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{{Politics of India}}
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This is a '''list of the heads of state of India''', from 1876 to the present day. The current head of state of India is [[Droupadi Murmu]], elected in [[2022 Indian presidential election|2022]] after being nominated by the [[National Democratic Alliance]].
This is a '''list of the heads of state of India''', from independence in 1947 to the present day. The current head of state of India is [[Droupadi Murmu]], elected in [[2022 Indian presidential election|2022]] after being nominated by the [[National Democratic Alliance]].


From 1947 to 1950, the head of state under the [[Indian Independence Act 1947]] was [[King of India]],<ref>{{citation|quote=On independence in 1947, George VI became 'King of India' until the adoption of republican status in 1950.|page=22|title=The Contemporary Commonwealth: An Assessment 1965-2009|year=2009|isbn=9781135238308|publisher=Taylor & Francis}}</ref><ref>{{citation|quote=King George was in effect King of India and it was as such that he functioned as the Head of the Indian State. He did not function in India as the King of England.|page=363|title=Selected Works of Jawaharlal Nehru: 21 June to 15 August 1949|year=1991|author=Jawaharlal Nehru|publisher=Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund}}</ref> who was also the [[Monarchy of the United Kingdom|monarch of the United Kingdom]] and of the other [[Dominion]]s of the [[British Commonwealth]]. The monarch was represented in India by a [[Governor-General of India|governor-general]]. India became a republic under the [[Constitution of India|Constitution of 1950]] and the monarch and governor-general were replaced by a [[Figurehead|ceremonial]] [[President of India|president]].
From 1947 to 1950, the head of state under the [[Indian Independence Act 1947]] was [[King of India]],<ref>{{citation|quote=On independence in 1947, George VI became 'King of India' until the adoption of republican status in 1950.|page=22|title=The Contemporary Commonwealth: An Assessment 1965-2009|year=2009|isbn=9781135238308|publisher=Taylor & Francis}}</ref><ref>{{citation|quote=King George was in effect King of India and it was as such that he functioned as the Head of the Indian State. He did not function in India as the King of England.|page=363|title=Selected Works of Jawaharlal Nehru: 21 June to 15 August 1949|year=1991|author=Jawaharlal Nehru|publisher=Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund}}</ref> who was also the [[Monarchy of the United Kingdom|monarch of the United Kingdom]] and of the other [[Dominion]]s of the [[British Commonwealth]]. The monarch was represented in India by a [[Governor-General of India|governor-general]]. India became a republic under the [[Constitution of India|Constitution of 1950]] and the monarch and governor-general were replaced by a [[Figurehead|ceremonial]] [[President of India|president]].


