Free Guide for SSC General Knowledge
HISTORY OF INDIA AND THE WORLD
GOVERNOR-GENERALS OF INDIA (1833–58)
Lord W. Bentick (1833–35): First Governor-General of India. Macaulay’s minutes on
education were accepted declaring that English should be the official language of India;
Abolished provincial courts of appeal and circuit set up by Cornwallis, appointment of
Commissioners of revenue and circuit.
• Wars: Annexed Coorg (1834), Central Cachar (1834) on the plea of misgovernment.
Sir Charles Metcalfe (1835–1836): Passed the famous Press Law, which liberated the press in
India (called Liberator the Press).
Lord Auckland (1836–42): 1st Anglo-Afghan War (1836–42)—great blow to the prestige of
the British in India.
Lord Ellenborough (1842–44): Brought an end to the Afghan War. Annexation of Sindh
(1843); War with Gwalior (1843).
Lord Hardings I (1844–48): 1st Anglo-Sikh war (1845–46) and the Treaty of Lahore 1846
(marked the end of Sikh sovereighty in India); Gave preference to English education in
employment.
Lord Dalhousie (1848–56): Abolished Titles and Pensions, Widow Remarriage Act (1856).
Made Shimla the summer capital.
• Administrative Reforms: Introduced the system of Centralized control in the newly
acquired territories known as Bon-Regulation system; Raised Gurkha regiments.
• Education Reforms: Recommended the Thomsonian system of Vernacular education for
whole of the North western Provinces (1853); Wood’s Educational Despatch of 1854 and
opening of Anglo-Vernacular Schools and Government Colleges; An Engineering College
was established at Roorkee.
• Public Works: Started the first railway line in 1853 (connecting Bombay with Thana);
Started electric telegraph service. Laid the basis of the modern postal system (1854); A
separate public works department was set up for the first time; Started work on the Grand
Trunk Road and developed the harbours of Karachi, Bombay and Calcutta.
• Wars: Introduced Doctrine of Lapse (Captured Satara (1848), Jaitpur and Sambhalpur
(1849), Baghat (1850), Udaipur (1852), Jhansi (1853) and Nagpur (1854); Fought 2nd
Anglo-Sikh War (1848–49) and annexed the whole of the Punjab; 2nd Anglo-Burmese War
(1852) and annexation of Lower Burma or Pegu; Annexation of Berar in 1853; Annexation
of Avadh in 1856 on charges of maladministration.
Lord Canning (1856–58): The last Governor General and first Viceroy of India; Revolt of
1857; Passed the Act of 1858, which ended the rule of the East India Company. Withdrew
Doctrine of Lapse. Mutiny took place in his time.
Governer Generals and Viceroys (1858–1947)
Lord Canning (1858–62): The Indian Councils Act of 1862 was passed, which proved to be a
landmark in the constitutional history of India; The Indian Penal Code of Criminal Procedure
(1859) was passed; The Indian High Court Act (1861) was enacted; Income Tax was introduced
for the first time in 1858; The Universities of Calcutta, Bombay and Madras founded in 1857.
Lord Elgin I (1862–63): Wahabi Movement (Pan-Islamic Movement).
Sir John Lawrence (1864–69): Telegraphic communication was opened with Europe; High
Courts were established at Calcutta, Bombay and Madras in 1865; Expanded canal works and
railways; Bhutan War (1865); Advocated State-managed railways; Created the Indian Forest
Department and recognised the native Judicial service.
Lord Mayo (1869–72): Introduced financial decentralization in India, Established Rajkot
College at Kathiarwar and Mayo College at Ajmer for the princes; Organised the Statistical
Survey of India, Established the Department of Agriculture & Commerce. He was the only
Viceroy to be murdered in office by a Pathan convict in Andamans in 1872, Introduction of State
Railways. For the first time in Indian history, a census was held in 1871.
Lord Northbrook (1872–76): Kuka Movement of Punjab took rebellious turn during his
period.
period.
Lord Lytton (1876–80): Most infamous Governor-General, pursued free trade and abolished
duties on 29 British manufactured goods which accelerated drain of wealth of India; Arranged the
Grand Darbar in Delhi (in 1877) when the country was suffering from a servere famine; Passed
the Royal Title Act (1876) and Queen Victoriya was declared as the Kaisar-i-Hind; Arms Act
(1878) made mandatory for Indians to acquire license for arms; Passed the infamous Vernacular
Press Act (1878); Proposed the plan of Statutory Civil Service in 1878-79 and lowered the
maximum age limit from 21 to 19 years, the 2nd Afghan war proved a failure (Viceroy of reverse
characters).
Lord Ripon (1880–84): Repeal of the Vernacular Press Act, 1882; The First Factory Act,
1881 to improve labour condition, Resolution of Local Self Government in 1882, Resolution on
Land Revenue Policy; Appointed Hunter Commission (for education reforms) in 1882; The Ilbert
Bill controversy erupted during his time (1883) enabled Indian district magistrates to try
European criminals. But this was withdrawn later.
Lord Dufferin (1884–88): 3rd Burmese War (Annexation of Upper and Lower Burma) in
1885, Establishment of Indian National Congress in 1885.
period.
