This is a list of Governors of Assam, and other offices of similar scope, from the start of British occupation of the area in 1824 during the First Anglo-Burmese War.
Today, the Governor of Assam is a nominal head and representative of the President of India in the state of Assam. The Governor is appointed by the President for a term of 5 years.
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, and
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
On 24 February 1826, the Treaty of Yandaboo ceded portions of Assam from Burma to Britain.
David Scott, 1826–28
In 1828, Western Assam 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, 1828–20 August 1831, continued
Thomas Campbell Robertson, 1831–34
Francis Jenkins, 1834–61
Henry Hopkinson, 1861–74
In 1874, Assam was separated from the Bengal Presidency, and its status was upgraded to a Chief Commissioner's Province.
Richard Harte Keatinge, 1874–78
Steuart Colvin Bayley, 1878–81
Sir Charles Alfred Elliott, 1881–85
William Erskine Ward, 1885–87, first time
Sir Dennis Fitzpatrick, 1887–89
James Westland, 1889
James Wallace Quinton, 1889–91
William Erskine Ward, 1891–96, second time
Sir Henry John Stedman Cotton, 1896–1902
Sir Joseph Bampfylde Fuller, 1902–05
Lieutenant Governors of East Bengal and Assam (1905–12)
In 1905, Bengal was partitioned and East Bengal and Assam was formed, governed by a Lieutenant Governor.
Sir Joseph Bampfylde Fuller, 1905–06
Lancelot Hare, 1906–11
Charles Stuart Bayley, 1911–12
In 1912, East Bengal was re-incorporated into the Bengal Presidency, and Assam Province was again governed by a Chief Commissioner.
Sir Archdale Earle, 1912–18
Sir Nicholas Dodd Beatson-Bell, 1918–3 January 1921
In 1921, the chief commissionership was upgraded to governor.
Sir Nicholas Dodd Beatson-Bell, 3 January 1921 – 2 April 1921, continued
Sir William Sinclair Marris, 3 April 1921 – 10 October 1922
Sir John Henry Kerr, 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
Robert Neil 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
Rederik Chalmers Bourne, 4 April 1946–?, acting for Clow
Henry Foley Knight, 4 September 1946 – 23 December 1946, acting for Clow
Sir Muhammad Saleh Akbar Hydari, 4 May 1947 – 15 August 1947
Sir Muhammad Saleh Akbar Hydari, 15 August 1947 – 28 December 1948
Ronald Francis Lodge, 30 December 1948 – 16 February 1949, acting
Sri Prakasa, 16 February 1949 – 27 May 1950
Jairamdas Daulatram, 27 May 1950 – 15 May 1956
Saiyid Fazal Ali, 15 May 1956 – 22 August 1959
Chandreswar Prasad Sinha, 23 August 1959 – 14 October 1959
General (Retired) Satyavant Mallannah Shrinagesh, 14 October 1959 – 12 November 1960, first time
Vishnu Sahay, ICS (Retired), 12 November 1960 – 13 January 1961, first time
General (Retired) Satyavant Mallannah Shrinagesh, 13 January 1961 – 7 September 1962, second time
Vishnu Sahay, ICS (Retired), 7 September 1962 – 17 April 1968, second time
Braj Kumar Nehru, ICS (Retired), 17 April 1968 – 19 September 1973
Justice P. K. Goswami, 8 December 1970 – 4 January 1971, acting for Nehru
Lallan Prasad Singh, ICS (Retired), 19 September 1973 – 10 August 1981
Prakash Chandra Mehrotra, 10 August 1981 – 28 March 1984
Justice Tribeni Sahai Misra, 28 March 1984 – 15 April 1984
Bhishma Narain Singh, 15 April 1984 – 10 May 1989
Harideo Joshi, 10 May 1989 – 21 July 1989
Justice Anisetti Raghuvir, 21 July 1989 – 2 May 1990
Justice Devi Das Thakur, 2 May 1990 – 17 March 1991
Loknath Mishra, 17 March 1991 – 1 September 1997
Lt. General (Retired) Srinivas Kumar Sinha, PVSM, 1 September 1997 – 21 April 2003
Arvind Dave, IPS (Retired), 21 April 2003 – 5 June 2003
Lt. General (Retired) Ajai Singh, 5 June 2003—4 July 2008
Shiv Charan Mathur, 4 July 2008—25 June 2009
K Sankaranarayanan, 26 June 2009 – 27 July 2009
Syed Sibtey Razi, 27 July 2009 – 10 November 2009
Janaki Ballabh Patnaik, 11 November 2009 – 11 December 2014
Padmanabha Balakrishna Acharya, December 2014 to 17 August 2016
Banwarilal Purohit, 22 August 2016 - incumbent
