UPSC Prelims 2006 Q78: Modern History – Advent Of Europeans & British Expansion
Who was the Governor - General of India during the Sepoy Mutiny?
- (a) Lord Canning
- (b) Lord Dalhousie
- (c) Lord Hardinge
- (d) Lord Lytton
Answer: (a) Lord Canning
Explanation
Governor-General during the Sepoy Mutiny (1857)
| Option | Tenure | During 1857? |
|---|---|---|
| Lord Canning | 1856-1862, last Governor-General and first Viceroy | Yes |
| Lord Dalhousie | 1848-1856 | No, left in early 1856 |
| Lord Hardinge | 1844-1848 | No |
| Lord Lytton | 1876-1880 (Viceroy) | No |
Lord Canning was the Governor-General when the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857 broke out.
Answer: (a) Lord Canning.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) CORRECT. Lord Canning was Governor-General during the 1857 revolt.
- (b) Incorrect. Lord Dalhousie left office in 1856, a year before the revolt.
- (c) Incorrect. Lord Hardinge served in the 1840s.
- (d) Incorrect. Lord Lytton was Viceroy in the 1870s.
Key point
Lord Canning, Governor-General from 1856 to 1858 and then Viceroy, was in office during the 1857 Mutiny.
Remember
Governor-General during the 1857 Mutiny: Lord Canning.
Common mistakes
- Naming Dalhousie, whose policies are linked with the causes of the revolt.
- Mixing Viceroys with Governor-Generals after 1858.
- Confusing the two Lord Hardinge office-holders.
Exam tip
1857: Governor-General Lord Canning; after 1858 he became the first Viceroy.
Sources
- NCERT Class VIII History — Our Pasts III Part 1 — When People Rebel: 1857 and After
- Encyclopaedia Britannica — Charles John Canning, Earl Canning