Governor/Governor General/Viceroy

1. Who among the following, first established the Modern Postal System in

Who among the following, first established the Modern Postal System in India during 1766?

[amp_mcq option1=”Warren Hastings” option2=”Lord Clive” option3=”Sir John Macpherson” option4=”Lord Auckland” correct=”option1″]

This question was previously asked in
UPSC SO-Steno – 2018
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The correct answer is Warren Hastings.
Warren Hastings, who served as the first Governor of Bengal from 1772 to 1785, established the first organized postal system in India in 1774, primarily for official use. While sources might vary slightly on the precise date of initial establishment attempts, Hastings is credited with setting up a more modern and regular system. The year 1766 is sometimes cited for earlier, less formalized postal efforts, but Warren Hastings significantly developed the structure.
Lord Clive was instrumental in establishing British power in Bengal after the Battle of Plassey (1757) and his tenure was earlier than the formal postal system setup credited to Hastings. Sir John Macpherson briefly served as acting Governor-General after Hastings. Lord Auckland was a Governor-General much later, in the 1830s.

2. Who among the following was the first Viceroy of India under British R

Who among the following was the first Viceroy of India under British Rule ?

[amp_mcq option1=”Lord Dalhousie” option2=”Lord Cornwallis” option3=”Viscount Canning” option4=”Earl of Mayo” correct=”option3″]

This question was previously asked in
UPSC CISF-AC-EXE – 2022
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Viscount Canning (later Earl Canning) was the Governor-General of India during the Indian Mutiny of 1857. Following the Mutiny, the British Crown took over direct rule of India from the East India Company through the Government of India Act 1858. Under this Act, the office of Governor-General was replaced by the Viceroy of India, who was the direct representative of the British Crown. Lord Canning, being the incumbent Governor-General, became the first Viceroy of India.
– The title ‘Viceroy’ was introduced after the transfer of power from the East India Company to the British Crown in 1858.
– The Viceroy acted as the representative of the British monarch in India.
– Lord Canning served as Governor-General from 1856 to 1858 and as the first Viceroy from 1858 to 1862.
Lord Dalhousie was Governor-General before Canning (1848-1856) and is known for the Doctrine of Lapse. Lord Cornwallis served as Governor-General much earlier (1786-1793). Earl of Mayo was a later Viceroy (1869-1872).

3. Who among the following introduced the policy of ‘Doctrine of Lapse’ ?

Who among the following introduced the policy of ‘Doctrine of Lapse’ ?

[amp_mcq option1=”Lord Cornwallis” option2=”Lord Wellesley” option3=”Lord Hastings” option4=”Lord Dalhousie” correct=”option4″]

This question was previously asked in
UPSC CISF-AC-EXE – 2021
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The policy of ‘Doctrine of Lapse’ was a controversial annexation policy widely implemented by Lord Dalhousie, who served as the Governor-General of British India from 1848 to 1856. According to this doctrine, if a princely state’s ruler died without a natural male heir, the state would be annexed by the British East India Company.
– The Doctrine of Lapse was a British annexation policy in India.
– It was primarily associated with Lord Dalhousie.
– States like Satara, Sambalpur, Udaipur, Nagpur, and Jhansi were annexed under this doctrine.
The doctrine was based on the principle that the right to rule lapsed to the paramount power (the British East India Company) in the absence of a natural heir. It caused significant resentment among Indian rulers and was one of the factors contributing to the Revolt of 1857.

4. Which one of the following pairs is not correctly matched ?

Which one of the following pairs is not correctly matched ?

[amp_mcq option1=”Lord North : Regulating Act of 1773″ option2=”Lord Cornwallis : Permanent Settlement” option3=”Lord Bentinck : Abolition of Sati” option4=”Lord Canning : Minute on Indian Education” correct=”option4″]

This question was previously asked in
UPSC CISF-AC-EXE – 2017
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The pair “Lord Canning : Minute on Indian Education” is not correctly matched. The famous ‘Minute on Indian Education’, often referred to as Macaulay’s Minute, was authored by Thomas Babington Macaulay, the Law Member of the Governor-General’s Council, in 1835. This occurred during the tenure of Lord William Bentinck as the Governor-General of India (1828-1835). Lord Canning served as the Governor-General of India from 1856 to 1858 and then as the first Viceroy of India from 1858 to 1862.
– The Regulating Act of 1773 was passed during the time when Lord North was the British Prime Minister.
– The Permanent Settlement was introduced by Lord Cornwallis in Bengal, Bihar, and Odisha in 1793.
– The abolition of Sati by Regulation XVII of 1829 was enacted during the Governor-Generalship of Lord William Bentinck.
– Macaulay’s Minute of 1835 advocated for the introduction of English education in India.
– Lord Canning oversaw the Indian Mutiny of 1857 and the transfer of power from the East India Company to the British Crown following the Government of India Act 1858.
– The Wood’s Despatch of 1854 was another significant document on Indian education, issued during Lord Dalhousie’s tenure.

