View source for List of governors of Bihar

{{Short description|Bihar Governors list}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{Infobox official post
| post = Governor of Bihar
| insignia = Seal of Bihar.svg
| insigniasize = 120
| insigniacaption = [[Emblem of Bihar]]
| incumbent = [[Arif Mohammad Khan]]
| image = Governor Arif Mohammad Khan.jpg
| image_size = 120
| incumbentsince = 2 January 2025
| style = [[Excellency|His Excellency]]
| residence = [[Raj Bhavan (Bihar)|Raj Bhavan, Patna, Bihar]]
| termlength = [[At His Majesty's pleasure#Derivatives|At the pleasure of the president]]
| appointer = [[President of India]]
| formation = {{start date and age|df=yes|1936|04|01}}
| inaugural = 
| website = {{URL|http://governor.bih.nic.in}}
| body = 
}}

<!-- this list can be expanded in a similar fashion to [[List of Chief Ministers of Kerala]] -->
[[File:IN-BR.svg|right|180px|thumb|Location of [[Bihar]] in India.]]
The '''Governor of Bihar''' is the nominal head of the Indian state of [[Bihar]]. The governor is appointed by the [[President of India]]. [[Arif Mohammad Khan]] is the current governor of Bihar.<ref>{{cite news|title=President Kovind Appoints 5 New Governors, Tamil Nadu Gets Its Own After A Year|url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/president-approves-appointment-of-5-governors-1-lieutenant-governor-1757018|access-date=30 September 2017|work=NDTV.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/satya-pal-malik-new-j-k-governor-lalji-tandon-takes-his-place-in-bihar-118082101168_1.html|title=Satya Pal Malik new J&K Governor, Lalji Tandon takes his place in Bihar|last=Mohan|first=Archis|date=2018-08-21|work=Business Standard India|access-date=2018-08-21}}</ref> Former President [[Zakir Husain]] and [[Ram Nath Kovind]] were two such governors of Bihar who succeeded on to become the [[President of India]]. There are 41 governors with additional charge and 46th governor also counted before independence.

==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.

{{See also|Governors of India#Powers and functions|l1=Powers and functions of the Governor}}

In his ex-officio capacity, the governor of Bihar is chancellor of the universities of Bihar (at present 12) as per the Acts of the Universities.

[[File:The National Archives UK - CO 1069-129-7.jpg|thumb|Sir Hugh Dow and Sir Frederick Seaford – Dow was the last governor of Bihar under British Raj]]
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Yousuf husain.jpg|thumb|[[Zakir Husain (politician)|Zakir Hussain]] (sitting) was 4th governor of Bihar and went on to become 3rd President of India]] -->
[[File:Ram Nath Kovind welcoming Pranab Mukherjee at Patna.jpg|thumb|President [[Pranab Mukherjee]] received by Bihar Governor Ram Nath Kovind & Chief minister Nitish Kumar.]]

==List of governors ==


=== Agents, Chiefs and Governors (1650-1699) ===
In 1644 [[Gabriel Boughton]], procured privileges for the [[East India Company]] which permitted them to build a factory at [[Hooghly district|Hughli]], without fortifications. In 1650, the factories of Balasor and Hughli were united. On 14 December 1650, James Bridgman was appointed as the chief of the factories. However, in 1653, Bridgman left suddenly and Powle Waldegrave assumed his charge.