== Emperor of India (1876–1947) ==
{{main|Emperor of India}}
In 1876, [[Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom]], was granted the title of [[Empress of India]] by the [[Royal Titles Act, 1876]].<ref name="gazette1948-06-22a">{{London Gazette |issue=38330 |date=22 June 1948 |page=3647}} Royal Proclamation of 22 June 1948, made in accordance with the [http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1947/30/pdfs/ukpga_19470030_en.pdf Indian Independence Act 1947, 10 & 11 GEO. 6. CH. 30.]('Section 7: ...(2)The assent of the Parliament of the United Kingdom is hereby given to the omission from the Royal Style and Titles of the words " Indiae Imperator " and the words " Emperor of India " and to the issue by His Majesty for that purpose of His Royal Proclamation under the Great Seal of the Realm.'). According to this Royal Proclamation, the King retained the [[Style of the British sovereign#Styles of British sovereigns|style and titles]] 'George VI by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, Ireland and the British Dominions beyond the Seas King, Defender of the Faith'</ref> On January 1, 1877, Victoria was crowned Empress of India in the [[Delhi Durbar]] in a ceremony attended by various Indian Governors, Princes, Generals and other high officials and the Indian Governor-General, [[Lord Lytton]]. Successive British monarchs, [[Edward VII]], [[George V]], [[Edward VIII]] and [[George VI]] also held the title, and George VI, who was the last Emperor of India, succeeded as the [[King of India]] in 15 August 1947.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
!Portrait
!Name
!Birth
!Reign
!Death
!Consort
![[Imperial Durbar]]
![[Royal House]]
|-
|[[File:Queen Victoria by Bassano.jpg|120px]]
|[[Queen Victoria|Victoria]]
|24 May 1819
|1 May 1876 – 22 January 1901
|22 January 1901
|''None''{{efn|Victoria's husband [[Albert, Prince Consort|Prince Albert]] died on 14 December 1861.}}
|[[Delhi Durbar#Durbar of 1877|1 January 1877]]<br>(''represented by [[Robert Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Earl of Lytton|Lord Lytton]]'')
|[[House of Hanover|Hanover]]
|-
|[[File:Eduard VII.jpg|120px]]
|{{Nowrap|[[Edward VII]]}}
|9 November 1841
|22 January 1901 – 6 May 1910
|6 May 1910
|[[File:Alexandra of Denmark02.jpg|70px]]
[[Alexandra of Denmark]]
|[[Delhi Durbar#Durbar of 1903|1 January 1903]]<br>(''represented by [[George Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston|Lord Curzon]]'')
|[[House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha|Saxe-Coburg and Gotha]]
|-
|[[File:King George 1923 LCCN2014715558 (cropped).jpg|120px]]
|[[George V]]
|3 June 1865
|6 May 1910 – 20 January 1936
|20 January 1936
|[[File:Queenmaryformalportrait edit3.jpg|70px]]
[[Mary of Teck]]
|[[Delhi Durbar#Durbar of 1911|12 December 1911]]
|Saxe-Coburg and Gotha<br>{{small|(1910–1917)}}<br><hr />[[House of Windsor|Windsor]]<br>{{small|(1917–1936)}}
|-
|[[File:HRH The Prince of Wales No 4 (HS85-10-36416).jpg|120px]]
|{{Nowrap|[[Edward VIII]]}}
|23 June 1894
|20 January 1936 – 11 December 1936
|28 May 1972
|''None''
|''None''{{efn|[[Abdication of Edward VIII|Edward VIII abdicated]] after less than one year of reign.}}
|Windsor
|-
|[[File:King George VI LOC matpc.14736 A (cropped).jpg|120px]]
|[[George VI]]
|14 December 1895
|11 December 1936 – 15 August 1947
|6 February 1952
|[[File:Queen Elizabeth - NARA - 5730844.jpg|70px]]
[[Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon]]
|''None''{{efn|A durbar was deemed expensive and impractical due to [[Poverty in India#Poverty prevalence and estimates|poverty]] and demands for [[Indian independence movement|independence]].<ref>{{Citation|last=Vickers|first=Hugo|title=Elizabeth: The Queen Mother|publisher=Arrow Books/Random House|year=2006|page=175|isbn=978-0-09-947662-7}}</ref>}}
|Windsor
|}
===Governor-General===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
!Portrait
!Name
!colspan=2|Tenure
!Secretary of State for India
!Prime Minister
| style="font-size:90%;" |
|- align="center"
|[[File:Robert Bulwer-Lytton by Nadar.jpg|80px]]
|[[Robert Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Earl of Lytton|The Lord Lytton]]<br /><small>(1831–1891)</small>
|<small>12 April</small><br />1876
|<small>8 June</small><br />1880
