The Governor-General of India is the head of the colony of British India . The first Governor General was Warren Hastings (1773–1785), the last were Archibald Wavell (1943–1947) and Louis Mountbatten (1947).
When creating the post in 1773, only the Calcutta Fort Williams was directly subordinate to the Governor-General, he exercised only general supervision over all other possessions of the British East India Company . The Board of Directors of the company had the right to appoint and remove the Governor General.
Beginning with William Bentink (1833), the whole of India became subordinate to the Governor General, and his authority increased significantly. The residence of the Governor General continued to be Calcutta. After the sepoy uprising (1858), Queen Victoria proclaimed herself Empress of India, and her representative became not only the Governor-General, but also the Viceroy . The right to appoint a governor was transferred from the company to the monarch.
After India gained independence in 1947, the title of Governor General continued to exist in the Indian Union until 1950, and in Pakistan until 1956. During these years, the British monarch appointed the governor general on the proposal of the head of the Indian (Pakistani) government. The first Governor General of Pakistan was Muhammad Ali Jinn . The post of Governor-General of India in 1948 passed from Mountbatten to Chakravarti of Rajagopalacharia , who became its last owner.
See also
- List of Governors-General and Viceroys of India