# List of governors of West Bengal

The Governor of West Bengal is the nominal head of the Indian state of West Bengal. The governor is appointed by the president of India. C. V. Ananda Bose is the incumbent governor, having taken office on 18 November 2022.

## History

In 1911 the imperial capital of India was moved from Calcutta to Delhi and as some compensation to Bengal the lieutenant governor with council gave place to a governor with a council thus completing the circle and reverting to the position which had been obtained 200 years ago. In 1947 India achieved independence and the title of Governor of Bengal remained.

## Powers and functions

The governor enjoys many different types of powers:
* Executive powers related to administration, appointments and removals,
* Legislative powers related to lawmaking and the state legislature, that is Vidhan Sabha or Vidhan Parishad, and
* Discretionary powers to be carried out according to the discretion of the governor.

### Ex officio role of governor

In his ex officio capacity, the governor of West Bengal is Chancellor of the universities of West Bengal (at present 16) as per the Acts of the Universities. The Universities are: University of Calcutta; Jadavpur University; Presidency University, Kolkata; University of Kalyani; Rabindra Bharati University; Vidyasagar University; University of Burdwan; North Bengal University; Netaji Subhas Open University; Maulana Abul Kalam Azad University of Technology; Aliah University; Bankura University; Cooch Behar Panchanan Barma University; Diamond Harbour Women's University; University of Gour Banga; Kazi Nazrul University; Raiganj University; Sidho Kanho Birsha University; Sanskrit College and University; West Bengal University of Teachers' Training, Education Planning and Administration; Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya; Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswa Vidyalaya; West Bengal University of Animal and Fishery Sciences; West Bengal University of Health Sciences and West Bengal State University. For Visva Bharati, the governor is the Pradhana (Rector).
The governor is also the chairman or president of some organizations, such as Victoria Memorial Hall, Indian Museum, Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture, Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Institute of Asian Studies (MAKAIAS), Calcutta Cultural Centre (Kolkata Kala Kendra), Special Fund for R&R of Ex-servicemen, West Bengal Rajya Sainik Board, Sri Aurobindo Samiti, Indian Red Cross Society - West Bengal State Branch, St. John Ambulance Brigade No. II (West Bengal) District, Bharat Scouts and Guides and the Bengal Tuberculosis Association.
The Governor of West Bengal’s Welfare Fund, has the governor as its chairman. Contributions from this fund are given to the needy people for meeting, to some extent the cost of their treatment. Besides the above, at his discretion, the governor, accepts the position of Chief Patron/Patron or other posts in the honorary capacity, in various organizations that are rendering yeoman service to the society in different fields.

## List of governors
### Agents, Chiefs and Governors (1650-1699)

In 1644 Gabriel Boughton, procured privileges for the East India Company which permitted them to build a factory at Hughli, without fortifications. In 1650, the factories of Balasor and Hughli were united. On 14 December 1650, James Bridgman was appointed as the chief of the factories. However, in 1653, Bridgman left suddenly and Powle Waldegrave assumed his charge.
On 27 February 1657, the company resolved its holdings into four agencies:- Fort St. George, Bantam, Persia, and Hughli. George Gawton was appointed as the Agent of Hughly. Additional three factories in Ballasore, Cassambazar and Pattana were put under the Hughly agency. In 1658, Johnathan Trevisa was appointed as the second to Gawton and was meant to succeed him after the latter's death. On 6 February 1661, the company reduced the Hughly agency under the Fort St. George, and then agent Trevisa was made the "Chief of Factories in the Bay of Bengal". On 24 November 1681, William Hedges was appointed as the "Agent and Governor for the affairs of the East India Company in the Bay of Bengal". On 21 December 1684, William Gyfford who was the President and Governor of Fort St. George was given the additional charge of Bengal due to increasing mismanagement. John Beard was appointed as the "Agent and Chief in the Bay of Bengal" and become the subordinate to Gifford.
Chief of the factories of Balasore and Hughli :
| Name | Took Office | Left Office | Remarks |
| James Bridgman | 14 December 1650 | 1653 | |
| Powle Waldegrave | 1653 | 1657 | |
| Agent of Hughly Agency |||||
| George Gawton | 27 February 1657 | 11 September 1658 | |
| John Trevisa | 11 September 1658 | 6 February 1661 | |
| Chief of Factories in the Bay of Bengal |||||
| John Trevisa | 6 February 1661 | 31 January 1662 | |
| William Blake | 31 January 1662 | 24 January 1668 | |
| Shem Bridges | 24 January 1668 | 7 December 1669 | |
| Henry Powell | 7 December 1669 | ? | |
| Walter Clavell | ~June 1672 | 7 August 1677 | Died in office |
| Mathias Vincent | 7 September 1677 | ~July 1682 (position superseded) | Deposed in July 1682 |
| Agent and Governor for the affairs of the East India Company in the Bay of Bengal |||||
| Sir William Hedges | 24 November 1681 | ~ August 1684 | Deposed in August 1864 |
| Agent and Chief in the Bay of Bengal |||||
| John Beard | 21 December 1863 | 28 August 1865 | Died in office |
| Job Charnock | ~ April 1686 | 10 January 1693 | Died in office |
| Francis Ellis | 10 January 1693 | January 1694 | |
| Charles Eyre | 25 January 1694 | 1 February 1699 | Left for England in 1699 |
| John Beard | 1 February 1699 | 20 December 1699 (position superseded) | Second to Eyre |

