# List of governors of Tamil Nadu

The governor of Tamil Nadu is the head of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Governors in India have similar powers and functions at the state level as those of the president of India at the central level. They exist in the state appointed by the president of India and they are not local to the state that they are appointed to govern. The factors based on which the president evaluates the candidates is not mentioned in the constitution. The governor acts as the nominal head whereas the real power lies with the chief minister of the state and their council of ministers.
The current incumbent is R. N. Ravi, who has served since 18 September 2021.

## 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.

## Governors

This is a list of the governors, agents, and presidents of colonial Madras, initially of the English East India Company, up to the end of British colonial rule in 1947.

## English Agents

In 1639, the grant of Madras to the English was finalized between the factors of the Masulipatnam (now Machilipatnam) factory (trading post), represented by Francis Day, and the Raja of Chandragiri. In 1640, Andrew Cogan, the chief of the Masulipatnam factory, made his way to Madras in the company of Francis Day and the English and Indian employees of the Masulipatnam factory. The Agency of Madras was established on 1 March 1640 and Cogan was made the first Agent. The official title was 'Governor of Fort St George' and the Governor was usually referred to as Agent. Cogan served in the post for three years and was succeeded by Francis Day. After four agents had served their terms, Madras was upgraded to a Presidency during the time of Aaron Baker. However financial considerations forced the company to revert to an agency soon after Aaron Baker had served his term. The Agency survived until 1684 when Madras was made a Presidency once and for all. Streynsham Master is the best remembered and most renowned of the Agents of Madras.
| # | Name (birth–death) | Took office | Left office | Notes |
| Agents |||||
| 1 | Andrew Cogan | 1 March 1640 | 1643 | Construction of Fort St. George begins |
| 2 | Francis Day (1605–1673) | 1643 | 1644 | |
| 3 | Thomas Ivie (1605–1673) | 1644 | 1648 | Establishment of Government General Hospital |
| 4 | Thomas Greenhill (1611–1658) | 1648 | 1652 | |
| 5 | Aaron Baker (1610–1683) | 1652 | 1655 | |
| 6 | Thomas Greenhill (1611–1658) | 1655 | 1658 | |
| 7 | Sir Thomas Chambers (d. 1692) | 1658 | 1661 | |
| 8 | Sir Edward Winter (1622–1686) | 1661 | Aug 1665 | |
| 9 | George Foxcroft (1634–1715) | Aug 1665 | 16 Sep 1665 | |
| 10 | Sir Edward Winter (1622–1686) | 16 Sep 1665 | 22 Aug 1668 | |
| 11 | George Foxcroft (1634–1715) | 22 Aug 1668 | Jan 1670 | Triplicane annexed by Madras |
| 12 | Sir William Langhorne, 1st Baronet (1631–1715) | Jan 1670 | 27 Jan 1678 | |
| 13 | Streynsham Master (1640–1724) | 27 Jan 1678 | 3 Jul 1681 | Construction of St. Mary's Church and Kalikambal Temple |
| 14 | William Gyfford | 3 Jul 1681 | 8 Aug 1684 | |

## Presidents

Madras was elevated to a presidency in 1684 and remained so until 12 February 1785 when new rules and regulations brought by the Pitt's India Act reformed the administration of the East India Company with the exception of a three-year period of French rule from 1746 to 1749 when Madras was a governorship.
Subsequently, Elihu Yale who took charge on 8 August 1684 was the First President of Madras. Elihu Yale, Thomas Pitt and George Macartney are some of the well-known Presidents of Madras.
| Name | Took office | Left office |
| Elihu Yale (First term) (acting) | 8 August 1684 | 26 January 1685 |
| William Gyfford | 26 January 1685 | 25 July 1687 |
| Elihu Yale (Second term) | 25 July 1687 | 3 October 1692 |
| Nathaniel Higginson | 3 October 1692 | 7 July 1698 |
| Thomas Pitt | 7 July 1698 | 18 September 1709 |
| Gulston Addison | 18 September 1709 | 17 October 1709 |
| Edmund Montague (acting) | 17 October 1709 | 14 November 1709 |
| William Fraser | 14 November 1709 (acting) | 11 July 1711 |
| Edward Harrison | 11 July 1711 | 8 January 1717 |
| Joseph Collett | 8 January 1717 | 18 January 1720 |
| Francis Hastings (acting) | 18 January 1720 | 15 October 1721 |
| Nathaniel Elwick | 15 October 1721 | 15 January 1725 |
| James Macrae | 15 January 1725 | 14 May 1730 |
| George Morton Pitt | 14 May 1730 | 23 January 1735 |
| Richard Benyon (governor) | 23 January 1735 | 14 January 1744 |
| Nicholas Morse | 14 January 1744 | 10 September 1746 |