|[[Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury|The Marquess of Salisbury]]
[[Gathorne Gathorne-Hardy, 1st Earl of Cranbrook|The Viscount Cranbrook]]
[[Spencer Cavendish, 8th Duke of Devonshire|Marquess of Hartington]]
|[[Benjamin Disraeli]]
[[William Ewart Gladstone]]
|- align="center"
| [[File:George Robinson 1st Marquess of Ripon.jpg|80px]]
| [[George Robinson, 1st Marquess of Ripon|The Marquess of Ripon]]<br /><small>(1827–1909)</small>
| <small>8 June</small><br />1880
| <small>13 December</small><br />1884
|[[Spencer Cavendish, 8th Duke of Devonshire|Marquess of Hartington]]
[[John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley|The Earl of Kimberley]]
|[[William Ewart Gladstone]]
|- align="center"
| [[File:Young Lord Dufferin.jpg|80px]]
| [[Frederick Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 1st Marquess of Dufferin and Ava|The Earl of Dufferin]]<br /><small>(1826–1902)</small>
| <small>13 December</small><br />1884
| <small>10 December</small><br />1888
|[[John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley|The Earl of Kimberley]]
[[Lord Randolph Churchill]]
[[John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley|The Earl of Kimberley]]
[[R. A. Cross, 1st Viscount Cross|The Viscount Cross]]
|[[William Ewart Gladstone]]
[[Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury|The Marquess of Salisbury]]
[[William Ewart Gladstone]]
[[Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury|The Marquess of Salisbury]]
|- align="center"
| [[File:Marquess of Lansdowne crop.jpg|80px]]
| [[Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 5th Marquess of Lansdowne|The Marquess of Lansdowne]]<br /><small>(1845–1927)</small>
| <small>10 December</small><br />1888
| <small>21 January</small><br />1894
|[[R. A. Cross, 1st Viscount Cross|The Viscount Cross]]
[[John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley|The Earl of Kimberley]]
[[Henry Fowler, 1st Viscount Wolverhampton|Henry Fowler]]
|[[Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury|The Marquess of Salisbury]]
[[William Ewart Gladstone]]
[[Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery|The Earl of Rosebery]]
|- align="center"
| [[File:9thEarlOfElgin.jpg|80px]]
| [[Victor Bruce, 9th Earl of Elgin|The Earl of Elgin]] <small>(1849–1917)</small>
| <small>21 January</small><br />1894<ref>{{Cite web |title=Thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the University of London by PIAREA LAL MALHOTRA |url=https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/33561/1/11010320.pdf |format=PDF}}</ref>
| <small>6 January</small><br />1899
|[[Henry Fowler, 1st Viscount Wolverhampton|Henry Fowler]]
[[Lord George Hamilton]]
|[[Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery|The Earl of Rosebery]]
[[Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury|The Marquess of Salisbury]]
|- align="center"
| [[File:George Curzon2.jpg|80px]]
| [[George Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston|The Lord Curzon of Kedleston]]{{Efn|[[Oliver Russell, 2nd Baron Ampthill|The Lord Ampthill]] was acting Governor-General in 1904}}<br /><small>(1859–1925)</small>
| <small>6 January</small><br />1899
| <small>18 November</small><br />1905
|-
! colspan="7" |[[File:Coat_of_Arms_of_the_United_Kingdom_(1837-1952).svg|30x30px]] Appointed by '''[[Edward VII]]''' <small>(1901–1910)</small>
|- align="center"
| [[File:Earl Minto.jpg|80px]]
| [[Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 4th Earl of Minto|The Earl of Minto]]<br /><small>(1845–1914)</small>
| <small>18 November</small><br />1905
| <small>23 November</small><br />1910
|[[St John Brodrick, 1st Earl of Midleton|William St John Brodrick]]
[[John Morley]]
[[Robert Crewe-Milnes, 1st Marquess of Crewe|The Earl of Crewe]]
|[[Arthur Balfour]]
[[Henry Campbell-Bannerman|Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman]]
[[H. H. Asquith]]
|-
! colspan="7" |[[File:Coat_of_Arms_of_the_United_Kingdom_(1837-1952).svg|30x30px]] Appointed by '''[[George V]]''' <small>(1910–1936)</small>
|- align="center"
| [[File:Charles Hardinge01 crop.jpg|80px]]
| [[Charles Hardinge, 1st Baron Hardinge of Penshurst|The Lord Hardinge of Penshurst]]<br /><small>(1858–1944)</small>
| <small>23 November</small><br />1910
