The Governor-General of India (1773–1950, from 1858 to 1947, the Viceroy and Governor-General of India, frequently abbreviated to Viceroy of India) was the British king's official in India and, following India's independence in 1947, the Indian head of province's official. In 1773, the Governor-General of the Presidency of Fort William was created. He had command authority of just Fort William, although he was in charge of other East India Company commanders throughout India. The executive was given entire control over the whole of India in 1833, earning him the title of 'Governor-General of India.'

From 1772 until 1785, Warren Hastings FRS served as Governor of the Presidency of Fort William (Bengal), Chairman of the Supreme Council of Bengal, and therefore de facto Governor-General of Bengal. Along with Robert Clive, he is recognized for laying the foundations for the British Empire in India. He was a reformist and leader with a lot of energy. He led the East India Company's soldiers against a combination of native nations and the French from 1779 until 1784. Finally, the well-organized British side succeeded, while France's power in India dwindled. In 1787, he was prosecuted and probed for fraud, but after a long trial, he was found guilty in 1795. He was admitted to the Privy Council in 1814.