5. Who among the following was the first Indian ruler to accept the Subsi

Who among the following was the first Indian ruler to accept the Subsidiary Alliance System of Wellesley?

[amp_mcq option1=”Salabat Jung” option2=”Asaf Jah II” option3=”Tipu Sultan” option4=”Baji Rao II” correct=”option2″]

This question was previously asked in
UPSC CBI DSP LDCE – 2023
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Asaf Jah II, the Nizam of Hyderabad, was the first Indian ruler to accept the Subsidiary Alliance System as fully implemented by Lord Wellesley.
Lord Wellesley became the Governor-General of Bengal in 1798 and systematically used the Subsidiary Alliance system to expand British influence and control over Indian states. Under this system, an Indian ruler who accepted the alliance had to disband his own army and allow British troops to be stationed in his territory. He also had to pay for the maintenance of the British force and accept a British Resident at his court. In return, the British promised protection against external enemies and internal revolts, but this came at the cost of the ruler’s sovereignty.

While some earlier alliances with the British had features resembling the Subsidiary Alliance, the Nizam of Hyderabad under Asaf Jah II was the first major state to sign a comprehensive Subsidiary Treaty with Wellesley in September 1798. The Nawab of Awadh had signed an alliance in 1765, but it was different from Wellesley’s system. Baji Rao II, the Peshwa, accepted the alliance much later through the Treaty of Bassein in 1802. Tipu Sultan of Mysore was a staunch opponent of the British and was defeated and killed before he could be subjected to the alliance.

The Subsidiary Alliance System was a key tool used by the British East India Company under Wellesley to establish its paramountcy in India. It effectively reduced the Indian states to a position of dependence on the British.

6. Wellesley established the Fort William College at Calcutta because

Wellesley established the Fort William College at Calcutta because

[amp_mcq option1=”he was asked by the Board of Directors at London to do so” option2=”he wanted to revive interest in oriental learning in India” option3=”he wanted to provide William Carey and his associates with employment” option4=”he wanted to train British civilians for administrative purpose in India” correct=”option4″]

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UPSC IAS – 2020
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Lord Wellesley established Fort William College in 1800 in Calcutta with the primary objective of training young British civil servants (often referred to as ‘writers’) who were newly arriving in India. He believed they lacked sufficient knowledge of Indian languages, laws, history, and customs necessary for effective administration of the growing British territories. The college was intended to provide them with the necessary education to perform their duties efficiently and with greater cultural understanding.
The main purpose of Fort William College was to impart training to British administrative recruits stationed in India.
While the college did employ oriental scholars and contributed to the study of oriental languages (related to B and C, as William Carey taught there), its establishment was driven by the practical need for trained administrators, not primarily the revival of oriental learning for its own sake or providing employment to specific individuals. Option A is incorrect as the Board of Directors in London were not enthusiastic about the college and ordered its closure a few years later, although it continued in a reduced form.

7. Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the code

Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the code given below the Lists :
List-I (Governor General)
A. Lord Cornwallis
B. Lord Wellesley
C. Lord Dalhousie
D. Lord Curzon

List-II (Important Policy)
1. Partition of Bengal
2. Doctrine of Lapse
3. Permanent Settlement
4. Subsidiary Alliance

[amp_mcq option1=”A-3, B-4, C-2, D-1″ option2=”A-1, B-2, C-4, D-3″ option3=”A-3, B-2, C-4, D-1″ option4=”A-1, B-4, C-2, D-3″ correct=”option1″]

This question was previously asked in
UPSC CAPF – 2012
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The correct matches between the Governor Generals and their important policies are Lord Cornwallis – Permanent Settlement, Lord Wellesley – Subsidiary Alliance, Lord Dalhousie – Doctrine of Lapse, and Lord Curzon – Partition of Bengal.
– Lord Cornwallis (1786-1793) is famously associated with the Permanent Settlement of Bengal (1793), which fixed land revenue in Bengal, Bihar, and Odisha with the Zamindars.
– Lord Wellesley (1798-1805) implemented the Subsidiary Alliance system, a key tool for bringing Indian states under British control without direct annexation initially.
– Lord Dalhousie (1848-1856) introduced the Doctrine of Lapse, a controversial annexation policy, and oversaw significant infrastructure developments.
– Lord Curzon (1899-1905) is best known for the Partition of Bengal in 1905, which aimed to divide the province but led to widespread protest.
These policies significantly shaped the political, economic, and social landscape of British India and contributed to the growing discontent that fueled the nationalist movement.