| <small>4 April</small><br />1916
|[[Robert Crewe-Milnes, 1st Marquess of Crewe|The Earl of Crewe]]
[[John Morley, 1st Viscount Morley of Blackburn|The Viscount Morley of Blackburn]]
[[Robert Crewe-Milnes, 1st Marquess of Crewe|The Marquess of Crewe]]
[[Austen Chamberlain]]
|[[H. H. Asquith]]
|- align="center"
| [[File:Chelmsford Governor.jpg|80px]]
| [[Frederic Thesiger, 1st Viscount Chelmsford|The Lord Chelmsford]]<br /><small>(1868–1933)</small>
| <small>4 April</small><br />1916
| <small>2 April</small><br />1921
|[[Austen Chamberlain]]
[[Edwin Montagu]]
|[[H. H. Asquith]]
[[David Lloyd George]]
|- align="center"
| [[File:Rufus Isaacs.jpg|80px]]
| [[Rufus Isaacs, 1st Marquess of Reading|The Earl of Reading]]<br /><small>(1860–1935)</small>
| <small>2 April</small><br />1921
| <small>3 April</small><br />1926
|[[Edwin Montagu]]
[[William Peel, 1st Earl Peel|The Viscount Peel]]
[[Sydney Olivier, 1st Baron Olivier|The Lord Olivier]]
[[F. E. Smith, 1st Earl of Birkenhead|The Earl of Birkenhead]]
|[[David Lloyd George]]
[[Bonar Law]]
[[Stanley Baldwin]]
[[Ramsay MacDonald]]
[[Stanley Baldwin]]
|- align="center"
| [[File:1st Earl of Halifax 1947.jpg|80px]]
| [[E. F. L. Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax|The Lord Irwin]]<br /><small>(1881–1959)</small>
| <small>3 April</small><br />1926
| <small>1 July</small><br />1929
|[[F. E. Smith, 1st Earl of Birkenhead|The Earl of Birkenhead]]
[[William Peel, 1st Earl Peel|The Viscount Peel]]
| rowspan="2" |[[Stanley Baldwin]]
[[Ramsay MacDonald]]
|- align="center"
| style="background:#e6e6aa;" | [[File:Viscount Goschen.jpg|80px]]
| style="background:#e6e6aa;" | [[George Goschen, 2nd Viscount Goschen|The Viscount Goschen]]<br /> <small>''(acting)''</small> <br /><small>(1866–1952)</small>
| style="background:#e6e6aa;" | ''<small>1 July</small><br />1929''
| style="background:#e6e6aa;" | ''<small>18 April</small> 1931''
|- align="center"
| [[File:Freeman Freeman-Thomas by Henry Walter Barnett.jpg|80px]]
| [[Freeman Freeman-Thomas, 1st Marquess of Willingdon|The Earl of Willingdon]]<br /><small>(1866–1941)</small>
| <small>18 April</small><br />1931
| <small>18 April</small><br />1936
|[[William Wedgwood Benn, 1st Viscount Stansgate|William Wedgwood Benn]]
[[Samuel Hoare, 1st Viscount Templewood|Sir Samuel Hoare]]
[[Lawrence Dundas, 2nd Marquess of Zetland|The Marquess of Zetland]]
|[[Ramsay MacDonald]]
[[Stanley Baldwin]]
|-
! colspan="7" |[[File:Coat_of_Arms_of_the_United_Kingdom_(1837-1952).svg|30x30px]] Appointed by '''[[Edward VIII]]''' <small>(1936)</small>
|- align="center"
| [[File:Victor Hope, 2nd Marquess of Linlithgow.jpg|80px]]
| [[Victor Hope, 2nd Marquess of Linlithgow|The Marquess of Linlithgow]]<br /><small>(1887–1952)</small>
| <small>18 April</small><br />1936
| <small>1 October</small><br />1943
|[[Lawrence Dundas, 2nd Marquess of Zetland|The Marquess of Zetland]]
[[Leo Amery]]
|[[Stanley Baldwin]]
[[Neville Chamberlain]]
[[Winston Churchill]]
|-
! colspan="7" |[[File:Coat_of_Arms_of_the_United_Kingdom_(1837-1952).svg|30x30px]] Appointed by '''[[George VI]]''' <small>(1936-1947)</small> {{small|(As [[Emperor of India]])}}
|- align="center"
| [[File:Archibald Wavell2.jpg|80px]]
| [[Archibald Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell|The Viscount Wavell]]<br /><small>(1883–1950)</small>
| <small>1 October</small><br />1943
| <small>21 February</small><br />1947
|[[Leo Amery]]
[[Frederick Pethick-Lawrence, 1st Baron Pethick-Lawrence|The Lord Pethick-Lawrence]]
|[[Winston Churchill]]
[[Clement Attlee]]
|- align="center"
| [[File:Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten, 1943. TR1230 (cropped).jpg|80px]]
| [[Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma|The Viscount Mountbatten of Burma]]<br /><small>(1900–1979)</small>
| <small>21 February</small><br />1947
| <small>15 August</small><br />1947
|[[Frederick Pethick-Lawrence, 1st Baron Pethick-Lawrence|The Lord Pethick-Lawrence]]
[[William Hare, 5th Earl of Listowel|The Earl of Listowel]]
|[[Clement Attlee]]
|}
==Monarch of India (1947–1950)==
==Monarch of India (1947–1950)==
The succession to the throne was the same as the [[succession to the British throne]].
The succession to the throne was the same as the [[succession to the British throne]].