On 27 February 1657, the company resolved its holdings into four agencies:- [[Fort St. George, India|Fort St. George]], Bantam, Persia, and Hughli. George Gawton was appointed as the Agent of Hughly. Additional three factories in [[Balasore|Ballasore]], [[Cassimbazar|Cassambazar]] and [[Patna district|Pattana]] were put under the Hughly agency. In 1658, Johnathan Trevisa was appointed as the second to Gawton and was meant to succeed him after the latter's death. On 6 February 1661, the company reduced the Hughly agency under the Fort St. George, and then agent Trevisa was made the ''"Chief of Factories in the Bay of Bengal"''.
On 24 November 1681, [[William Hedges (colonial administrator)|William Hedges]] was appointed as the "Agent and Governor for the affairs of the East India Company in the Bay of Bengal".  On 21 December 1684, [[William Gyfford]] who was the President and Governor of Fort St. George was given the additional charge of Bengal due to increasing mismanagement. John Beard was appointed as the ''"Agent and Chief in the Bay of Bengal"'' and become the subordinate to Gifford.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! colspan="5" |Chief of the factories of Balasore and Hughli
|-
!Name 
!Portrait 
!Took Office
!Left Office
!Remarks
|-
|James Bridgman
|
|14 December 1650 
|1653
|
|-
|Powle Waldegrave
|
|1653
|1657
|
|-
! colspan="5" |Agent of Hughly Agency
|-
|George Gawton
|
|27 February 1657
|11 September 1658
|
|-
|John Trevisa
|
|11 September 1658
|6 February 1661
|
|-
! colspan="5" |Chief of Factories in the Bay of Bengal
|-
|John Trevisa
|
|6 February 1661
|31 January 1662
|
|-
|William Blake
|
|31 January 1662
|24 January 1668
|
|-
|[[Shem Bridges]]
|
|24 January 1668
|7 December 1669
|
|-
|Henry Powell
|
|7 December 1669
|?
|
|-
|[[Walter Clavell]]
|
|~June 1672
|7 August 1677
|Died in office
|-
|[[Matthias Vincent|Mathias Vincent]]
|
|7 September 1677
|~July 1682
<small>(position superseded)</small>
|Deposed in July 1682
|-
! colspan="5" |Agent and Governor
for the affairs of the East India Company

in the Bay of Bengal
|-
| [[William Hedges (colonial administrator)|Sir William Hedges]]
|
|24 November 1681
|~ August 1684
|Deposed in August 1864
|-
! colspan="5" |Agent and Chief in the Bay of Bengal
|-
|John Beard
|
|21 December 1863
|28 August 1865
|Died in office
|-
|[[Job Charnock]]
|
|~ April 1686
|10 January 1693
|Died in office
|-
|[[Francis Ellis (colonial administrator)|Francis Ellis]]
|
|10 January 1693
|January 1694
|
|-
|[[Charles Eyre]]
|
|25 January 1694
|1 February 1699
|Left for England in 1699
|-
|John Beard
|
|1 February 1699
|20 December 1699
<small>(position superseded)</small>
|Second to Eyre
|}

=== President and Governor of Fort William, in Bengal (1699-1705) ===
On 20 December 1699, the Court of Directors (London East India Company) declared Bengal a Presidency, and then Agent [[Charles Eyre]] was made the ''" President and Governor of Fort William, in Bengal".'' The President or Chief in the Bay of Bengal for the English East India Company was [[Edward Littleton (colonial administrator)|Sir Edward Littleton]] in whose commission and instructions, dated 12 January 1698, it was also stated that power had been obtained from his Majesty to constitute him the "Minister or Consul for the English Nation" with all powers requisite thereunto.''”''  Littleton was later deposed by the Court of Directors in 1703.

The union of the two East India Companies took place on 23 July 1702. For united trade in Bengal, a Council was appointed, of which Nathaniel Halsey and [[Robert Hedges (colonial administrator)|Robert Hedges]] were to take chair each in their week alternatively as per the dispatch from United Company on 26 February 1702. In a dispatch of 12 February 1704, it was ordered that if Beard shall die, no one will be appointed as President to succeed him. After the departure of John Beard to Madras, Ralph Sheldon assumed the position of Chief of Council, and his appointment was confirmed in a dispatch of 7 February 1706. 
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! colspan="5" |President and Governor of Fort William, in Bengal
|-
!Name
!Portrait
!Took Office
!Left Office
!Remarks
|-
|[[Charles Eyre|Sir Charles Eyre]]
|
|20 December 1699
|7 January 1701
|Left on account of health issues
|-
|John Beard
|
|7 January 1701
|7 July 1705
|Died in Office
|}