### President and Governor of Fort William, in Bengal (1699-1705)

On 20 December 1699, the Court of Directors (London East India Company) declared Bengal a Presidency, and then Agent Charles Eyre was made the " President and Governor of Fort William, in Bengal". The President or Chief in the Bay of Bengal for the English East India Company was Sir Edward Littleton in whose commission and instructions, dated 12 January 1698, it was also stated that power had been obtained from his Majesty to constitute him the "Minister or Consul for the English Nation" with all powers requisite thereunto.” Littleton was later deposed by the Court of Directors in 1703.
The union of the two East India Companies took place on 23 July 1702. For united trade in Bengal, a Council was appointed, of which Nathaniel Halsey and Robert Hedges were to take chair each in their week alternatively as per the dispatch from United Company on 26 February 1702. In a dispatch of 12 February 1704, it was ordered that if Beard shall die, no one will be appointed as President to succeed him. After the departure of John Beard to Madras, Ralph Sheldon assumed the position of Chief of Council, and his appointment was confirmed in a dispatch of 7 February 1706.
President and Governor of Fort William, in Bengal :
| Name | Portrait | Took Office | Left Office | Remarks |
| Sir Charles Eyre | | 20 December 1699 | 7 January 1701 | Left on account of health issues |
| John Beard | | 7 January 1701 | 7 July 1705 | Died in Office |

