Governor Generals and Viceroys of India

By: MG Jayasankar (20+ Years Teaching Experience)

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Practice Problems with Solution

Question 1: Who among the following Viceroys became a victim of one of the convicts during his visit to the Andaman? A: Lord Curzon B: Lord Mayo C: Lord Rippon D: Lord Lytton

Question 2: Which Governor General introduced the Doctorine of Lapse? A: Canning B: Rippon C: Lytton D: Dalhousie

Question 3: Who was the first Indian Governor-General of independent India? A: Jawaharlal Nehru B: C Rajagopalachari C: Rajendra Prasad D: R Viswesaraiyya

Question 4: Who was the first Governor-General of British India? A: Lord Warren Hastings B: Lord Cornwallis C: Lord John Shore D: Lord Wellesley

Question 5: Who is rightly called the 'Father of Local Self Government' in India? A: Lord Mayo B: Lord Ripon C: Lord Curzon D: Lord Clive

Question 6: The Governor-General of India impeached by the House of Commons in England was A: Warren Hastings B: Cornwallis C: Wellesley

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D: William Bentinck

Question 7: The Vernacular Press Act of 1878 was passed under the viceroyship of ______A: Lord Dalhousie B: Lord Minto C: Lord Lytton D: Lord Curzon

Question 8: Who among the following abolished the Dual system of government in Bengal? A: Lord Clive B: Lord Cornwallis C: Lord Wellesley D: Lord Warren Hastings

Question 9: The British Governor-General who introduced the postal system in India was ______A: Lord Dalhousie B: Lord Wellesley C: Lord Auckland D: Lord Weilliam Bentinck

Question 10: Who was the Viceroy of India when the Indian National Congress was formed? A: Lord Rippon B: Lord William Bentinck C: Lord Dufferin D: Lord Curzon

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Answers and Solutions

1:- B Solution: In 1872, Lord Mayo was assassinated by a convict, while he was on a visit to the Andaman. He was the only Viceroy to be murdered in office. 2:- D Solution: Lord Dalhousie became the Governor General in 1848. During his reign from 1848 to 1856, he extensilvely used the Doctorine of Lapse to annex princely states to extend the British empire. The principalities of Satara [1848], Jaitpur, Sambhalpur [1849], Bhagat [1850], Udaipur [1852], Jhansi [1853], Nagpur [1856] and Awadh [1856] were annexed by the application of this law.

3:- B Solution: Lord Mount Batten was the last Viceroy of British India and the first Governor-General of free India to oversee the smooth transition of power from the British to the Indians. After Lord Mount Batten, C Rajagopalachari became the first and last Indian Governor-General as the post was abolished in 1950. 4:- A Solution: The Governor-General of India [1773-1950] was also known as Viceroy and Governor-General of India [shortened as Viceroy of India] between the perion 1858 to 1947. He was the representative of the monarch of the United Kingdom and after independence in 1947, the representative of Indian head of state till 1950. The office was created in 1773, with the title of the Governor-General of the Presidency of Fort William. The officer had direct control only over Fort william, but supervised other East India Company officials in India. Complete authority over all of British India was granted in 1833 and the official came to be known as the Governor-General of India. Before 1773, the Governor-General of the Presidency of Fort William was named as Governor of Bengal [1757-1772]. 5:- B Solution: Lord Ripon passed the First Factory Act , 1881 and repealed the Vernacular Press Act, 1882. Second census was conducted in India in 1881 during his tenure. He continued the process of financial decentralisation and appointed the Hunter Commission in 1882 to review the education system. 6:- A Solution: Warren Hastings was famously accused of corruption by the House of Commons and impeached in 1787, for illegal accumulation of wealth. However, after a lengthy trial he was acquitted of all charges in 1795 and given compensation and a yearly pension by the British government.

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7:- C Solution: The Vernacular Press Act of 1878 was passed to exercise better control over Indian language newspapers by the British, the Act was passed when Lord Lytton was the Viceroy. 8:- D Solution: Lord Warren Hastings who became the Governor of Bengal in 1772 put an end to the Dual System of Government in Bengal, which was introduced by Robert Clive in 1765. The company took over the administration of the province and started to collect revenue through its own servants. The treasury was shifted from Murshidabad to Calcutta and it became the seat of Government. 9:- A Solution: Lord Dalhousie had taken the initiative to introduce the modern postal system in India by passing a new Post Office Act in 1854. 10:- C Solution: Lord Dufferin became the 8th Viceroy of India in 1884 and the Indian National Congress was formed during his tenure in 1885. The Secretary of State at the time of formation of the INC was Lord Cross.

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