## Governors of the French East India Company

In 1746, Dupleix's deputy, La Bordannais laid siege to Madras and captured the city. For the next three years, Madras remained under French Governors, until 1749, when Madras was handed to the British as per the Treaty of Aix-la-Chappele. The illustrious Mahe de la Bordannais served as acting Governor for a few months until the appointment of Governor Jean-Jacques Duval d'Eprémesnil, who served until 1749 when Madras reverted to British rule.
| Name | Took office | Left office |
| Mahé de La Bourdonnais (acting) | 10 September 1746 | 2 October 1746 |
| Jean-Jacques Duval d'Eprémesnil | 2 October 1746 | August 1749 |

## Presidents of the British East India Company

During the period between 1746 and 1749, when Madras was under French rule, the British ran a provisional government from Fort St. David, near modern-day Porto Novo. In 1752, when Madras had been returned to the British, the then President of Madras, John Saunders, shifted the seat of government from Fort David to Madras. The British gained a lot of territory during the mid-18th century, so that by the time the French military power was crushed at the Battle of Wandiwash in 1761, the territory under the Presidency of Madras had increased manyfold. In 1785, the Province of Madras was created and the President became the Governor of Madras.
| Name | Took office | Left office |
| John Hinde (in Fort David) | 10 September 1746 | 14 April 1747 |
| Charles Floyer (in Fort David) | 14 April 1747 | 19 September 1750 |
| Thomas Saunders (in Fort David up to 5 April 1752) | 19 September 1750 | 14 January 1755 |
| George Pigot (1st time) | 14 January 1755 | 14 November 1763 |
| Robert Palk | 14 November 1763 | 25 January 1767 |
| Charles Bourchier | 25 January 1767 | 31 January 1770 |
| Josias Du Pré | 31 January 1770 | 2 February 1773 |
| Alexander Wynch | 2 February 1773 | 11 December 1775 |
| George Pigot (2nd time) | 11 December 1775 | 23 August 1776 |
| George Stratton | 23 August 1776 | 31 August 1777 |
| John Whitehill (first time) (acting) | 31 August 1777 | 8 February 1778 |
| Sir Thomas Rumbold | 8 February 1778 | 6 April 1780 |
| John Whitehill (second time) (acting) | 6 April 1780 | 8 November 1780 |
| Charles Smith (acting) | 8 November 1780 | 22 June 1781 |
| George MaCartney | 22 June 1781 | 12 February 1785 |

