| Governor of Bengal | |
|---|---|
.svg) Star of India | |
| Government of Bengal | |
| Status | Head of government |
| Member of | Legislative Council |
| Residence | Fort William (1834–1854) Government House (1912–1947) |
| Seat | Calcutta, Bengal |
| Appointer | Monarch of the United Kingdom (1834–1876) Emperor of India (1876–1947) |
| Term length | Five years |
| Precursor | Governor-General of Bengal |
| Inaugural holder | Lord William Bentick |
| Formation | 15 November 1834 |
| Final holder | Sir Frederick Burrows |
| Abolished | 1 May 1854 (later re-established in 1912) 15 August 1947 |
| Deputy | Deputy Governor (1836–1854) |
The Governor of Bengal was the head of the executive government of the Bengal Presidency from 1834 to 1854 and again from 1912 to 1947.[1][2] The office was initially established on 15 November 1834 as the "Governor of the Presidency of Fort William in Bengal" and was later abolished on 1 May 1854 and the responsibility of the government of the Presidency was vested in the two Lieutenant Governors of the North-Western Provinces and Bengal.[a] On 1 April 1912 the office of Governor of Bengal was restored and lasted till the Partition of India in 1947 and was replaced by the office of the Governor of West Bengal in West Bengal.
The history of the office of the Governor of Bengal dates back to 1644, when Gabriel Boughton procured privileges for the East India Company which permitted them to build a factory at Hughli, without fortifications. Various chief agents, governors and presidents were appointed to look after company affairs in the Bay of Bengal. In 1773, Warren Hastings was appointed as the first Governor General of the Presidency of Fort William in Bengal following the enactment of the East India Company Act of 1772.[3]
In 1833, the first Government of India Act was passed enacting that the three presidencies of Fort William in Bengal, Bombay and Madras along with a new "Presidency of Agra", were to be a part of a new "India", and the new office of Governor-General of India along with the Government of India was established. The Governor of Bengal served as the Governor-General of India in addition to his own office.[4]
This setup lasted until the enactment of the Government of India Act 1853, following which, the office of the Governor of Bengal was abolished. From this point onwards the Presidency of Fort William existed only as a nominal administrative division without a government or a head of government. Rather it was made up of two separate lieutenant governorships with separate governments under the Lieutenant-Governor of the North-Western Provinces and the Lieutenant Governor of Bengal. North-Western Provinces were later separated from the Presidency and united with the Oudh Province, leaving only the Bengal Division. This setup was abolished in 1912 after a proclamation by King-Emperor George V was made in 1911 re-establishing the office of the Governor of the Presidency of Fort William in Bengal.[5]
In 1947, India was partitioned and the new province of West Bengal was formed following the second partition of Bengal. C. Rajagopalachari was appointed as the first Governor of West Bengal. When the constitution of India came into effect on 26 January 1950, the office of Governor of West Bengal become a ceremonial position.
In 1932 the position came with an annual salary of approximately £114,000 (equivalent to £9,784,000 in 2023), a sumptuary allowance of £25,000 (equivalent to £2,146,000 in 2023) and a grant of £100,000 (equivalent to £8,582,000 in 2023) to cover his staff's wages.[6] In addition to his personal staff he had 120 servants, a seventy-man mounted bodyguard, and a brass band. There were cars, two special trains, a yacht and a house boat.[7]
- ^ Danvers, F.C. (22 June 2016). Bengal: Its Chiefs, Agents, and Governors. Forgotten Books. pp. –6. ISBN 978-1332869954.
- ^ Government of India Act 1833 (38). Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. 28 August 1833.
- ^ Danvers, F.C. (22 June 2016). Bengal: Its Chiefs, Agents, and Governors. Forgotten Books. pp. –6. ISBN 978-1332869954.
- ^ Danvers, F.C. (22 June 2016). Bengal: Its Chiefs, Agents, and Governors. Forgotten Books. p. 21. ISBN 978-1332869954.
- ^ Danvers, F.C. (22 June 2016). Bengal: Its Chiefs, Agents, and Governors. Forgotten Books. pp. 21–22. ISBN 978-1332869954.
- ^ Wheeler-Bennett 1962, pp. 178–179.
- ^ Wheeler-Bennett 1962, pp. 148–149.
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