=== President in the Bay, and Governor and Commander-in-Chief for Fort William, in Bengal (1705-1774) ===
On 30 December 1709, Anthony Weldon was appointed as the ''"President in the Bay, and Governor and Commander-in-Chief for Fort William, in Bengal"'' for the United East India Company. His appointment was later revoked and was supposed to be succeeded by Sheldon. Since Sheldon had died by the time dispatch arrived in Bengal, John Russell was ordered to succeed as the Governor. By a letter of 8 May 1771, the Court appointed [[Warren Hastings]] to be Governor of Bengal. By Act of Parliament 13 Geo. III., cap. 63, the [[Presidency of Bengal|Presidency of Fort William in Bengal]] will headed by a Governor-General, and Hastings was appointed as the first Governor-General. He assumed the office on 20 October 1774.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! colspan="7" |President in the Bay, and Governor and Commander-in-Chief for Fort William, in Bengal
|-
!#
!Name
!Portrait
!Took Office
!Left Office
!Remarks
!Appointee
|-
|1
|Anthony Weldon
|
|30 December 1709
|4 March 1711
|Appointment revoked by the Court of Directors
Resigned on March 1711
| rowspan="21" |'''[[East India Company|East India<br />Company]]'''<br />[[File:Coat of arms of the East India Company.svg|65px]]
|-
|2
|John Rusell
|
|4 March 1711
|3 December 1713
|Dismissed by the Court
|-
|3
|[[Robert Hedges (colonial administrator)|Robert Hedges]]
|
|3 December 1713
|28 December 1717
|died in office
|-
|4
|Samuel Feake
|
|12 January 1718
|17 January 1723
|Left for England due to illness
|-
|5
|[[John Deane (colonial administrator)|John Deane]]
|
|17 January 1723
|30 January 1726
|Returned to England
|-
|6
|[[Henry Frankland]]
|
|30 January 1726
|25 February 1732
|Returned to Europe
|-
|7
|[[John Stackhouse (colonial administrator)|John Stackhouse]]
|
|25 February 1732
|29 January 1739
|Resigned
|-
|8
|[[Thomas Broddyll]]
|
|29 January 1739
|4 Feb 1746
|Left for England
|-
|9
|[[John Forster (colonial administrator)|John Forster]]
|
|4 Feb 1746
|March 1748
|Died in office
|-
|10
|[[William Barwell|William Barewell]]
|
|18 April 1748
|1749
|Dismissed by the Court
|-
|11
|[[Adam Dawson (colonial administrator)|Adam Dawson]]
|
|17 July 1749
|1752
|Dismissed by the Court
|-
|12
|[[William Fytche|William Fycthe]]
|[[File:Thomas Hudson (attributed) - Portrait of William Fytche of Bengal 1752.jpg|frameless|121x121px]]
|5 July 1752
|8 August 1752
|Died in Office
|-
|13
|[[Roger Drake (colonial administrator)|Roger Drake]]
|
|8 August 1752
|20 June 1758
|Deposed by the Court
|-
|14
|[[Robert Clive|Col. Robert Clive]] 
|[[File:Robert Clive, 1st Baron Clive by Nathaniel Dance, (later Sir Nathaniel Dance-Holland, Bt).jpg|frameless|127x127px]]
|27 June 1758
|23 January 1760
|Resigned
|-
|15
|[[John Zephaniah Holwell]]
|[[File:John Zephaniah Holwell.jpg|frameless|140x140px]]
|28 January 1760
|27 July 1760
|Handed over to Vansittart who was appointed on 
23 November 1759 to the office
|-
|16
|[[Henry Vansittart]]
|[[File:Henry Vansittart.jpg|frameless|123x123px]]
|27 July 1760
|26 November 1764
|Returned to England 
|-
|17
|John Spencer
|
|3 December 1764
|3 May 1765
|
|-
|18
|[[Robert Clive|The Lord Clive]]
|[[File:Robert Clive, 1st Baron Clive by Nathaniel Dance, (later Sir Nathaniel Dance-Holland, Bt).jpg|frameless|128x128px]]
|3 May 1765
|20 January 1767
|Returned to England
|-
|19
|[[Harry Verelst (colonial governor)|Harry Verelst]]
|
|29 January 1767
|24 December 1769
|Retired from the service
|-
|20
|[[John Cartier]]
|
|26 December 1769
|13 April 1772
|
|-
|21
|[[Warren Hastings]]
|[[File:Warren Hastings by Joshua Reynolds.jpg|frameless|127x127px]]
|13 April 1772
|20 October 1773
<small>(office superseded)</small>
|Appointed as the Governor-General of Fort William
in Bengal in 1773
|}