## Governors (of British India)

| Name | Took office | Left office |
| George MaCartney | 12 February 1785 | 14 June 1785 |
| Alexander Davidson (acting) | 14 June 1785 | 6 April 1786 |
| Sir Archibald Campbell | 6 April 1786 | 7 February 1789 |
| John Holland (acting) | 7 February 1789 | 13 February 1790 |
| Edward J.Holland (acting) | 13 February 1790 | 20 February 1790 |
| William Medows | 20 February 1790 | 1 August 1792 |
| Sir Charles Oakeley | 1 August 1792 | 7 September 1794 |
| Baron Hobart | 7 September 1794 | 21 February 1798 |
| George Harris (acting) | 21 February 1798 | 21 August 1798 |
| The 2nd Baron Clive | 21 August 1798 | 30 August 1803 |
| Lord William Henry Cavendish-Bentinck | 30 August 1803 | 11 September 1807 |
| William Petrie (acting) | 11 September 1807 | 24 February 1808 |
| Sir George Barlow, 1st Baronet | 24 February 1808 | 21 May 1813 |
| John Abercromby (acting) | 21 May 1813 | 16 September 1814 |
| Hugh Elliot | 16 September 1814 | 10 June 1820 |
| Sir Thomas Munro | 10 June 1820 | 10 July 1827 |
| Henry Sullivan Graeme (acting) | 10 July 1827 | 18 October 1827 |
| Stephen Rumbold Lushington | 18 October 1827 | 25 October 1832 |
| Sir Frederick Adam | 25 October 1832 | 4 March 1837 |
| George Edward Russell (acting) | 4 March 1837 | 6 March 1837 |
| The 13th Lord Elphinstone | 6 March 1837 | 24 September 1842 |
| The 8th Marquess of Tweeddale | 24 September 1842 | 23 February 1848 |
| Henry Dickinson (acting) | 23 February 1848 | 7 April 1848 |
| Sir Henry Eldred Pottinger | 7 April 1848 | 24 April 1854 |
| Daniel Eliott (acting) | 24 April 1854 | 28 April 1854 |
| The 3rd Baron Harris | 28 April 1854 | 28 March 1859 |
| Sir Charles Edward Trevelyan | 28 March 1859 | 8 June 1860 |
| William Ambrose Morehead (1st time) (acting) | 8 June 1860 | 5 July 1860 |
| Sir Henry George Ward | 5 July 1860 | 2 August 1860 |
| William Ambrose Morehead (2nd time) (acting) | 4 August 1860 | 18 February 1861 |
| Sir William Thomas Denison (1st time) | 18 February 1861 | 26 November 1863 |
| Edward Maltby (acting) | 26 November 1863 | 18 January 1864 |
| Sir William Thomas Denison (2nd time) | 18 January 1864 | 27 March 1866 |
| Francis Napier | 27 March 1866 | 19 February 1872 |
| Alexander John Arbuthnot (acting) | 19 February 1872 | 15 May 1872 |
| Lord Hobart | 15 May 1872 | 29 April 1875 |
| William Rose Robinson (acting) | 29 April 1875 | 23 November 1875 |
| The 3rd Duke of Buckingham and Chandos | 23 November 1875 | 20 December 1880 |
| William Patrick Adam | 20 December 1880 | 24 May 1881 |
| William Huddleston (acting) | 24 May 1881 | 5 November 1881 |
| M.E. Grant Duff | 5 November 1881 | 8 December 1886 |
| The 1st Baron Connemara | 8 December 1886 | 1 December 1890 |
| John Henry Garstin | 1 December 1890 | 23 January 1891 |
| The 3rd Baron Wenlock | 23 January 1891 | 18 March 1896 |
| Sir Arthur Elibank Havelock | 18 March 1896 | 28 December 1900 |
| The 2nd Baron Ampthill (1st time) | 28 December 1900 | 30 April 1904 |
| James Thompson (acting) | 30 April 1904 | 13 December 1904 |
| The 2nd Baron Ampthill (2nd time) | 13 December 1904 | 15 February 1906 |
| Sir Gabriel Stokes (acting) | 15 February 1906 | 28 March 1906 |
| Sir Arthur Lawley | 28 March 1906 | 3 November 1911 |
| Sir Thomas David Gibson-Carmichael | 3 November 1911 | 30 March 1912 |
| Sir Murray Hammick (acting) | 30 March 1912 | 30 October 1912 |
| The 1st Baron Pentland | 30 October 1912 | 29 March 1919 |
| Sir Alexander Gordon Cardew | 29 March 1919 | 10 April 1919 |
| The 1st Baron Willingdon | 10 April 1919 | 12 April 1924 |
| Sir Charles George Todhunter (acting) | 12 April 1924 | 14 April 1924 |
| The 2nd Viscount Goschen | 14 April 1924 | 29 June 1929 |
| Sir Norman Edward Majoribanks (acting) | 29 June 1929 | 11 November 1929 |
| Sir George Frederick Stanley (1st time) | 11 November 1929 | 16 May 1934 |
| Sir Muhammad Usman Sahib Bahadur (acting) | 16 May 1934 | 16 August 1934 |
| Sir George Frederick Stanley (2nd time) | 16 August 1934 | 15 November 1934 |
| Lord Erskine (1st time) | 15 November 1934 | 18 June 1936 |
| Kurma Venkata Reddy Naidu (acting) | 18 June 1936 | 1 October 1936 |
| Lord Erskine (2nd time) | 1 October 1936 | 12 March 1940 |
| Arthur Oswald James Hope | 12 March 1940 | 26 February 1946 |
| Sir Henry Foley Knight (acting) | 26 February 1946 | 5 May 1946 |
| Sir Archibald Edward Nye | 5 May 1946 | 15 August 1947 |

### Madras Presidency and Madras State

Headquartered in Fort St. George, Madras Presidency was a province of British India. It comprised present-day Tamil Nadu, the Malabar region of North Kerala, the coastal and Rayalaseema regions of Andhra Pradesh, and the Bellary, Dakshina Kannada, and Udupi districts of Karnataka. It was established in 1653 to be the headquarters of the English settlements on the Coromandel Coast. After India's independence in 1947, Madras State, the precursor to the present day state of Tamil Nadu, was carved out of Madras Presidency. It comprised present-day Tamil Nadu and parts of present-day Karnataka and Kerala.

