in India.
• Permanent Settlement was one such land revenue system.
• It was first introduced in Bengal and Bihar and later it was introduced in Madras and Varanasi.
• This system was also known as the Zamindari system.

Additional Information

Lord Cornwallis

•  
• He is known as the 'Father of Civil Services in India'.
• He created the post of District Judges'.
• Third Anglo-Mysore War and Treaty of Srirangapatnam.
• First-person to codify laws in 1793.

Warren Hastings

• First Governor-General of Bengal.
• He abolished the dual system of administration.
• He introduced Izaredari System in 1773.
• Regulating Act of 1773 and Pitt’s India Act of 1784.
• Rohilla war in 1774.
• He established Supreme Court in Calcutta.
• Foundation of the Asiatic Society of Bengal (1784)
• First Anglo-Maratha War (1775-1782) ended with the Treaty of Salbai.
• The second Anglo-Mysore war (1780-1784) ended with the Treaty of Mangalore.

Sir John Macpherson

• Sir John Macpherson was a British administrator in India.
• He was the acting Governor-General of Bengal from 1785 to 1786.

Sir John Shore

• He introduced the first Charter act of 1793.
• He was famous for his Policy of Non-intervention.
• Battle of Kharda (1795).

The correct answer is A - 2, B - 4, C - 1, D - 3.

Key Points

• Lord Wellesley- Subsidiary Alliance
• Lord Dalhousie- Doctrine of Lapse
• Lord Cornwallis- Permanent Settlement
• Lord William Bentick- Abolition of Sati

Additional Information

The correct answer is Lord Canning.

Key Points

• Lord Canning (1856-1862) was the Viceroy of India during the 'Sepoy Mutiny' or the great revolt that took place.
• The Revolt of 1857 is an important landmark in India's history, which occurred during the governor generalship of Lord Canning.
• Sepoy Mutiny or First War of Independence, widespread but unsuccessful rebellion against British rule in 1857.
• Event during his regime - 
  • Revolt of 1857
  • Establishment of three universities at Calcutta, Madras and Bombay in 1857
  • Abolition of East India Company and transfer of control to the Crown by the Government of India Act, 1858
  • Indian Councils Act of 1861

Additional Information 

• Grievances of Sepoy:
  • Discrimination in payment and promotion.
  • Refusal of the British to pay foreign service allowance while fighting in remote regions such as Punjab or Sindh.
  • Religious objections of the high caste Hindu sepoys to Lord Canning's General Service Enlistment Act (1856) ordering all recruits to be ready for service both within and outside India.

The correct answer is Lord Dalhousie.

Key Points

• The chief instrument through which Lord Dalhousie implemented his policy of annexation was the ‘Doctrine of Lapse’.
  • Under the Doctrine of Lapse, when the ruler of a protected state died without a natural heir, his/her state was not to pass to an adopted heir as sanctioned by the age-old tradition of the country.
• Lord Dalhousie came to India as the Governor-General in 1848.
• Lord Dalhousie was keen on annexing the kingdom of Avadh.

Important Points

The correct answer is Lord Cornwallis.

Key Points

• During the British raj, Warren Hastings laid the foundation of the Civil Services.
• Charles Cornwallis reformed, modernized and rationalized it. Hence, Charles Cornwallis is known as 'the Father of civil service in India'.
• British General Charles Cornwallis was appointed in February 1786 to serve as both Commander-in-Chief of British India and Governor of the Presidency of Fort William, also known as the Bengal Presidency.
• He had introduced the Covenanted Civil Services and the Uncovenanted Civil Services.
• The Covenanted Civil Services was created out of the Law of the Company.

Additional Information

Important events and Governor-General at that time: 

Note: Lord Irvin was replaced by Willingdon and remained till 1936

The correct answer is Lord Ripon

Key Points

• The following events took place in the Viceroy-ship of 
• Lord Ripon (1880-1884):
  • The first factory Act of 1881 was passed.
  • In order to review the progress of education, William Hunter Commission was appointed in 1882.
  • The IIbert Bill 1883 was passed.
  • The age of entry in civil services was increased to 21 years.

