Who among the following was the first Governor-General of Bengal ?

Warren Hastings was the first Governor-General of Bengal, serving from 1773 to 1785. Before the Regulating Act of 1773, the administrative heads of the East India Company's presidencies were simply known as Governors [1]. The Regulating Act of 1773 formally designated the Governor of Bengal as the 'Governor-General of Bengal' and established an Executive Council of four members to assist him [3]. This act also made the presidencies of Bombay and Madras subordinate to the Governor-General of Bengal [4]. While Robert Clive was the first Governor of Bengal (1757–1760), he never held the title of Governor-General [5]. Later, the Charter Act of 1833 changed the title to 'Governor-General of India,' with William Bentinck being the first to hold that specific designation [1]. Thus, Warren Hastings remains the inaugural holder of the Governor-Generalship of Bengal [2].

Sources

1. [1] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 17: Effects of British Rule > 17.1Establishment of British Raj > p. 265
2. [2] Laxmikanth, M. Indian Polity. 7th ed., McGraw Hill. > Chapter 1: Historical Background > The features of this Act were as follows: > p. 1
3. [3] Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 1: Historical Background > The features of this Act were as follows: > p. 1
4. [4] Modern India ,Bipin Chandra, History class XII (NCERT 1982 ed.)[Old NCERT] > Chapter 5: The Structure of the Government and the Economic Policies of the British Empire in India, 1757—1857 > The Structure of Government > p. 91
5. [5] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 5: Expansion and Consolidation of British Power in India > Robert Clive > p. 92