### Tabular

| # | Name | Took office | Left office | Term |
| 1 | William Thomas Denison | 18 February 1861 | 26 November 1863 | |
| 2 | Edward Maltby (acting) | 26 November 1863 | 18 January 1864 | |
| 3 | William Thomas Denison | 18 January 1864 | 27 March 1866 | |
| 4 | Lord Napier | 27 March 1866 | 19 February 1872 | |
| 5 | Alexander John Arbuthnot (acting) | 19 February 1872 | 15 May 1872 | |
| 6 | Lord Hobart | 15 May 1872 | 29 April 1875 | |
| 7 | William Rose Robinson (acting) | 29 April 1875 | 23 November 1875 | |
| 8 | Duke of Buckingham and Chandos | 23 November 1875 | 20 December 1880 | |
| 9 | William Huddleston (acting) | 24 May 1881 | 5 November 1881 | |
| 10 | Mountstuart Elphinstone Grant Duff | 5 November 1881 | 8 December 1886 | |
| 11 | Robert Bourke, Baron Connemara | 8 December 1886 | 1 December 1890 | |
| 12 | John Henry Garstin | 1 December 1890 | 23 January 1891 | |
| 13 | Bentley Lawley, Baron Wenlock | 23 January 1891 | 18 March 1896 | |
| 14 | Arthur Elibank Havelock | 18 March 1896 | 28 December 1900 | |
| 15 | Arthur Oliver Villiers-Russell, Baron Ampthill | 28 December 1900 | 30 April 1904 | |
| 16 | James Thompson (acting) | 30 April 1904 | 13 December 1904 | |
| 17 | Arthur Oliver Villiers-Russell, Baron Ampthill | 13 December 1904 | 15 February 1906 | |
| 18 | Gabriel Stoles (acting) | 15 February 1906 | 28 March 1906 | |
| 19 | Arthur Lawley, Baron Wenlock | 28 March 1906 | 3 November 1911 | |
| 20 | Thomas David Gibson-Carmichael, Baron Carmichael | 3 November 1911 | 30 March 1912 | |
| 21 | Sir Murray Hammick (acting) | 30 March 1912 | 30 October 1912 | |
| 22 | John Sinclair, Baron Pentland | 30 October 1912 | 29 March 1919 | |
| 23 | Sir Alexander Gordon Cardew | 29 March 1919 | 10 April 1919 | |
| 24 | George Freeman Freeman-Thomas, Baron Willingdon | 10 April 1919 | 12 April 1924 | |
| 25 | Sir P. Rajagopalachari | 1920 | 1923 | |
| 26 | Lieutenant-General Sir Archibald Edward Nye | 6 May 1946 | 7 September 1948 | 1 |
| # | Name | Took office | Left office | Term |
| 27 | Maharaja Sir Krishna Kumarasinhji Bhavsinhji | 7 September 1948 | 12 March 1952 | 1 |
| 28 | Sri Prakasa | 12 March 1952 | 10 December 1956 | 1 |
| 29 | A. J. John | 10 December 1956 | 30 September 1957 | 1 |
| - | Pakala Venkata Rajamannar (acting) | 1 October 1957 | 24 January 1958 | 1 |
| 30 | Bhishnuram Medhi | 24 January 1958 | 4 May 1964 | 1 |
| 31 | Maharaja Sir Jayachamaraja Wodeyar Bahadur | 4 May 1964 | 24 November 1964 | 1 |
| - | P. Chandra Reddy (acting) | 24 November 1964 | 7 December 1965 | 1 |
| (31) | Maharaja Sir Jayachamaraja Wodeyar Bahadur | 7 December 1965 | 28 June 1966 | 1 |
| 32 | Sardar Ujjal Singh (acting) | 28 June 1966 | 14 January 1969 | 1 |