### President in the Bay, and Governor and Commander-in-Chief for Fort William, in Bengal (1705-1774)

On 30 December 1709, Anthony Weldon was appointed as the "President in the Bay, and Governor and Commander-in-Chief for Fort William, in Bengal" for the United East India Company. His appointment was later revoked and was supposed to be succeeded by Sheldon. Since Sheldon had died by the time dispatch arrived in Bengal, John Russell was ordered to succeed as the Governor. By a letter of 8 May 1771, the Court appointed Warren Hastings to be Governor of Bengal. By Act of Parliament 13 Geo. III., cap. 63, the Presidency of Fort William in Bengal will headed by a Governor-General, and Hastings was appointed as the first Governor-General. He assumed the office on 20 October 1774.
President in the Bay, and Governor and Commander-in-Chief for Fort William, in Bengal :
| # | Name | Took Office | Left Office | Remarks | Appointee |
| 1 | Anthony Weldon | 30 December 1709 | 4 March 1711 | Appointment revoked by the Court of Directors Resigned on March 1711 | East India Company |
| 2 | John Rusell | 4 March 1711 | 3 December 1713 | Dismissed by the Court | East India Company |
| 3 | Robert Hedges | 3 December 1713 | 28 December 1717 | died in office | East India Company |
| 4 | Samuel Feake | 12 January 1718 | 17 January 1723 | Left for England due to illness | East India Company |
| 5 | John Deane | 17 January 1723 | 30 January 1726 | Returned to England | East India Company |
| 6 | Henry Frankland | 30 January 1726 | 25 February 1732 | Returned to Europe | East India Company |
| 7 | John Stackhouse | 25 February 1732 | 29 January 1739 | Resigned | East India Company |
| 8 | Thomas Broddyll | 29 January 1739 | 4 Feb 1746 | Left for England | East India Company |
| 9 | John Forster | 4 Feb 1746 | March 1748 | Died in office | East India Company |
| 10 | William Barewell | 18 April 1748 | 1749 | Dismissed by the Court | East India Company |
| 11 | Adam Dawson | 17 July 1749 | 1752 | Dismissed by the Court | East India Company |
| 12 | William Fycthe | 5 July 1752 | 8 August 1752 | Died in Office | East India Company |
| 13 | Roger Drake | 8 August 1752 | 20 June 1758 | Deposed by the Court | East India Company |
| 14 | Col. Robert Clive | 27 June 1758 | 23 January 1760 | Resigned | East India Company |
| 15 | John Zephaniah Holwell | 28 January 1760 | 27 July 1760 | Handed over to Vansittart who was appointed on 23 November 1759 to the office | East India Company |
| 16 | Henry Vansittart | 27 July 1760 | 26 November 1764 | Returned to England | East India Company |
| 17 | John Spencer | 3 December 1764 | 3 May 1765 | | East India Company |
| 18 | The Lord Clive | 3 May 1765 | 20 January 1767 | Returned to England | East India Company |
| 19 | Harry Verelst | 29 January 1767 | 24 December 1769 | Retired from the service | East India Company |
| 20 | John Cartier | 26 December 1769 | 13 April 1772 | | East India Company |
| 21 | Warren Hastings | 13 April 1772 | 20 October 1773 (office superseded) | Appointed as the Governor-General of Fort William in Bengal in 1773 | East India Company |
| Portrait | Name | Term | Term | Appointer |
| Before 1773 the Governor-General of the Presidency of Fort William was named as Governor of Bengal (1757–1772). |||||
| Governors General of the Presidency of Fort William (1773–1833) |||||
| | Warren Hastings | 20 October 1773 | 8 February 1785 | East India Company (1773–1858) |
| | John Macpherson (acting) | 8 February 1785 | 12 September 1786 | East India Company (1773–1858) |
| | The Marquess Cornwallis | 12 September 1786 | 28 October 1793 | East India Company (1773–1858) |
| | John Shore | 28 October 1793 | 18 March 1798 | East India Company (1773–1858) |
| | Alured Clarke (acting) | 18 March 1798 | 18 May 1798 | East India Company (1773–1858) |
| | The Earl of Mornington | 18 May 1798 | 30 July 1805 | East India Company (1773–1858) |
| | The Marquess Cornwallis | 30 July 1805 | 5 October 1805 | East India Company (1773–1858) |
| | Sir George Barlow, Bt (acting) | 10 October 1805 | 31 July 1807 | East India Company (1773–1858) |
| | The Lord Minto | 31 July 1807 | 4 October 1813 | East India Company (1773–1858) |
| | The Marquess of Hastings | 4 October 1813 | 9 January 1823 | East India Company (1773–1858) |
| | John Adam (acting) | 9 January 1823 | 1 August 1823 | East India Company (1773–1858) |
| | The Lord Amherst | 1 August 1823 | 13 March 1828 | East India Company (1773–1858) |
| | William Butterworth Bayley (acting) | 13 March 1828 | 4 July 1828 | East India Company (1773–1858) |
| Governors-General of India (1834–1858) |||||
| | Lord William Bentinck | 4 July 1828 | 20 March 1835 | East India Company (1773–1858) |
| | Charles Metcalfe, Bt (acting) | 20 March 1835 | 4 March 1836 | East India Company (1773–1858) |
| | The Lord Auckland | 4 March 1836 | 15 November 1834 | East India Company (1773–1858) |

### Governors of the Presidency of Fort William in Bengal (1834-1854)

By an Act of 1833 (3 & 4 William IV. , cap. lxxxv., Section lvi . ), it was enacted " that the Executive Government of each of the several Presidencies of Fort William in Bengal, Fort St. George, Bombay, and Agra shall be administered by a Governor and three Councilors, to be styled the Governor-in-Council of the said Presidencies of Fort William in Bengal , Fort St. George, Bombay, and Agra respectively, and that the Governor General of India for the time being shall be Governor of the Presidency of Fort William in Bengal. From this time the Governors General of India held also the separate office of Governor of Bengal, until the year 1854. Under the Charter Act 1853 the Governor General of India was relieved of his concurrent duties as Governor of Bengal and empowered to appoint a lieutenant-governor from 1854.
Governors of the Presidency of Fort William in Bengal
(ex-officio Governor-General of India, 1833-1857) :
| # | Name (birth–death) | Took office | Left office | Appointee |
| 1 | The Lord William Bentick (1774–1839) | 15 November 1834 (1833) | 20 March 1835 | East India Company |
| - | Sir Charles Metcalfe, Bt, ICS (acting) (1785–1846) | 20 March 1835 | 4 March 1836 | East India Company |
| 2 | The Lord Auckland (1784–1849) | 4 March 1836 | 28 February 1842 | East India Company |
| 3 | The Lord Ellenborough (1790–1871) | 28 February 1842 | June 1844 | East India Company |
| - | William Wilberforce Bird, ICS (acting) (1784–1857) | June 1844 | 23 July 1844 | East India Company |
| 4 | Sir Henry Hardinge (1785–1856) | 23 July 1844 | 12 January 1848 | East India Company |
| 5 | The Earl of Dalhousie (1812–1860) | 12 January 1848 | 1 May 1854 (28 February 1856) | East India Company |

