Most loved viceroys during British Raj

The Britishers ruled India for 200 years. In those years many viceroys generals were posted in India who not only governed our country but brought in many reforms and improvements in the lifestyle of the Indians.

In the first half of the 19th century, India saw many new inventions under the rule of viceroy general Lord Dalhousie from 1848 to 1856. He was the pioneer of Indian railways and Indian telegraph(which has given way to digital India). To the Indians, he is the greatest viceroy in India. Communication through letters was introduced by him through the Indian postal department. His time saw the printing of the first postal stamp in India.

The Indian revolution for independence started in the second half of the 19th century and the viceroys who were sent to India from Britain were expected to suppress the revolt and punish severely those revolting. However, Lord Canning the viceroy of India from 1858 to 1862 had a liberal attitude towards the Indians revolting against the British Government. This attitude may have been due sepoy mutiny in 1857 that had created a sense of hatred towards the British rulers which he wanted to wipe out. He was therefore loved by the Indians and disliked by his fellow officers. He was also the pioneer of Calcutta, Bombay and Madras universities.

The last of the 19th century in India saw many reforms under the rule of Lord Ripon. He promoted English education in India and decentralised the Indian administration in order to give the educated Indians a chance to manage some administrative responsibilities in spite of opposition from his British colleagues. Freedom of the press was his first gift to the Indians for which they respected him a lot. A law against child labour was introduced during his tenure.

British Raj had to be removed from India but some of its viceroy generals did leave a stamp in the soil of India.