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Viceroys and Key Events

Viceroys of India mapped to the laws, movements and events of their tenure, for CAPF Paper I revision

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At a glance
SubjectHistory
RevisionHistoryModern IndiaBritish RulePaper 1

This is an event-anchored companion to governors general and viceroys: pick a famous event and recall the Viceroy of that time, which is the form examiners often use. Cover the right columns. See towards independence acts and partition.

Event-to-Viceroy mapping

Event (Year) Viceroy in office
Indian Councils Act 1861 Lord Canning
Vernacular Press Act and Arms Act (1878) Lord Lytton
Ilbert Bill controversy and local self-government (1882) Lord Ripon
Founding of the Indian National Congress (1885) Lord Dufferin
Partition of Bengal (1905) Lord Curzon
Morley-Minto Reforms (1909); separate electorates Lord Minto II
Capital shifted to Delhi (1911); partition of Bengal annulled Lord Hardinge II
Rowlatt Act and Jallianwala Bagh massacre (1919); Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms Lord Chelmsford
Chauri Chaura; Moplah rebellion Lord Reading
Simon Commission; Dandi March; Gandhi-Irwin Pact (1931) Lord Irwin
Communal Award; Poona Pact (1932); Government of India Act 1935 Lord Willingdon and Lord Linlithgow
Quit India Movement (1942); Cripps Mission Lord Linlithgow
Bengal famine (1943); Cabinet Mission (1946); Shimla Conference Lord Wavell
Partition and Independence (1947); Mountbatten Plan Lord Mountbatten

Reforms and Acts to recall by Viceroy

Viceroy Major reform or Act
Lord Canning Indian Councils Act 1861; Universities established (1857, under Dalhousie's plan)
Lord Lytton Statutory Civil Service; Royal Titles Act (Queen made Empress)
Lord Curzon Universities Act 1904; reorganised the Archaeological Survey; the partition
Lord Minto II Indian Councils Act 1909 (Morley-Minto Reforms)
Lord Chelmsford Government of India Act 1919 (Montagu-Chelmsford); dyarchy in provinces
Lord Irwin First Round Table Conference (1930); Gandhi-Irwin Pact
Lord Willingdon Government of India Act 1935; provincial autonomy

Quick memory hooks

  • Curzon is the partition Viceroy; Hardinge is the Viceroy who reversed it and shifted the capital.
  • Chelmsford is tied to 1919: the Act, the Rowlatt law, and Jallianwala Bagh.
  • Linlithgow is the Quit India Viceroy; Wavell the famine-and-Cabinet-Mission Viceroy; Mountbatten the partition Viceroy.

Cross-references

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