{| class="wikitable"
!Portrait
!Name
! colspan="2" |Term
!Appointer
|-
| colspan="5" |Before 1773 the Governor-General of the Presidency of Fort William was named as [[List of governors of Bengal|Governor of Bengal]] (1757–1772).
|-
! colspan="5" |'''Governors General of the Presidency of Fort William (1773–1833)'''
|-
|
|'''[[Warren Hastings]]'''
|20 October
1773
|8 February
1785
| rowspan="13" |[[East India Company]]
(1773–1858)
|-
|
|'''[[Sir John Macpherson, 1st Baronet|John Macpherson]]'''
''(acting)''
|8 February
1785
|12 September
1786
|-
|
|'''[[Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis|The Marquess Cornwallis]]'''
|12 September
1786
|28 October
1793
|-
|
|'''[[John Shore, 1st Baron Teignmouth|John Shore]]'''
|28 October
1793
|18 March
1798
|-
|
|'''[[Alured Clarke]]'''
''(acting)''
|18 March
1798
|18 May
1798
|-
|
|'''[[Richard Wellesley, 1st Marquess Wellesley|The Earl of Mornington]]'''
|18 May
1798
|30 July
1805
|-
|
|'''[[Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis|The Marquess Cornwallis]]'''
|30 July
1805
|5 October
1805
|-
|
|'''[[Sir George Barlow, 1st Baronet|Sir George Barlow, Bt]]'''
''(acting)''
|10 October
1805
|31 July
1807
|-
|
|'''[[Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 1st Earl of Minto|The Lord Minto]]'''
|31 July
1807
|4 October
1813
|-
|
|'''[[Francis Rawdon-Hastings, 1st Marquess of Hastings|The Marquess of Hastings]]'''
|4 October
1813
|9 January
1823
|-
|
|'''[[John Adam (administrator)|John Adam]]'''
''(acting)''
|9 January
1823
|1 August
1823
|-
|
|'''[[William Amherst, 1st Earl Amherst|The Lord Amherst]]'''
|1 August
1823
|13 March
1828
|-
|
|'''[[William Butterworth Bayley]]'''
''(acting)''
|13 March
1828
|4 July
1828
|-
! colspan="5" |Governors-General of India (1834–1858)
|-
|
|'''[[Lord William Bentinck]]'''
|4 July
1828
|20 March
1835
| rowspan="3" |[[East India Company]]
(1773–1858)
|-
|
|'''[[Charles Metcalfe, 1st Baron Metcalfe|Charles Metcalfe, Bt]]'''
''(acting)''
|20 March
1835
|4 March
1836
|-
|
|'''[[George Eden, 1st Earl of Auckland|The Lord Auckland]]'''
|4 March
1836
|15 November 1834
|}

=== Governors of the Presidency of Fort William in Bengal (1834-1854) ===

By an [[Saint Helena Act 1833|Act of 1833]] (3 & 4 William IV. , cap. lxxxv., Section lvi . ), it was enacted " that the Executive Government of each of the several Presidencies of [[Bengal Presidency|Fort William in Bengal]], [[Fort St. George, India|Fort St. George]], [[Bombay Presidency|Bombay]], and [[Agra]] shall be administered by a Governor and three Councilors, to be styled the Governor-in-Council of the said Presidencies of Fort William in Bengal , Fort St. George, Bombay, and Agra respectively,  and that the Governor General of India for the time being shall be Governor of the Presidency of Fort William in Bengal. From this time the Governors General of India held also the separate office of Governor of Bengal, until the year 1854. Under the ''Charter Act 1853'' the [[Governor General of India]] was relieved of his concurrent duties as Governor of Bengal and empowered to appoint a lieutenant-governor from 1854.

{| class="wikitable" width="100%" style="text-align:center;"
! colspan="6" |'''Governors of the Presidency of Fort William in Bengal'''
<small>'''''(ex-officio'' Governor-General of India, 1833-1857)'''</small>
|-
!#
!Name
<small>(birth–death)</small>
! width="100px" |Portrait
!Took office
!Left office
!Appointee
|- align="center"
|1
|[[William Bentick|The Lord William Bentick]] 
<small>(1774–1839)</small>
|[[File:Bentinck_william.png|100px]]
|15 November 1834
<small>(1833)</small>
|20 March 1835
| rowspan="7" |'''[[East India Company|East India<br />Company]]'''<br />[[File:Coat of arms of the East India Company.svg|65px]]
|- align="center"
|style="background:#e6e6aa;"| -
|style="background:#e6e6aa;"|[[Charles Metcalfe, 1st Baron Metcalfe|Sir Charles Metcalfe, Bt]], [[Indian Civil Service|ICS]]<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=Raj Bhavan Kolkata|url=http://rajbhavankolkata.nic.in/writereaddata/PDF/CHAPTERVI.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>
<small>''(acting)''</small>