### Lieutenant Governors of the Presidency of Fort William in Bengal (1854-1912)

Under the Charter Act 1853 the Governor General of India was relieved of his concurrent duties as Governor of Bengal and a separate Governor of Bengal shall be appointed. Until then a Lieutenant Governor will be appointed. F. J. Halliday became the first lieutenant governor of the Bengal presidency. William Duke served as the last lieutenant governor after which the office was superseded by the Governor of Bengal province in 1912.
Lieutenant Governors of the Presidency of Fort William in Bengal :
| # | Name | Took office | Left office | Appointee |
| 1 | Frederick James Halliday | 1854 | 1859 | The Marquess of Dalhousie |
| 2 | John Peter Grant | 1859 | 1862 | The Earl Canning |
| 3 | Cecil Beadon | 1862 | 1866 | The Earl Canning |
| 4 | William Grey | 1867 | 1870 | Sir John Lawrence, Bt |
| 5 | George Campbell | 1870 | 1874 | The Earl of Mayo |
| 6 | Sir Richard Temple Hart | 1874 | 1877 | The Lord Northbrook |
| 7 | Sir Ashley Eden | 1877 | 1882 | The Lord Northbrook |
| 8 | Sir Augustus Rivers Thompson | 1882 | 1887 | The Marquess of Ripon |
| 9 | Sir Steuart Colvin Bayley | 1887 | 1890 | The Earl of Dufferin |
| 10 | Sir Charles Alfred Elliott | 1890 | 1893 | The Marquess of Lansdowne |
| 11 | Sir Anthony Patrick MacDonnell | 1893 | 1895 | The Marquess of Lansdowne |
| 12 | Sir Alexander Mackenzie | 1895 | 1897 | The Earl of Elgin |
| 13 | Sir Charles Cecil Stevens | 1897 | 1898 | The Earl of Elgin |
| 14 | Sir John Woodburn | 1898 | 1902 | The Earl of Elgin |
| 15 | James Dewar Bourdillon | 1902 | 1903 | The Lord Curzon of Kedleston |
| 16 | Sir Andrew Henderson Leith Fraser | 1903 | 1906 | The Lord Curzon of Kedleston |
| 17 | Francis Slacke | 1906 | 1908 | The Earl of Minto |
| 18 | Sir Edward Norman Baker | 1908 | 1911 | The Earl of Minto |
| 19 | Frederick William Duke | 1911 | 1912 | The Lord Hardinge of Penshurst |

### Lieutenant governors of Bihar and Orissa Province

| # | Name | Entered office | Left office |
| 1 | Sir Charles Stuart Bayley | 1912 | 1915 |
| 2 | Sir Edward Albert Gait | 1915 | 1918 |
| 3 | Sir Edward Vere Levinge | 1918 | 1918 |
| 4 | Sir Edward Albert Gait | 1918 | 1919 |
| 4 | Sir Edward Albert Gait | 1919 | 1920 |

### Governors of Bihar and Orissa Province

| # | Name | Entered office | Left office |
| 5 | Satyendra Prasanna Sinha | 1920 | 1921 |
| 6 | Havilland Le Mesurier | 1921 | 1922 |
| 7 | Sir Henry Wheeler | 1922 | 1927 |
| 8 | Hugh Lansdown Stephenson | 1927 | 1932 |
| 9 | Sir James David Sifton | 1932 | 1936 |

## 1935–1947 – Governors of the Province of Bengal

| Name | Took office | Left office | Appointer |
| The Lord Brabourne | 30 May 1937 | 23 February 1939 | The Marquess of Linlithgow |
| Sir John Arthur Herbert | 1 July 1939 | 1 December 1943 | The Marquess of Linlithgow |
| The Lord Casey | 14 January 1944 | 19 February 1946 | The Viscount Wavell |
| Sir Frederick John Burrows | 19 February 1946 | 15 August 1947 | The Viscount Wavell |