Latest revision as of 08:01, 14 June 2024

For historical heads of state in the Indian Subcontinent, see List of Indian monarchs.

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This is a list of the heads of state of India, from independence in 1947 to the present day. The current head of state of India is Droupadi Murmu, elected in 2022 after being nominated by the National Democratic Alliance.

From 1947 to 1950, the head of state under the Indian Independence Act 1947 was King of India,[1][2] who was also the monarch of the United Kingdom and of the other Dominions of the British Commonwealth. The monarch was represented in India by a governor-general. India became a republic under the Constitution of 1950 and the monarch and governor-general were replaced by a ceremonial president.

Monarch of India (1947–1950)

The succession to the throne was the same as the succession to the British throne.

King of India
Emblem of the Union of India
Details
StyleHis Majesty
First monarchGeorge VI as successor of the Emperor of India
Last monarchGeorge VI
Formation15 August 1947
Abolition26 January 1950
AppointerHereditary
No. Portrait Monarch
(Birth–Death) 		Reign Royal House Prime Minister Governor General
Reign start Reign end
1 George VI
(1895–1952) 		15 August 1947 26 January 1950 Windsor Nehru Mountbatten
(1947–1948)
Rajagopalachari
(1948–1950)

Governor-General

The Governor-General was the representative of the Monarch in India and exercised most of the powers of the Monarch. The Governor-General was appointed for an indefinite term, serving at the pleasure of the Monarch. Following independence in 1947, the Governor-General was appointed solely on the advice of the Cabinet of India without the involvement of the British government.

No. Portrait Governor-General
(Birth–Death) 		Tenure Prime Minister
Took office Left office
Appointed by George VI (1947–1950) (As King of India)
1 The Rt. Hon. The Earl Mountbatten of Burma
(1900–1979) 		15 August 1947 21 June 1948 Jawaharlal Nehru
2 Chakravarti Rajagopalachari
(1878–1972) 		21 June 1948 26 January 1950

President of India (1950–present)

Under the Constitution, of the Republic of India, the president replaced the monarch as ceremonial head of state. The president is elected by the Electoral College for a five-year term. In the event of a vacancy, the vice president serves as acting president.

Status
  Denotes Vice-President acting as President
No. Portrait President
(Birth–Death) 		Elected Tenure Political affiliation
(at time of appointment) 		Prime Minister
Took office Left office
1 Rajendra Prasad
(1884–1963) 		1952
1957 		26 January 1950 13 May 1962 Indian National Congress Nehru
2 Sir Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
(1888–1975) 		1962 13 May 1962 13 May 1967 Independent Nehru
Nanda
Shastri
Nanda
I. Gandhi
3 Zakir Husain
(1897–1969) 		1967 13 May 1967 3 May 1969
(died in office.) 		Independent I. Gandhi
- V. V. Giri
(1894–1980) 		- 3 May 1969 20 July 1969 Independent I. Gandhi
- Mohammad Hidayatullah
(1905–1992) 		- 20 July 1969 24 August 1969 [3] I. Gandhi
4 V. V. Giri
(1894–1980) 		1969 24 August 1969 24 August 1974 Independent I. Gandhi
5 Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed
(1905–1977) 		1974 24 August 1974 11 February 1977
(died in office.) 		Indian National Congress I. Gandhi
- Basappa Danappa Jatti
(1912–2002) 		- 11 February 1977 25 July 1977 Indian National Congress I. Gandhi
Desai
6 Neelam Sanjiva Reddy
(1913–1996) 		1977 25 July 1977 25 July 1982 Janata Party Desai
C. Singh
I. Gandhi
7 Giani Zail Singh
(1916–1994) 		1982 25 July 1982 25 July 1987 Indian National Congress I. Gandhi
R. Gandhi
8 R. Venkataraman
(1910–2009) 		1987 25 July 1987 25 July 1992 Indian National Congress R. Gandhi
V. P. Singh
Shekhar
Rao
9 Shankar Dayal Sharma
(1918–1999) 		1992 25 July 1992 25 July 1997 Indian National Congress Rao
Vajpayee
Deve Gowda
Gujral
10 K. R. Narayanan
(1920–2005) 		1997 25 July 1997 25 July 2002 Indian National Congress Gujral
Vajpayee
11 A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
(1931–2015) 		2002 25 July 2002 25 July 2007 Independent Vajpayee
M. Singh
12 Pratibha Patil
(born 1934) 		2007 25 July 2007 25 July 2012 Indian National Congress M. Singh
13 Pranab Mukherjee
(1935–2020) 		2012 25 July 2012 25 July 2017 Indian National Congress M. Singh
Modi
14 Ram Nath Kovind
(born 1945) 		2017 25 July 2017 25 July 2022 Bharatiya Janata Party Modi
15 Droupadi Murmu
(born 1958) 		2022 25 July 2022 Incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party Modi

Standards

  • Governor-General's Standard (1947–1950)
    Governor-General's Standard (1947–1950)
  • Presidential Standard (1950–1971)
    Presidential Standard (1950–1971)

Notes

References

  1. ^ The Contemporary Commonwealth: An Assessment 1965-2009, Taylor & Francis, 2009, p. 22, ISBN 9781135238308, On independence in 1947, George VI became 'King of India' until the adoption of republican status in 1950.
  2. ^ Jawaharlal Nehru (1991), Selected Works of Jawaharlal Nehru: 21 June to 15 August 1949, Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund, p. 363, King George was in effect King of India and it was as such that he functioned as the Head of the Indian State. He did not function in India as the King of England.
  3. ^ Was Chief Justice of India
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