Lord Dalhousie (1848 – 56): Lord Dalhousie (Real name James Andrew Ramsay) served as Governor General of India from 1848 to 1856. During this period, Second Anglo-Sikh War (1849) was fought in which the Sikhs were defeated again and Dalhousie was successful in annexing the whole of Punjab to the British administration. He annexed many states by doctrine of lapse. During his tenure, first railway line between Bombay and Thane was opened in 1853 and in the same year Calcutta and Agra were connected by telegraph. His other reforms include setting up of P.W.D. and passing of the Widow Remarriage Act (1856). During the times of Lord Dalhousie,
A separate Lieutenant Governor was appointed for the Presidency of Bengal so that it could immediately relive the Governor General of India from the pressure of local administration. In April 1854. Fredrick J Halliday was appointed the First Lieutenant Governor General of Bengal under the provisions of Charter act of 1853.
The cool hill town of Shimla was made the summer capital of the British Empire.
The Artillery headquarters of the army was moved from Calcutta to Meerut. The army headquarter was shifted to Shimla.
It was during Lord Dalhousie’s time that Gurkha regiments came into force.
The Postal system was improved and all important towns were linked by the Telegraph lines.
Started Engineering College at Roorkee.
The important reform during this period was Wood’s Dispatch of 1854.