## List of governors

Key :
| • | indicates that this was an additional charge |
| No. | Name | Took office | Left office | Duration | Home State | Appointed by |
| 1. | Chakravarthi Rajagopalachari | 15 August 1947 | 21 June 1948 | 311 days | Tamil Nadu | Lord Mountbatten |
| 2. | Kailash Nath Katju | 21 June 1948 | 1 November 1951 | 3 years, 133 days | Madhya Pradesh | Chakravarthi Rajagopalachari |
| 3. | Harendra Coomar Mookerjee | 1 November 1951 | 8 August 1956 | 4 years, 281 days | West Bengal | Rajendra Prasad |
| Acting | Phani Bhusan Chakravartti | 8 August 1956 | 3 November 1956 | 87 days | Bengal Presidency | Rajendra Prasad |
| 4. | Padmaja Naidu | 3 November 1956 | 1 June 1967 | 10 years, 210 days | Andhra Pradesh | Rajendra Prasad |
| 5. | Dharma Vira | 1 June 1967 | 1 April 1969 | 1 year, 304 days | Uttar Pradesh | Zakir Husain |
| Acting | Deep Narayan Sinha | 1 April 1969 | 19 September 1969 | 171 days | Not Known | Zakir Husain |
| 6. | Shanti Swaroop Dhavan | 19 September 1969 | 21 August 1971 | 1 year, 336 days | Uttar Pradesh | V. V. Giri |
| 7. | Anthony Lancelot Dias | 21 August 1971 | 6 November 1979 | 8 years, 77 days | Maharashtra | V. V. Giri |
| 8. | Tribhuvana Narayana Singh | 6 November 1979 | 12 September 1981 | 1 year, 310 days | Uttar Pradesh | Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy |
| 9. | Bhairab Dutt Pande | 12 September 1981 | 10 October 1983 | 2 years, 28 days | Uttarakhand | Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy |
| 10. | Anant Prasad Sharma | 10 October 1983 | 16 August 1984 | 320 days | Bihar | Zail Singh |
| Acting | Satish Chandra | 16 August 1984 | 1 October 1984 | 46 days | Uttar Pradesh | Zail Singh |
| 11. | Uma Shankar Dikshit | 1 October 1984 | 12 August 1986 | 1 year, 315 days | Uttar Pradesh | Zail Singh |
| 12. | Saiyid Nurul Hasan | 12 August 1986 | 20 March 1989 | 2 years, 220 days | Uttar Pradesh | Zail Singh |
| 13. | T. V. Rajeswar | 20 March 1989 | 7 February 1990 | 324 days | Tamil Nadu | R. Venkataraman |
| (12.) | Saiyid Nurul Hasan | 7 February 1990 | 12 July 1993 | 3 years, 155 days | Uttar Pradesh | R. Venkataraman |
| Acting | B. Satyanarayan Reddy | 13 July 1993 | 14 August 1993 | 32 days | Andhra Pradesh | Shankar Dayal Sharma |
| 14. | K. V. Raghunatha Reddy | 14 August 1993 | 27 April 1998 | 4 years, 256 days | Andhra Pradesh | Shankar Dayal Sharma |
| 15. | Akhlaqur Rahman Kidwai | 27 April 1998 | 18 May 1999 | 1 year, 21 days | Uttar Pradesh | K. R. Narayan |
| 16. | Shyamal Kumar Sen | 18 May 1999 | 4 December 1999 | 200 days | West Bengal | K. R. Narayan |
| 17. | Viren J. Shah | 4 December 1999 | 14 December 2004 | 5 years, 10 days | West Bengal | K. R. Narayan |
| 18. | Gopalkrishna Gandhi | 14 December 2004 | 14 December 2009 | 5 years, 0 days | Delhi | A. P. J. Abdul Kalam |
| Acting | Devanand Konwar | 14 December 2009 | 23 January 2010 | 40 days | Assam | Pratibha Patil |
| 19. | M. K. Narayanan | 24 January 2010 | 30 June 2014 | 4 years, 157 days | Tamil Nadu | Pratibha Patil |
| Acting | D. Y. Patil | 3 July 2014 | 17 July 2014 | 14 days | Maharashtra | Pranab Mukherjee |
| 20. | Keshari Nath Tripathi | 24 July 2014 | 29 July 2019 | 5 years, 5 days | Uttar Pradesh | Pranab Mukherjee |
| 21. | Jagdeep Dhankhar | 30 July 2019 | 17 July 2022 (Resigned) | 2 years, 352 days | Rajasthan | Ram Nath Kovind |
| Acting | La. Ganesan | 18 July 2022 | 17 November 2022 | 122 days | Tamil Nadu | Ram Nath Kovind |
| 22. | C. V. Ananda Bose | 18 November 2022 | Incumbent | 2 years, 121 days | Kerala | Droupadi Murmu |