Who was the last Viceroy and the first Governor General of independent India? 

The correct answer is Lord Mountbatten.

Key Points

• Lord Louis Mountbatten was the last Viceroy of British India and the first Governor-General of independent India.
• He served as the Viceroy from February 1947 to August 1947 and oversaw the partition of India into two nations, India and Pakistan.
• After India's independence on 15 August 1947, Lord Mountbatten became the first Governor-General of India and held this position until June 1948.
• Mountbatten was the only British Governor-General of independent India, after which the role was assumed by Indian leaders starting with Chakravarti Rajagopalachari in 1948.
• Mountbatten's tenure was marked by significant events, including the communal violence during partition and the accession of princely states to the Indian Union.

Additional Information

• Viceroy of India:
  • The Viceroy was the head of the British administration in India, representing the British Crown.
  • The position was established in 1858 after the abolition of the East India Company's rule and continued until 1947.
• Governor-General of India:
  • The Governor-General was originally the head of the British administration in India before the creation of the Viceroy position in 1858.
  • Post-independence, the Governor-General became the representative of the British monarch in India until India became a republic in 1950.
• Partition of India:
  • The partition was a significant event in Indian history, leading to the creation of two independent nations, India and Pakistan, on 15 August 1947.
  • It resulted in massive communal violence, displacement, and loss of lives, affecting millions of people.
• Chakravarti Rajagopalachari:
  • He was the first and only Indian Governor-General of independent India, serving from June 1948 to January 1950.
  • He played a crucial role in the Indian independence movement and was a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi.