Question

Who were the British Governor-General and Viceroy that served in India for the longest tenure?
A. Lord Irwin
B. Lord Dalhousie
C. Warren Hastings
D. Lord Linlithgow

Answer 1

Hint:
> One was the representative of the monarch of the United Kingdom and after Indian Independence in 1947, the representative of the Indian head of state.
> The other one represents an official who runs a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory.

Complete answer:
By passing the Charter Act of 1833, the post of Governor-General of India was established. The Government of India Act, 1858, was passed after the revolt of 1857, changing the term from Viceroy to Governor-General of India.

The Governor-General of India was chosen by the Court of Directors while the Viceroy was appointed mainly by the sovereign of the British government under the advice of the Parliament. The post for Administration was Governor-General, whereas Viceroy was for Diplomacy.

For Option A. Lord Irwin
Governor-General and Viceroy of India from 1926-1931 (5 years).

For Option B. Lord Dalhousie
Governor-General of India from 1848-1856 (8 years).

For Option C. Warren Hastings
The first Governor-General of Bengal from 1772 to 1785 (13 years).

For Option D. Lord Linlithgow.
Governor-General and Viceroy of India from 1936 to 1944 (8 years).

As compared all from the options, Lord Linlithgow served for the longest tenure in India as Governor-General and Viceroy.

Therefore, the correct answer is D

Note:
> The first Governor-General of British India was Lord William Bentinck (1828 to 1835) and Chakravarti Rajagopalachari became the last Governor-General of India after Independence (1878-1972).
> The first Viceroy of India was Lord Canning (1858-1862) and the last Viceroy of British India was Lord Louis Mountbatten (1947).
> The Governor-General and the Viceroy played an important role in shaping the country’s history with almost absolute power.