<small>(1785–1846)</small>
|style="background:#e6e6aa;"|[[File:Charles_Theophilus_Metcalfe,_1st_Baron_Metcalfe_by_George_Chinnery.jpg|100px]]
|style="background:#e6e6aa;"|20 March 1835
|style="background:#e6e6aa;"|4 March 1836
|- align="center"
|2
|[[George Eden, 1st Earl of Auckland|The Lord Auckland]] <small>(1784–1849)</small>
|[[File:George_Eden,_1st_Earl_of_Auckland.png|100px]]
|4 March 1836
|28 February 1842
|- align="center"
|3
|[[Edward Law, 1st Earl of Ellenborough|The Lord Ellenborough]] <small>(1790–1871)</small>
|[[File:1stEarlOfEllenborough.jpg|100px]]
|28 February 1842
|June 1844
|- align="center"
|style="background:#e6e6aa;"| -
|style="background:#e6e6aa;"|[[William Wilberforce Bird (governor)|William Wilberforce Bird]], [[Indian Civil Service|ICS]]<ref name=":1" />
<small>''(acting)''</small>

<small>(1784–1857)</small>
|style="background:#e6e6aa;"|
|style="background:#e6e6aa;"|June 1844
|style="background:#e6e6aa;"|23 July 1844
|- align="center"
|4
|[[Henry Hardinge, 1st Viscount Hardinge|Sir Henry Hardinge]] <small>(1785–1856)</small>
|[[File:Henryhardinge.jpg|100px]]
|23 July 1844
|12 January 1848
|- align="center"
|5
|[[James Broun-Ramsay, 1st Marquess of Dalhousie|The Earl of Dalhousie]] <small>(1812–1860)</small>
|[[File:Dalhousie.jpg|100px]]
|12 January 1848
|1 May 1854
<small>(28 February 1856)</small>
|}
=== Lieutenant Governors of the Presidency of Fort William in Bengal (1854-1912) ===
Under the ''Charter Act 1853'' the [[Governor General of India]] was relieved of his concurrent duties as Governor of Bengal and a separate Governor of Bengal shall be appointed. Until then a Lieutenant Governor will be appointed. [[Frederick James Halliday|F. J. Halliday]] became the first lieutenant governor of the [[Bengal Presidency|Bengal presidency]]. William Duke served as the last lieutenant governor after which the office was superseded by the Governor of Bengal province in 1912.
{| class="wikitable" width="100%" style="text-align:center;"
! colspan="6" |Lieutenant Governors of the Presidency of Fort William in Bengal 
|-
!#
!Name
!Portrait
!Took office
!Left office
!Appointee
|-
|1
| [[Frederick James Halliday|<small></small> Frederick James Halliday]]
|[[File:Sir Frederick James Halliday.png|frameless|114x114px]]
| 1854
| 1859
|[[The Marquess of Dalhousie]]
|-
|2
| [[John Peter Grant|<small></small> John Peter Grant]]
|[[File:Sir John Peter Grant.png|frameless|115x115px]]
| 1859
| 1862
| rowspan="2" |[[Charles Canning, 1st Earl Canning|The Earl Canning]]
|-
|3
| [[Sir Cecil Beadon|<small></small> Cecil Beadon]]
|[[File:Cecil Beadon.jpg|frameless|130x130px]]
| 1862
| 1866
|-
|4
| [[Sir William Grey|<small></small> William Grey]]
|[[File:William Grey - Grant.jpg|frameless|119x119px]]
| 1867
| 1870
|[[John Lawrence, 1st Baron Lawrence|Sir John Lawrence, Bt]]
|-
|5
| [[George Campbell (1824–1892)|<small></small> George Campbell]]
|[[File:George Campbell.jpg|frameless|131x131px]]
| 1870
| 1874
|[[Richard Bourke, 6th Earl of Mayo|The Earl of Mayo]]
|-
|6
| [[Sir Richard Temple, 1st Baronet|<small></small>Sir Richard Temple Hart]]
|[[File:Richard Temple 1826-1902.jpg|frameless|145x145px]]
| 1874
| 1877
| rowspan="2" |[[Thomas Baring, 1st Earl of Northbrook|The Lord Northbrook]]
|-
|7
| [[Ashley Eden|<small></small> Sir Ashley Eden]]
|[[File:Sir Ashley Eden.png|frameless|148x148px]]
| 1877
| 1882
|-
|8
| [[Sir Augustus Thompson|<small></small> Sir Augustus Rivers Thompson]]
|[[File:Sir Augustus Rivers Thompson.png|frameless|153x153px]]
| 1882
| 1887
|[[George Robinson, 1st Marquess of Ripon|The Marquess of Ripon]]
|-
|9
| [[Steuart Bayley|<small></small> Sir Steuart Colvin Bayley]]
|[[File:Sir Steuart Colvin Bayley.png|frameless|134x134px]]
| 1887
| 1890
|[[Frederick Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 1st Marquess of Dufferin and Ava|The Earl of Dufferin]]
|-
|10
| [[Charles Alfred Elliott|<small></small> Sir Charles Alfred Elliott]]
|
| 1890
| 1893
| rowspan="2" |[[Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 5th Marquess of Lansdowne|The Marquess of Lansdowne]]
|-
|11
| [[Anthony MacDonnell|<small></small>Sir Anthony Patrick MacDonnell]]
|[[File:Antony MacDonnell.jpg|frameless|117x117px]]
| 1893
| 1895
|-
|12
| [[Alexander Mackenzie (civil servant)|<small></small> Sir Alexander Mackenzie]]
|[[File:Alexander Mackenzie Bengal.jpg|frameless|157x157px]]
| 1895
| 1897
| rowspan="3" |[[Victor Bruce, 9th Earl of Elgin|The Earl of Elgin]]
|-
|13
| [[Sir Charles Stevens|<small></small> Sir Charles Cecil Stevens]]
|
| 1897
| 1898
|-
|14
| [[John Woodburn (Bengal governor)|<small></small> Sir John Woodburn]]
|
| 1898
| 1902
|-
|15
| [[James Bourdillon|James Dewar Bourdillon]]
|
| 1902
| 1903
| rowspan="2" |[[George Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston|The Lord Curzon of Kedleston]]
|-
|16
| [[Andrew Henderson Leith Fraser|<small></small> Sir Andrew Henderson Leith Fraser]]
|[[File:Sir Andrew Fraser LCCN2014683484.jpg|frameless|128x128px]]
| 1903
| 1906
|-
|17
| [[Francis Slacke]]
|
| 1906
| 1908
| rowspan="2" |[[Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 4th Earl of Minto|The Earl of Minto]]
|-
|18
| [[Edward Norman Baker|<small></small> Sir Edward Norman Baker]]
|[[File:Edward Norman Baker.jpg|frameless|124x124px]]
| 1908
| 1911
|-
|19
| [[William Duke (colonial governor)|<small></small> Frederick William Duke]]
|
| 1911
| 1912
|[[Charles Hardinge, 1st Baron Hardinge of Penshurst|The Lord Hardinge of Penshurst]]
|}
===Lieutenant governors of Bihar and Orissa Province===

