This is a list of governors of
Assam
Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur ...
, and other offices of similar scope, from the start of British occupation of the area in 1824 during the
First Anglo-Burmese War
The First Anglo-Burmese War ( my, ပထမ အင်္ဂလိပ်-မြန်မာ စစ်; ; 5 March 1824 – 24 February 1826), also known as the First Burma War, was the first of three wars fought between the British and Burmese ...
.
The Governor of Assam is a nominal head and representative of the
President of India
The president of India ( IAST: ) is the head of state of the Republic of India. The president is the nominal head of the executive, the first citizen of the country, as well as the commander-in-chief of the Indian Armed Forces. Droupadi Murmu ...
in the state of
Assam
Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur ...
. The governor is appointed by the president for a term of five years. The current governor is
Jagdish Mukhi
Jagdish Mukhi is an Indian politician who is the Governor of Assam. He is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. Past positions have included Lieutenant Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Minister of F ...
Powers and functions
The governor has:
* Executive powers related to administration, appointments and removals
* Legislative powers related to lawmaking and the state legislature, that is Vidhan Sabha or Vidhan Parishad
* Discretionary powers to be carried out according to the discretion of the governor
British military commanders in occupied Assam (1824–26)
In 1824, British forces occupied Assam, which was politically never part of either India or Burma
*
George McMorine, 1824
*
Arthur Richards, 1824–26
British political agents in Assam (1826–28)
On 24 February 1826, the
Treaty of Yandaboo
The Treaty of Yandabo ( my, ရန္တပိုစာချုပ် ) was the peace treaty that ended the First Anglo-Burmese War. The treaty was signed on 24February 1826, nearly two years after the war formally broke out on 5March 1824, by ...
ceded portions of Assam from Burma to Britain.
*
David Scott
David Randolph Scott (born June 6, 1932) is an American retired test pilot and NASA astronaut who was the seventh person to walk on the Moon. Selected as part of the third group of astronauts in 1963, Scott flew to space three times and c ...
, 1826–28
Commissioners of Assam (1828–74)
In 1828,
Western Assam
Lower Assam division is one of the 5 administrative divisions of Assam. It was formed in 1874, comprising Undivided Kamrup district of Western Assam, undivided Darrang and Nagoan districts of Central Assam and Khasi & Jaintia hills of Meghalay ...
was incorporated into the province of Bengal, followed by the rest of Assam in 1833. A Commissioner of Assam was appointed, subordinate to the
Governor of Bengal.
*
David Scott
David Randolph Scott (born June 6, 1932) is an American retired test pilot and NASA astronaut who was the seventh person to walk on the Moon. Selected as part of the third group of astronauts in 1963, Scott flew to space three times and c ...
, 1828–20 August 1831, ''continued''
*
Thomas Campbell Robertson
Thomas Campbell Robertson (9 November 1789 – 6 July 1863) was a British civil servant of Bengal Civil Service in India.
Personal life
Thomas Campbell Robertson was born in Kenilworth on 9 November 1789, the youngest son of Captain George Rob ...
, 1831–34
*
Francis Jenkins, 1834–61
*
Henry Hopkinson, 1861–74
Chief commissioners of Assam (1874–1905)
In 1874, Assam was separated from the
Bengal Presidency
The Bengal Presidency, officially the Presidency of Fort William and later Bengal Province, was a subdivision of the British Empire in India. At the height of its territorial jurisdiction, it covered large parts of what is now South Asia and ...
, and its status was upgraded to a chief commissioner's province.
*
Richard Harte Keatinge
Lieutenant General Richard Harte Keatinge (17 June 1825 – 25 May 1904) was an Irish people, Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to United Kin ...
, 1874–78
*
Steuart Colvin Bayley, 1878–81
* Sir
Charles Alfred Elliott
Sir Charles Alfred Elliott (8 December 1835 – 28 May 1911) was a Lieutenant Governor of Bengal.
Life
He was born on 8 December 1835 at Brighton, was son of Henry Venn Elliott, vicar of St. Mary's, Brighton, by his wife Julia, daughter of Joh ...
, 1881–85
*
William Erskine Ward
Sir William Erskine Ward (4 February 1838 – 24 December 1916) was a British Indian Civil Service officer.
Ward was the son of Hon. John Petty Ward and Eleanor Erskine, and the great-grandson of Bernard Ward, 1st Viscount Bangor. He was educate ...
, 1885–87, ''first time''
* Sir
Dennis Fitzpatrick
Dennis Fitzpatrick (1764–1806) was an Irish people, Irish, five-times British Classic Races, British Classic winning jockey. He was the first Irish professional jockey to ride in England and competed in some of the most notable match rac ...
, 1887–89
*
James Westland, 1889
*
James Wallace Quinton
James Wallace Quinton (1834–1891) was a British colonial administrator who served as Chief Commissioner of Assam from 1889 until his death. He was murdered by a hostile crowd whilst trying to impose British rule in the sovereign state on Manipu ...
, 1889–91
*
William Erskine Ward
Sir William Erskine Ward (4 February 1838 – 24 December 1916) was a British Indian Civil Service officer.
Ward was the son of Hon. John Petty Ward and Eleanor Erskine, and the great-grandson of Bernard Ward, 1st Viscount Bangor. He was educate ...