8. Which one among the following pairs is not correctly matched?

Which one among the following pairs is not correctly matched?

[amp_mcq option1=”Lord Wellesley : Subsidiary Alliance” option2=”Lord William Bentinck : English Education” option3=”Warren Hastings : Local Self Government” option4=”Lord Lytton : Vernacular Press Act” correct=”option3″]

This question was previously asked in
UPSC CAPF – 2011
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A) Lord Wellesley (Governor-General 1798-1805) is correctly associated with the Subsidiary Alliance system, which was a key instrument for expanding British control over Indian states.
B) Lord William Bentinck (Governor-General 1828-1835) is correctly associated with the introduction of English education. Under his tenure, following Macaulay’s Minute, English was made the medium of instruction for higher education in 1835.
C) Warren Hastings (Governor-General 1772-1785) is incorrectly associated with Local Self-Government. The significant development towards Local Self-Government in British India is credited to Lord Ripon (Viceroy 1880-1884), particularly with his Resolution of 1882, which aimed at developing municipal institutions. Warren Hastings’ era was much earlier and focused on establishing initial administrative frameworks and consolidating British power.
D) Lord Lytton (Viceroy 1876-1880) is correctly associated with the Vernacular Press Act of 1878, which was enacted to muzzle the vernacular press in India.
This question tests knowledge about significant reforms and policies introduced by various British Governors-General and Viceroys in India. Pairing the correct official with the key event or policy is crucial.
Lord Ripon is often called the ‘Father of Local Self-Government in India’ due to his efforts to empower local bodies like municipalities and district boards. Warren Hastings was the first Governor-General of Bengal and played a crucial role in the early consolidation of British power after the Battle of Plassey.

9. Who among the following was the last Governor-General of India before

Who among the following was the last Governor-General of India before the office was permanently abolished ?

[amp_mcq option1=”Lord Mountbatten” option2=”Chakravarti Rajagopalachari” option3=”Lord Wavell” option4=”Lord Linlithgow” correct=”option2″]

This question was previously asked in
UPSC NDA-2 – 2024
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The correct answer is B. Chakravarti Rajagopalachari was the last Governor-General of India.
– After India gained independence from British rule on August 15, 1947, the post of Viceroy was replaced by that of Governor-General of the Dominion of India.
– The first Governor-General of independent India was Lord Mountbatten (August 1947 – June 1948).
– Following Lord Mountbatten, Chakravarti Rajagopalachari (C. Rajagopalachari) became the first and only Indian to hold the office of Governor-General of India (June 1948 – January 1950).
– When India became a Republic on January 26, 1950, the office of Governor-General was abolished, and the President of India became the constitutional head of the state.
– Therefore, C. Rajagopalachari was the last person to serve as the Governor-General of India.
– Lord Wavell was Viceroy of India before Mountbatten.
– Lord Linlithgow was Viceroy of India during World War II.
Chakravarti Rajagopalachari, also known as ‘Rajaji’, was a prominent leader of the Indian National Congress, a freedom fighter, and later served as the Chief Minister of Madras State. His appointment as Governor-General marked a significant transition to Indian leadership at the highest level before the adoption of the republican constitution.

10. Who was the Viceroy of India at the time of Gandhiji’s Dandi march ?

Who was the Viceroy of India at the time of Gandhiji’s Dandi march ?

[amp_mcq option1=”Lord Irwin” option2=”Lord Linlithgow” option3=”Lord Reading” option4=”Lord Willingdon” correct=”option1″]

This question was previously asked in
UPSC NDA-2 – 2020
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The correct answer is A) Lord Irwin.
The Dandi March, also known as the Salt March, was a major nonviolent protest led by Mahatma Gandhi that took place in 1930. Lord Irwin was the Viceroy of India from 1926 to 1931.
The Dandi March was a campaign against the British salt monopoly in India and a key event in the Civil Disobedience Movement. Lord Irwin was involved in discussions with Indian leaders, including Gandhi, leading to the Gandhi-Irwin Pact in 1931.
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