{| class="wikitable sortable"
!#
!Name
!'''Portrait'''
!Entered office
!Left office
|-
!1
|[[Charles Bayley|Sir Charles Stuart Bayley]]
|
|1912
|1915
|-
!2
|[[Edward Albert Gait|Sir Edward Albert Gait]]
|
|1915
|1918
|-
!3
|[[Edward Vere Levinge|Sir Edward Vere Levinge]] 
|
|1918
|1918
|-
! rowspan="2" |4
| rowspan="2" |[[Edward Albert Gait|Sir Edward Albert Gait]]
| rowspan="2" |
|1918
|1919
|-
|1919
|1920
|}

===Governors of Bihar and Orissa Province===

{| class="wikitable sortable"
!#
!Name
!'''Portrait'''
!Entered office
!Left office
|-
!5
|[[Satyendra Prasanna Sinha, 1st Baron Sinha|Satyendra Prasanna Sinha]]
|
|1920
|1921
|-
!6
|[[Havilland Le Mesurier (Indian Civil Service)|Havilland Le Mesurier]]
|
|1921
|1922
|-
!7
|[[Sir Henry Wheeler]]
|
|1922
|1927
|-
!8
|[[Hugh Lansdown Stephenson]]
|
|1927
|1932
|-
!9
|[[Sir James David Sifton]]
|
|1932
|1936
|}