Additional Information

• Lord Dufferin (1884-1888):
  • The Indian National Congress (INC) was formed (1885).
  • Panjdeh Incident occurred in which a diplomatic crisis took place between Russia and Great Britain but the war was averted by the diplomatic efforts of Lord Dufferin.
  • Third Anglo Burmese war 1886.
• Lord Curzon (1899-1905):
  • Partition of Bengal took place on 16th October 1905.
  • The famine commission was formed under Sir Anthony McDonnel in 1901 to fight back the famine which took place in 1899-1900.
  • Irrigation Commission was established in 1901.
  • The Police Commission has formed under sir Andrew Frazer.
  • Punjab Land Alienation Act 1900 was passed.
  • Indian Universities Act 1904 was passed.
  • Ancient Monuments Preservation Act 1904 was passed.
  • Calcutta Corporation Act 1899 was passed.
• Lord Canning (1856-1862):
  • Lord Canning was the last Governor-General (1856-1857) and the first Viceroy (1858-1862) of India.
  • The first three modern Universities were established i.e the University of Calcutta, the University of Madras, and the University of Bombay.

The correct answer is Lord Irwin.

Important Points

• Lord Irwin was the Viceroy of India at the time of the Dandi March initiated by Gandhiji.
• On 12 March Gandhi began his historic Dandi March to the Gujarat seashore where on 6 April he publicly violated the salt law.
• The march attracted enormous publicity both in India and overseas, and was followed by wholesale illegal manufacture and sale of salt, accompanied by the boycott of foreign clothes and liquor.  
• Gandhiji's arrest came on May 4, 1930 (Dandi march ended on 6th April 1930) when he had announced that he would proceed to continue his defiance of the salt laws by leading a raid on the Dharasana Salt Works on the west coast.

Additional Information

 Lord Irwin was the Viceroy of India from 1926-1931.

• Major Incidents that took place in India under him:
  •  In 1928, Simon's commission came to India.
  • The incidence of Dandi took place in 1930.
  • The Civil Disobedience movement was started in 1930.
  • Gandhi signed the Irwin pact. From November 1930 to January 1931, First Round Table Conference was held.

 Lord Willingdon

• He was the Viceroy of India from 1931-1936.
• Major Incidents that took place in India under him:
  • In his reign, Poona Pact was signed.
  • During his time, the Second and Third Round Table Conference was held.
  • British Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald started Communal Award.
  • Government of India Act (1935) was passed.

 Lord Linlithgow

• He was the Viceroy of India from 1936-1944.
• Major Incidents that took place in India under him:
  • In provinces, the Government of India Act 1935 was enforced.
  • In 1942, Cripps Mission visited India.
  • In 1942, the Quit India movement was started.
  • In 1939, the Second World war took place.

 Lord Reading

• He was the Viceroy of India from 1921-1926.
• Major Incidents that took place in India under him:
  • The incidence of Chauri - Chaura took place during his time.
  • Swaraj Party was formed at his time.
  • In 1921, the Ahmedabad session of INC was held.

The correct answer is Robert Clive.

Key Points

• Robert Clive was the governor of Bengal during 1757-1760 and again during 1765-1767.
• He led the Company’s army against Sirajuddaulah at Plassey in 1757.
• The dual government system in India was introduced by Robert Clive.
• He introduced the dual government system in Bengal in 1765.
  • It was continued till 1772.
• The administration of Bengal was divided into Diwani and Nizamat as a result of the dual government system.
• Robert Clive is known as the 'Babur of British India'.

Additional Information

• Warren Hastings is the only governor who was impeached by the British government in India.
  • Warren Hastings abolished the dual government system in 1772.
• The system of Permanent Settlement and civil services were introduced by Lord Cornwallis.
• The Subsidiary Alliance System in India was introduced by Lord Wellesley.

Option 2 is correct, i.e. Lord Lytton.