, 1891–96, ''second time''
* Sir
Henry John Stedman Cotton
Sir Henry John Stedman Cotton, (13 September 1845 – 22 October 1915) had a long career in the Indian Civil Service, during which he was sympathetic to Indian nationalism. After returning to England, he served as a Liberal Party Member of P ...
, 1896–1902
* Sir
Joseph Bampfylde Fuller
Sir Joseph Bampfylde Fuller (20 March 1854 – 29 November 1935) was a British inventor, writer and first Lieutenant Governor of the new province of Eastern Bengal and Assam, knighted for his service in India.
Early life and career
Fuller studie ...
, 1902–05
Lieutenant governors of East Bengal and Assam (1905–12)
In 1905, Bengal was partitioned and
East Bengal and Assam
Eastern Bengal and Assam was an administrative subdivision (province) of British India between 1905 and 1912. Headquartered in the city of Dacca, it covered territories in what are now Bangladesh, Northeast India and Northern West Bengal.
Hist ...
was formed, governed by a lieutenant governor.
* Sir
Joseph Bampfylde Fuller
Sir Joseph Bampfylde Fuller (20 March 1854 – 29 November 1935) was a British inventor, writer and first Lieutenant Governor of the new province of Eastern Bengal and Assam, knighted for his service in India.
Early life and career
Fuller studie ...
, 1905–06
*
Lancelot Hare
Sir Lancelot Hare (7 December 1851 – 7 October 1922) was a British civil servant and former Lieutenant Governor of the Bengal province of the British Raj.
Early life
Hare was born in London, Britain. He was educated at the City of London School. ...
, 1906–11
*
Charles Stuart Bayley, 1911–12
Chief commissioners of Assam (1912–21)
In 1912, East Bengal was re-incorporated into the Bengal presidency, and
Assam Province
Assam Province was a province of British India, created in 1912 by the partition of the Eastern Bengal and Assam Province.
Its capital was in Shillong.
The Assam territory was first separated from Bengal in 1874 as the 'North-East Frontier' n ...
was again governed by a chief commissioner.
* Sir
Archdale Earle, 1912–18
* Sir
Nicholas Dodd Beatson-Bell, 1918–3 January 1921
Governors of Assam (1921–47)
In 1921, the chief commissionership was upgraded to governor.
# Sir
Nicholas Dodd Beatson-Bell, 3 January 1921 – 2 April 1921
# Sir
William Sinclair Marris
Sir William Sinclair Marris (9 October 1873 – 12 December 1945) was a British civil servant, colonial administrator, and classical scholar. He was a member of the Indian Civil Service during the British Raj, and later became Vice-Chancellor o ...
, 3 April 1921 – 10 October 1922
# Sir
John Henry Kerr Sir John Henry Kerr (31 May 1871 – 8 April 1934) was a colonial governor in British India
Life
John Henry Kerr was born in Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland, the elder son (with three daughters), of John Smith Kerr, tea and sugar merchant of Gr ...
, 10 October 1922 – 28 June 1927
# Sir
Egbert Laurie Lucas Hammond, 28 June 1927 – 11 May 1932
# Sir
Michael Keane, 11 May 1932 – 4 March 1937
#
Sir Robert Niel Reid, 4 March 1937 – 4 May 1942
## ''
Henry Joseph Twynam, 24 February 1938 – 4 October 1939, (acting for Reid)''
# Sir
Andrew Gourlay Clow, 4 May 1942 – 4 May 1947
## ''
Frederick Chalmers Bourne, 4 April 1946–?, (acting for Clow)''
## ''
Henry Foley Knight
Sir Henry Foley Knight KCSI CIE (b. 19 January 1886 - d. 1960) was a British administrator and civil servant who served as the Acting Governor of Madras in 1946.
Early life
Henry Foley Knight was born to John Henry Knight and Elizabeth Bligh ...
, 4 September 1946 – 23 December 1946, (acting for Clow)''
# Sir
Muhammad Saleh Akbar Hydari
:
Sir Muhammad Saleh Akbar Hydari KCIE, CSI (12 October 1894 – 28 December 1948) was an Indian civil servant and politician. He was the last British-appointed Governor of the province of Assam, who also continued in the role after Indian in ...
, 4 May 1947 – 15 August 1947
Governors of Assam since 1947
See also
*
History of Assam
File:Major kingdoms of Assam.png, upright=1.3, Major kingdoms of Assam
rect 50 50 650 120 Kamarupa Kingdom
rect 45 240 160 310 Kamata Kingdom
rect 165 240 300 310 Bhuyan chieftains
rect 305 240 415 310 Ahom Kingdom
rect 425 240 540 310 Chut ...
*
Chief Minister of Assam
The chief minister of Assam, an Indian state, is the head of the Government of Assam. As per the Constitution of India, the governor is the state's ''de jure'' head, but ''de facto'' executive authority rests with the chief minister. Following e ...
*
Governors of India
The governors of the states of India have similar powers and functions at the state level as those of the president of India at the central level. Governors exist in the states, while lieutenant governors exist in union territories includi ...
References
List of Governorsfro
assamassembly.nic.in* http://www.worldstatesmen.org/India_states.html#Assam
* http://www.worldstatesmen.org/India_BrProvinces.htm#Assam
*
{{Administrators of provinces in British India
Assam
Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur ...
Governors
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...