==Governors of Bihar==
{| class="wikitable"
|+Key
|-
|bgcolor=wheat| {{*|alt=Indicates that this was an additional charge}}
| indicates that this was an additional charge or acting 
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+
! #
! Name
!'''Portrait'''
! Entered office
! Left office
! Duration
! Home State 
! Appointed by 
|-
! colspan="8" |Before Independence
|-
! 1.
|[[Sir James David Sifton]]
|[[File:No_image_available.svg|60x60px]]
| 1 April 1936
| 10 March 1937
!{{Ayd|1936|4|1|1937|3|10}}
|rowspan=9|[[United Kingdom]]
|[[Freeman Freeman-Thomas, 1st Marquess of Willingdon|Freeman Thomas]]
|-
! 2.
|[[Maurice Garnier Hallett|Sir Maurice Garnier Hallett]]
|&nbsp;
| 11 March 1937
| 15 May 1938
!{{Ayd|1937|3|11|1938|5|15}}
|rowspan=6|[[Victor Hope, 2nd Marquess of Linlithgow|Victor Hope]]
|-
|bgcolor=wheat| –
|bgcolor=wheat|[[Thomas Alexander Stewart|Sir Thomas Alexander Stewart]]
|bgcolor=wheat|[[File:No_image_available.svg|60x60px]]
|bgcolor=wheat| 15 May 1938
|bgcolor=wheat| 16 September 1938
|bgcolor=wheat|{{Ayd|1938|5|15|1938|9|16}}
|-
! (2).
|[[Maurice Garnier Hallett|Sir Maurice Garnier Hallett]]
|
| 17 September 1938
| 5 August 1939
!{{Ayd|1938|9|17|1939|8|5}}
|-
! 3.
|[[Thomas Alexander Stewart|Sir Thomas Alexander Stewart]]
|[[File:No_image_available.svg|60x60px]]
| 6 August 1939
| 2 February 1943
!{{Ayd|1939|8|6|1943|2|2}}
|-
! 4.
|[[Thomas George Rutherford|Sir Thomas George Rutherford]]
|[[File:No_image_available.svg|60x60px]]
| 3 February 1943
| 6 September 1943
!{{Ayd|1943|2|3|1943|9|6}}
|-
|bgcolor=wheat| –
|bgcolor=wheat|[[Francis Mudie|Sir Francis Mudie]]
|bgcolor=wheat|[[File:No_image_available.svg|60x60px]]
|bgcolor=wheat| 7 September 1943
|bgcolor=wheat| 23 April 1944
|bgcolor=wheat|{{Ayd|1943|9|7|1944|4|23}}
|-
! (4).
|[[Thomas George Rutherford|Sir Thomas George Rutherford]]
|[[File:No_image_available.svg|60x60px]]
| 24 April 1944
| 12 May 1946
!{{Ayd|1944|4|24|1946|5|12}}
|rowspan=2|[[Archibald Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell|Viscount Wavell]]
|-
! 5.
|[[Hugh Dow|Sir Hugh Dow]]
|[[File:No_image_available.svg|60x60px]]
| 13 May 1946
| 14 August 1947
!{{Ayd|1946|5|13|1947|8|14}}
|-
! colspan="8" |After Independence
|-
! 1.
|[[Jairamdas Daulatram]]
|[[File:Jairamdas Daulatram 1985 stamp of India.jpg|87x87px]]
| 15 August 1947
| 11 January 1948
!{{Ayd|1947|8|15|1948|1|11}}
|[[Maharashtra]]
|rowspan=2|[[Lord Mountbatten]]
|-
! 2.
|[[Madhav Shrihari Aney]]
|[[File:Madhav Shrihari Aney 2011 stamp of India.jpg|80x80px]]
| 12 January 1948
| 14 June 1952
!{{Ayd|1948|1|12|1952|6|14}}
|[[Maharashtra]]
|-
! 3.
|[[R. R. Diwakar]]
|[[File:R.R._Diwakar_April_1950_(cropped).jpg|80x80px]]
| 15 June 1952
| 5 July 1957
!{{Ayd|1952|6|15|1957|7|5}}
|[[Karnataka]]
|rowspan=3|[[Rajendra Prasad]]
|-
! 4.
|[[Zakir Husain]]
|[[File:President Zakir Husain 1998 stamp of India (cropped).jpg|81x81px]]
| 6 July 1957
| 11 May 1962
!{{Ayd|1957|7|6|1962|5|11}}
|rowspan=2|[[Andhra Pradesh]]
|-
! 5.
|[[M. A. Ayyangar]]
|[[File:M.A. Ayyangar.jpg|79x79px]]
| 12 May 1962