Key Points

Lord Lytton(1876-1880):

• ​The Vernacular Press Act was passed in 1878 by Viceroy Lord Lytton (1876-1880).
• This Act allowed Magistrates to collect security deposits from Regional Language/Native language/Vernacular newspapers and confiscate their printing press if they published anything against the crown.
• However, these same rules are not applied to English Language Printing Press.

Additional Information

Lord Dufferin (1884-1888):

• He was the Viceroy of India when the Third Anglo-Burmese war (1885-1886) took place.
• The Second Anglo-Burmese (1852-1853) took place during the tenure of Lord Dalhousie (1848-1856).
• The Second Anglo-Burmese war ended with the British occupation of Lower Burma.
• During the Third Anglo-Burmese War, the British occupied entire Burma and annexed it as a province of Indian.
• Burma became a separate crown colony in 1935.

Lord Canning(1856 - 1862):

• Lord Canning was the first Viceroy of India. His tenure lasted for 6 years from 1856-62.
• After 1858, the post of the Governor-General came to be known as the Viceroy.
• Lord Canning was the Governor-General of India during the Revolt of 1857 and he is admired for his calm demeanor and for ensuring that the various government departments and the administration worked smoothly even during the revolt.
• He succeeded Lord Dalhousie as the Governor-general.

The correct answer is 1773.

Key Points

• Warren Hastings became the first Governor-General of Bengal in 1773.

​Important work by Hasting

1. Abolished the Dual System that had been established by Robert Clive.
2. Regulating Act of 1773 was passed during his term.
3. The First  Anglo-Maratha War in 1775-82 and the Treaty of Salbai in 1782.
4. Second Anglo-Mysore War in 1780-84.
5. Abolished the system of dastaks.
6. Supported Sir William Jones in the formation of the Asiatic Society of Bengal in 1784.
7. Pitt’s India Act of 1784 was passed during his term.
8. Fought Rohilla War of 1774.

The correct answer is Lord Dalhousie.

• About Indian Railway:
  • Lord Dalhousie is known as the father of Indian Railways.
  • The first railway minister of India was John Mathai.
  • The first railway on the Indian sub-continent ran over a stretch of 21 miles from Bombay to Thane.
  • The idea of a railway to connect Bombay with Thane, Kalyan, and with the Thal and Bhore Ghats inclines first occurred to Mr. George Clark, the Chief Engineer of the Bombay Government, during a visit to Bhandup in 1843.
  • The first formal inauguration ceremony was performed in 1853.
  • In the South, the first line was opened in 1856.

Key Points

• The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway was the first and is still the most outstanding, an example of a hill passenger railway in India, which opened in 1881.
  • ​It got UNESCO recognition in the year 1999.
• Bholu the guard elephant is the mascot of the Indian Railways.
  • Fairy Queen is the world’s oldest working locomotive that is still in use, interestingly it was given heritage status in 1972 by the Indian government.
    • Manufactured way back in 1855, the Fairy Queen was listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the world's oldest steam locomotive in regular service.
    • This museum is also the largest rail museum in Asia.
• India has 8 Railway Museums in Delhi, Pune, Kanpur, Mysore, Kolkata, Chennai, Ghum, and Tiruchirappalli.
• The railway budget was separated from the general budget in 1924.
• The separation of the railway budget from the general budget was based on the recommendation of the Acworth Committee.

Additional Information

The correct answer is 1773.

Key Points

• The first governor-general in India (of Bengal) was Warren Hastings in 1773.
• He started his career as a writer (clerk) in the East India Company at Calcutta in 1750.
• Established revenue board in 1772.
• He Abolished the dual system of governance.
• He Founded the Asiatic Society of Bengal with William Jones in 1784 in Calcutta.
• Warren Hastings laid the foundation of civil service and Lord Cornwallis reformed, modernized, and rationalized it.

• The first governor-general in India (of Bengal) was Warren Hastings.
• The first official governor-general of British India was Lord William Bentinck.
• The first governor-general of the Dominion of India was Lord Mountbatten.
• The first and last governor-general of free India was Chakravarti Rajagopalachari.