List of governors of Bengal

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From 1760, a governor represented the British East India Company in which had been granted the right to establish a trading post by the Nawabs of Bengal. Robert Clive (1765-1767) was the second governor of Bengal, and established dual government in Bengal from 1765 to 1772.

Contents

Below is a list of the governors of Bengal during the British Raj:

Presidents, 1680–1758


NameTook officeLeft office
William Hedges 16801683
John Beard 16831684
William Gyfford 16841685
Job Charnock 16851693
Francis Ellis 16931693
Charles Eyre 16931698
John Beard 16981695
Charles Eyre 16991700
Edward Littleton 17051705
'Ruled by a council'17051710
Anthony Weltden 17101711
John Russell 17111713
Robert Hedges 17131718
Samuel Flake 17181723
John Deane 17231726
Henry Frankland 17261728
Edward Stephenson 17281728
John Deane 17281732
John Stackhouse 17321739
Thomas Broddyll 17391746
John Forster 17461748
William Barwell 17481749
Adam Dawson 17491752
William Fytche 17521752
Roger Drake 17521756

Under the leadership of Robert Clive, British troops and their local allies defeated the nawab on 23 June 1757 at the Battle of Plassey. The nawab was assassinated in Murshidabad, and the British installed their own replacement. Clive became governor.

List of Governors-General Governors (1758–1947)

Under the Charter Act 1853 the Governor General of India was relieved of his concurrent duties as Governor of Bengal and empowered to appoint a lieutenant-governor from 1854.

#Name

(birth–death)

PictureTook officeLeft officeAppointer
1 Robert Clive 17581760
2 Henry Vansittart 17601765
3 Robert Clive, 1st Baron Clive 17651767
4 Harry Verelst 17671769
5 John Cartier 17691773
Governors of the Presidency of Fort William (Bengal), 1773–1833
1 Warren Hastings (1732–1818) Warren Hastings greyscale.jpg 20 October 17731 February 1785 East IndiaCompany
2 Sir John Macpherson (acting)

(1745–1821)

Flag of the British East India Company (1801).svg 1 February 178512 September 1786
3 Earl Cornwallis [1] (1738–1805) Lord Cornwallis.jpg 12 September 178628 October 1793
4 Sir John Shore (1751–1834) JohnShore.jpg 28 October 179318 March 1798
5 Sir Alured Clarke (acting)

(1744–1832)

Alured Clarke.jpg 18 March 179818 May 1798
6 Marquess Wellesley [2]

(1760–1842)

Richard Wellesley 2.JPG 18 May 179830 July 1805
7 Marquess Cornwallis

(1738–1805)

Lord Cornwallis.jpg 30 July 18055 October 1805
8 Sir George Barlow, Bt (acting)

(1762–1847)

Sir George Barlow, 1st Bt from NPG crop.jpg 10 October 180531 July 1807
9 The Lord Minto (1751–1814) Gilbert Eliot, 1st Earl of Minto by James Atkinson.jpg 31 July 18074 October 1813
10 Marquess of Hastings (1754–1826)

[3]

Francis, 1st Marquess of Hastings (Earl of Moira).jpg 4 October 18139 January 1823
11 John Adam (acting)(1779–1825) Flag of the British East India Company (1801).svg 9 January 18231 August 1823
12 The Lord Amherst [4] (1773–1857) Lordamherst 1820.jpg 1 August 182313 March 1828
13 William Butterworth Bayley

(acting)(1782–1860)

Flag of the British East India Company (1801).svg 13 March 18284 July 1828
14 Lord William Bentinck (1774–1839) Bentinck william.png 4 July 18281833
Governors-General of India, 1833–1858
14 Lord William Bentinck (1774–1839) Bentinck william.png 183320 March 1835 East IndiaCompany
15 Sir Charles Metcalfe, Bt (acting)

(1785–1846)

Charles Theophilus Metcalfe, 1st Baron Metcalfe by George Chinnery.jpg 20 March 18354 March 1836
16 The Lord Auckland (1784–1849) George Eden, 1st Earl of Auckland.png 4 March 183628 February 1842
17 The Lord Ellenborough (1790–1871) 1stEarlOfEllenborough.jpg 28 February 1842June 1844
18 William Wilberforce Bird (acting)

(1784–1857)

Flag of the British East India Company (1801).svg June 184423 July 1844
19 Sir Henry Hardinge (1785–1856) Henryhardinge.jpg 23 July 184412 January 1848
20 The Marquess of Dalhousie (1812–1860) Dalhousie.jpg 12 January 184828 February 1856
21 The Viscount Canning (1812–1862) Charles Canning, 1st Earl Canning - Project Gutenberg eText 16528.jpg 28 February 18561 November 1858
Governors-General and Viceroys of India, 1858–1947
21 The Earl Canning (1812–1862) Charles Canning, 1st Earl Canning - Project Gutenberg eText 16528.jpg 1 November 185821 March 1862 Victoria

Lieutenant-Governors, 1854–1947,Governors of Bengal Province, 1912–1947

NameTook officeLeft office
Frederick James Halliday 18541859
John Peter Grant 18591862
Cecil Beadon 18621866
William Grey 18671870
George Campbell 18701874
Richard Temple 18741877
Ashley Eden 18771882
Augustus Thompson 18821887
Steuart Colvin Bayley 18871890
Charles Alfred Elliott 18901893
Anthony MacDonnell 18931895
Alexander Mackenzie 18951897
Charles Stevens 18971898
John Woodburn 18981902
James Bourdillon 19021903
Andrews Henderson Leith Frazer 19031906
Lancelot Hare 19061906
Francis Slacke 19061908
Edward Norman Baker 19081911
William Duke 19111912
Thomas Gibson-Carmichael, 1st Baron Carmichael 19121917
Lawrence Dundas, Earl of Ronaldshay 19171922
Victor Bulwer-Lytton, 2nd Earl of Lytton 19221927
SirStanley Jackson 19271932
SirJohn Anderson 19321937
Michael Knatchbull, 5th Baron Brabourne 19371938
SirJohn Arthur Herbert 19381943
Richard Casey 19431946
SirFrederick Burrows 19461947


Post-independence (1947 onwards)

In 1947, the British Raj came to an end, and the new countries of India and Pakistan were created. Bengal was partitioned into two in anticipation of this in 1947, and following independence West Bengal joined India, and East Bengal (renamed as East Pakistan in 1955) joined Pakistan only to became independent later in 1971 as Bangladesh.

For a continuation of governors of West Bengal, see list of Governors of West Bengal, and for East Bengal, see East Bengal, East Pakistan, and finally, list of Presidents of Bangladesh.

See also

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References

  1. Created Marquess Cornwallis in 1792.
  2. Created Marquess Wellesley in 1799.
  3. Created Marquess of Hastings in 1816
  4. Created Earl Amherst in 1826.

http://www.worldstatesmen.org/India_BrProvinces.htm