Lord Lytton (1876–80): Most infamous Governor-General, pursued free trade and abolished
duties on 29 British manufactured goods which accelerated drain of wealth of India; Arranged the
Grand Darbar in Delhi (in 1877) when the country was suffering from a servere famine; Passed
the Royal Title Act (1876) and Queen Victoriya was declared as the Kaisar-i-Hind; Arms Act
(1878) made mandatory for Indians to acquire license for arms; Passed the infamous Vernacular
Press Act (1878); Proposed the plan of Statutory Civil Service in 1878-79 and lowered the
maximum age limit from 21 to 19 years, the 2nd Afghan war proved a failure (Viceroy of reverse
characters).
Lord Ripon (1880–84): Repeal of the Vernacular Press Act, 1882; The First Factory Act,
1881 to improve labour condition, Resolution of Local Self Government in 1882, Resolution on
Land Revenue Policy; Appointed Hunter Commission (for education reforms) in 1882; The Ilbert
Bill controversy erupted during his time (1883) enabled Indian district magistrates to try
European criminals. But this was withdrawn later.
Lord Dufferin (1884–88): 3rd Burmese War (Annexation of Upper and Lower Burma) in
1885, Establishment of Indian National Congress in 1885.
Lord Reading (1921–26): Criminal Law Amendment Act and abolition of cotton excise;
Repeal of Press Act of 1910 & Rowlatt Act of 1919; Violent Moplah rebellion in Kerala (1921);
Foundation of CPI (1921); Chauri Chaura Incident (1922); Foundation of Swaraj Party (1923);
Kakori Train Dacoity (1925); Foundation of RSS (1925); Murder of Swami Shardhanand (1926).
Suppressed non-cooperation movement.
Lord Irwin (1926–31): Simon Commission announced in 1927; Butler Commission (1927);
Nehru Report (1928); 14 points of Jinnah (1929); Lahore session of Congress and ‘Poorna
Swaraj’ declaration (1929); Civil Disobedience Movement (1930); Dandhi march (1930); Ist
Round Table Conference (1930); Gandhi-Irwin Pact (1931); Martyrdom of Jatin Das (hunger
strike)
Lord Willingdon (1931–36): 2nd Round Table Conference (1931); Civil Disobedience
Movement (1932); Announcement of MacDonald’s Communal Award (1932); IIIrd Round Table
Conference Foundation of Congress Socialist Party-CSP (1934); Government of India Act
(1935); Burma separated from India (1935); All India Kisan Sabha (1936); Poona Pact was
signed.
Lord Linlithgow (1936–43): General Election (1936–37); Congress ministries in 1937 and
Resignation of Congress ministries in 1939; ‘Deliverance Day’ by Muslim League in 1939;
Foundation of Forward Block by S.C. Bose (1939); Lahore Resolution (1940); August Offer
(1940); Cripps Mission (1942); Quit India Movement (1942) and Outbreak of Second World War
in 1939.
Lord Wavell (1943–1947): C.R. Formula 1944; Wavell Plan and Shimla Conference in 1945;
End of IInd World War in 1945; INA Trials in 1945; Naval mutiny in 1946; Cabinet Mission,
1946 and acceptance of its proposals by Congress; Direct Action Day by the Muslim League on
16th August, 1946 and first meeting of the constituent assembly was held on Dec. 9, 1946.
Lord Mountbatten (March–August 1947): Announced the 3 June, 1947 Plan; Introduction
of Indian Independence Bill in the house of Commons and passed by the British Parliament on
July 4, 1947; Appointment of 2 boundary commissions under Sir Cryil Radicliffe.
Governor Generals of Independent India (1947–50)
Lord Mountbatten (1947–48): The first Governor General of free India; Kashmir acceded to
India (Oct. 1947); Murder of Gandhi (Jan. 30, 1948).
C. Rajagopalachari (June 1948–January 25, 1950): The last Governor General of free India;
The only Indian Governor-General.
Books of Freedom Struggle
Work Author
Causes of the Indian Mutiny Sir Syyed Ahmed Khan
Ghulam Giri Jyotiba Phule
To all fighters of freedom, Why Socialism J.P. Narayan
Pakhtoon Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan
Problems of the East Lord Curzon
My Indian Years Lord Hardinge II
Economic History of India R.C. Dutt
Pather Panchali Bibhuti Bhushan Banerjee
Precepts of Jesus Raja Ram Mohan Roy
A Gift of Monotheists Raja Ram Mohan Roy
Satyarth Prakash Swami Dayanand Saraswati
Anand Math Bankim C. Chatterjee
Devi Chaudharani Bankim C. Chatterjee
Sitaram Bankim C. Chatterjee
The Indian Struggle S.C. Bose
Poverty & Un-British Rule in India Dadabhai Naoroji
The Spirit of Islam Syyed Ameer Ali
A Nation in the Making S.N. Banerjee
Unhappy India Lala Lajpat Rai
The Indian War of Independence V. D. Savarkar
India Divided Rajendra Prasad
The Discovery of India Jawahar Lal Nehru
Neel Darpan Dinbandhu Mitra
Hind Swaraj M.K. Gandhi
What Congress and Gandhi have done B.R. Ambedkar
to the untouchables
Newspaper/Journals Found
