British Raj (Crown Rule)

Colonial power Level 2 ★ Major power

1858 – 1947

Direct British Crown rule after the Revolt of 1857, alongside ~565 princely states.

🗺 See on map in 1903

Capital: Calcutta, New Delhi from 1911
Region: Pan-Indian
Duration: 89 years
Main period: British Crown Rule (Raj)

Approximate extent.

At a glance

Move along the chart to read any year; click a ruler or event to open the map there.

Rulers

Lord Canning Lord Lytton Lord Ripon Lord Curzon Lord Hardinge II Lord Chelmsford Lord Irwin Lord Linlithgow Lord Wavell Lord Mountbatten

Events

185818801900192019401947

Rulers

Lord Canning Viceroy
First Viceroy.
1858 – 1862
Lord Lytton Viceroy
Delhi Durbar 1877.
1876 – 1880
Lord Ripon Viceroy
Local self-government.
1880 – 1884
Lord Curzon Viceroy
Partition of Bengal.
1899 – 1905
Lord Hardinge II Viceroy
Capital moved to Delhi.
1910 – 1916
Lord Chelmsford Viceroy
Montagu-Chelmsford reforms.
1916 – 1921
Lord Irwin Viceroy
Gandhi-Irwin Pact.
1926 – 1931
Lord Linlithgow Viceroy
1936 – 1943
Lord Wavell Viceroy
1943 – 1947
Lord Mountbatten Viceroy
Last Viceroy.
1947

Selected rulers; gaps in the list are not gaps in the dynasty.

Key events

Year	Event	Place
1858	Government of India Act — Crown rule begins Company rule ends; Queen's Proclamation. The Crown took over India, governed by a Viceroy and a Secretary of State.
1859	Indigo revolt in Bengal The Indigo Commission of 1860 ended forced indigo cultivation.	Nadia
1872	First census of British India
1875	Arya Samaj and Aligarh (MAO) College founded	Aligarh
1876	Indian Association founded	Kolkata
1877	Delhi Durbar: Victoria proclaimed Empress of India	Delhi
1878	Vernacular Press Act Indian-language newspapers were curbed; repealed in 1881.
1883	Ilbert Bill controversy European opposition forced the bill to be diluted, stirring Indian nationalism.	Kolkata
1885	Indian National Congress founded It became the principal organisation of the freedom movement.	Mumbai
1899	Birsa Munda's Ulgulan Birsa died in custody in 1900; the Chota Nagpur Tenancy Act followed in 1908.	Ranchi
1905	Partition of Bengal Triggers the Swadeshi movement; reversed in 1911. It triggered the Swadeshi movement and was annulled in 1911.	Kolkata
1905	Swadeshi movement launched Boycott of British goods and promotion of Indian industry.	Kolkata
1906	All-India Muslim League founded	Dhaka
1907	Surat split of the Congress The Congress divided into Moderates and Extremists.	Surat
1908	Khudiram Bose executed	Muzaffarpur
1909	Morley-Minto Reforms Separate electorates for Muslims were introduced.
1911	Capital moved from Calcutta to Delhi	Delhi
1911	Delhi Durbar annuls the Partition of Bengal Bengal was reunited and the capital moved to Delhi.	Delhi
1913	Rabindranath Tagore wins the Nobel Prize	Santiniketan
1915	Gandhi returns to India	Mumbai
1916	Lucknow Pact The Congress and the Muslim League agreed on joint constitutional demands.	Lucknow
1916	Home Rule Leagues launched Led by Tilak and Annie Besant.	Pune
1917	Champaran Satyagraha	Champaran
1918	Kheda Satyagraha Revenue collection was suspended for the poorest farmers.	Kheda
1918	Ahmedabad mill strike Gandhi's fast won the workers a 35 per cent wage increase.	Ahmedabad
1919	Jallianwala Bagh massacre Nationwide outrage followed and Tagore renounced his knighthood.	Amritsar
1919	Rowlatt Act Allowed detention without trial. Gandhi called a nationwide Rowlatt Satyagraha.
1919	Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms Dyarchy was introduced in the provinces.
1920	Non-Cooperation Movement
1920	Khilafat Movement Joined with Non-Cooperation in a united Hindu-Muslim struggle.
1922	Chauri Chaura incident	Chauri Chaura
1923	Swaraj Party founded Nationalists contested legislative elections to wreck them from within.	Allahabad
1925	Kakori train action Bismil, Ashfaqulla Khan, Rajendra Lahiri and Roshan Singh were hanged.	Kakori
1928	Simon Commission boycotted The all-British commission met with 'Simon Go Back' protests. Lala Lajpat Rai died after a police lathi-charge.	Lahore
1928	Nehru Report Proposed dominion status; rejected by the Muslim League.
1928	Bardoli Satyagraha The revenue hike was rolled back and Vallabhbhai Patel was hailed as 'Sardar'.	Bardoli
1929	Purna Swaraj resolution at Lahore	Lahore
1929	Central Legislative Assembly bombing Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt courted arrest.	Delhi
1930	Salt March to Dandi Civil Disobedience movement begins. Gandhi broke the salt law, launching the Civil Disobedience Movement.	Dandi
1930	Chittagong armoury raid Led by Surya Sen.	Chittagong
1931	Gandhi-Irwin Pact	Delhi
1931	Execution of Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru	Lahore
1931	Karachi Congress resolution on Fundamental Rights	Karachi
1932	Poona Pact	Pune
1932	Communal Award Gandhi's fast against separate electorates for Depressed Classes led to the Poona Pact.
1935	Government of India Act 1935
1937	Provincial elections under the 1935 Act The Congress formed ministries in most provinces.
1939	Congress ministries resign Protest at India being declared at war without consultation.
1940	Lahore Resolution	Lahore
1942	Quit India Movement Congress leaders were jailed, but the movement showed British rule was untenable.	Mumbai
1942	Cripps Mission Its offer of post-war dominion status was rejected.	Delhi
1943	Bengal famine	Bengal
1944	Battles of Imphal and Kohima The INA fought alongside Japanese forces. Allied victory; the Japanese and INA were forced to retreat.	Kohima
1945	INA trials at the Red Fort Public outrage led to the sentences being remitted.	Delhi
1945	Simla Conference Failed over the League's claim to nominate all Muslim members.	Shimla
1946	Royal Indian Navy mutiny	Mumbai
1946	Direct Action Day riots	Kolkata
1946	Cabinet Mission Proposed a three-tier federation that ultimately failed.	Delhi
1946	Constituent Assembly first meets Sachchidananda Sinha presided; Rajendra Prasad was elected permanent chairman.	New Delhi
1947	Mountbatten Plan Announced on 3 June 1947. British India was to be partitioned into India and Pakistan.	New Delhi