### Tamil Nadu

Madras State was renamed as Tamil Nadu (Tamil for Tamil country) on 14 January 1969. Governors have similar powers and functions at the state level as that of the President of India at the Central government level. The Governor acts as the nominal head of the state while the Chief Ministers of the states and the Chief Minister's Council of Ministers are invested with most executive powers.
| No. | Name (Birth–Death) | Portrait | Home state | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Previous post | Appointed by |
| No. | Name (Birth–Death) | Portrait | Home state | Assumed office | Left office | Time in office | Previous post | Appointed by |
| 1 | Ujjal Singh (1895–1983) | | Punjab | 14 January 1969 | 25 May 1971 | 2 years, 131 days | Governor of Punjab | Zakir Hussain |
| 2 | K. K. Shah (1908–1986) | | Gujarat | 26 May 1971 | 15 June 1976 | 5 years, 20 days | – | Varahagiri Venkata Giri |
| 3 | Mohan Lal Sukhadia (1916–1982) | | Rajasthan | 16 June 1976 | 8 April 1977 | 296 days | Governor of Andhra Pradesh | Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed |
| - | P. Govindan Nair (Unknown–Unknown)(Acting) | | Kerala | 9 April 1977 | 26 April 1977 | 17 days | – | B. D. Jatti (Acting President) |
| 4 | Prabhudas B. Patwari (1909–1985) | | Gujarat | 27 April 1977 | 26 October 1980 | 3 years, 182 days | Indian Lawyer | B. D. Jatti (Acting President) |
| - | M. M. Ismail (1921–2005) (Acting) | | Tamil Nadu | 27 October 1980 | 3 November 1980 | 37 days | Chief Justice of Madras High Court | Neelam Sanjiva Reddy |
| 5 | Sadiq Ali (1910–2001) | | Rajasthan | 4 November 1980 | 2 September 1982 | 1 year, 302 days | Governor of Maharashtra | Neelam Sanjiva Reddy |
| 6 | S. L. Khurana (1918–2007) | | National Capital Territory of Delhi | 3 September 1982 | 16 February 1988 | 5 years, 166 days | Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry | Giani Zail Singh |
| 7 | P. C. Alexander (1921–2011) | | Kerala | 17 February 1988 | 23 May 1990 | 2 years, 95 days | I.A.S. Officer | R. Venkataraman |
| 8 | Surjit Singh Barnala (1925–2017) | | Haryana | 24 May 1990 | 14 February 1991 | 266 days | Chief Minister of Punjab | R. Venkataraman |
| 9 | Bhishma Narain Singh (1933–2018) | | Rajasthan | 15 February 1991 | 30 May 1993 | 2 years, 104 days | Governor of Assam | R. Venkataraman |
| 10 | M. Channa Reddy (1919–1996) | | Andhra Pradesh | 31 May 1993 | 2 December 1996 | 3 years, 185 days | Governor of Rajasthan | Shanker Dayal Sharma |
| – | Krishan Kant (1927–2002) (Acting) | | Punjab | 2 December 1996 | 24 January 1997 | 53 days | Governor of Andhra Pradesh | Shanker Dayal Sharma |
| 11 | M. Fathima Beevi (1927–2023) | | Kerala | 25 January 1997 | 2 July 2001 | 4 years, 158 days | Judge of the Supreme Court of India | Shanker Dayal Sharma |
| - | C. Rangarajan (1932-) (Acting) | | Tamil Nadu | 3 July 2001 | 17 January 2002 | 198 days | Governor of the Reserve Bank of India | K. R. Narayanan |
| 12 | P. S. Ramamohan Rao (1934-) | | Andhra Pradesh | 18 January 2002 | 2 November 2004 | 2 years, 289 days | Director General of Andhra Pradesh Police | A. P. J. Abdul Kalam |
| (8) | Surjit Singh Barnala (1925–2017) | | Haryana | 3 November 2004 | 30 August 2011 | 6 years, 300 days | Governor of Andhra Pradesh | A. P. J. Abdul Kalam |
| 13 | Konijeti Rosaiah (1933–2021) | | Andhra Pradesh | 31 August 2011 | 1 September 2016 | 5 years, 1 day | Chief minister of Andhra Pradesh | Pratibha Devisingh Patil |
| – | C. Vidyasagar Rao (1942–) | | Andhra Pradesh | 2 September 2016 | 5 October 2017 | 1 year, 33 days | Governor of Maharashtra | Pranab Mukherjee |
| 14 | Banwarilal Purohit (1939–) | | Rajasthan | 6 October 2017 | 17 September 2021 | 3 years, 346 days | Governor of Assam | Ram Nath Kovind |
| 15 | R. N. Ravi (1952–) | | Bihar | 18 September 2021 | Incumbent | 3 years, 182 days | Governor of Nagaland | Ram Nath Kovind |

#### Graphical
## Records

* Surjit Singh Barnala is the only appointed Governor to have served two terms in office (24 May 1990–15 February 1991 and 3 November 2004–31 August 2011).
* The longest term in office was that of Surjit Singh Barnala who served as the Governor for a period of almost six and a half years (3 November 2004–31 August 2011).
* The shortest term in office was that of M. M. Ismail who served as the acting Governor for a period of nine days (27 October 1980–4 November 1980).
* The longest term in office as additional in-charge was that of C. Vidyasagar Rao for a period of 1 year 1 month and 4 days (2 September 2016– 6 October 2017).