| 6 December 1967
!{{Ayd|1962|5|12|1967|12|6}}
|-
! 6.
|[[Nityanand Kanungo]]
| [[File:Nityananda_Kanungo.JPG|79x79px]]
| 7 December 1967
| 20 January 1971
!{{Ayd|1967|12|7|1971|1|20}}
|[[Odisha]]
|[[Zakir Husain]]
|-
|bgcolor=wheat| –
|bgcolor=wheat|[[Justice U.N. Sinha]]
|bgcolor=wheat|[[File:No_image_available.svg|60x60px]]
|bgcolor=wheat| 21 January 1971
|bgcolor=wheat| 31 January 1971
|bgcolor=wheat|{{Ayd|1971|1|21|1971|1|31}}
|bgcolor=wheat|Not Known 
|rowspan=3|[[V. V. Giri]]
|-
! 7.
|[[Dev Kant Baruah]]
|[[File:Dev Kant Baruah.jpg|63x63px]]
| 1 February 1971
| 4 February 1973
!{{Ayd|1971|2|1|1973|2|4}}
|[[Assam]]
|-
! 8.
|[[Ramchandra Dhondiba Bhandare]]
|[[File:Dr._Babasaheb_Ambedkar_was_presented_a_purse_of_Rs._1,18,000_(One_Lakh_Eighteen_Thousands)_by_Dr._R._D._Bhandare_(cropped).jpg|60x60px]]
| 4 February 1973
| 15 June 1976
!{{Ayd|1973|2|4|1976|6|15}}
|[[Maharashtra]]
|-
! 9.
|[[Jagannath Kaushal]]
|[[File:No_image_available.svg|60x60px]]
| 16 June 1976
| 31 January 1979
!{{Ayd|1976|6|13|1979|1|31}}
|[[Punjab, India|Punjab]]
|[[Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed]]
|-
|bgcolor=wheat| –
|bgcolor=wheat|[[Justice K.B.N. Singh]] 
|bgcolor=wheat|[[File:No_image_available.svg|60x60px]]
|bgcolor=wheat| 31 January 1979
|bgcolor=wheat| 19 September 1979
|bgcolor=wheat|{{Ayd|1979|1|31|1979|9|19}}
|bgcolor=wheat|Not Known 
|rowspan=2|[[Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy]]
|-
! 10.
|[[Akhlaqur Rahman Kidwai]]
|[[File:Akhlaqur Rahman Kidwai (cropped).jpg|69x69px]]
| 20 September 1979
| 15 March 1985
!{{Ayd|1979|9|20|1985|3|15}}
|[[Uttar Pradesh]]
|-
! 11.
|[[P. Venkatasubbaiah]]
|[[File:No_image_available.svg|60x60px]]
| 15 March 1985
| 25 February 1988
!{{Ayd|1985|3|15|1988|2|25}}
|[[Andhra Pradesh]]
|[[Zail Singh]]
|-
! 12.
|[[Govind Narayan Singh|Govind Narain Singh]]
|[[File:H.E._Shri_Govind_Narayan_Singh.jpg|60x60px]]
| 26 February 1988
| 24 January 1989
!{{Ayd|1988|2|25|1989|1|24}}
|[[Madhya Pradesh]]
|rowspan=8|[[R. Venkataraman]]
|-
|bgcolor=wheat| –
|bgcolor=wheat|[[Justice Dipak Kumar Sen]]
|bgcolor=wheat|[[File:No_image_available.svg|60x60px]]
|bgcolor=wheat| 24 January 1989
|bgcolor=wheat| 28 January 1989
|bgcolor=wheat|{{Ayd|1989|1|24|1989|1|28}}
|bgcolor=wheat| [[Bengal Presidency]]
|-
! 13.
|[[R.D. Pradhan]]
|[[File:R._D._Pradhan.jpg|80x80px]]
| 29 January 1989
| 2 February 1989
!{{Ayd|1989|1|29|1989|2|2}}
|[[Maharashtra]]
|-
! 14.
|[[Jagannath Pahadia]]
|[[File:Jagannath Pahadia.jpg|76x76px]]
| 3 March 1989
| 2 February 1990
!{{Ayd|1989|3|3|1990|2|2}}
|[[Rajasthan]]
|-
|bgcolor=wheat| –
|bgcolor=wheat|[[Justice G.G. Sohoni]]
|bgcolor=wheat|[[File:No_image_available.svg|60x60px]]
|bgcolor=wheat| 2 February 1990
|bgcolor=wheat| 16 February 1990
|bgcolor=wheat|{{Ayd|1990|2|2|1990|2|16}}
|bgcolor=wheat|Not Known 
|-
! 15.
|[[Mohammad Saleem (Governor)|Mohammad Saleem]]
|[[File:No_image_available.svg|60x60px]]
| 16 February 1990
| 13 February 1991
!{{Ayd|1990|2|16|1991|2|13}}
|[[Uttar Pradesh]]
|-
|bgcolor=wheat| –
|bgcolor=wheat|[[B. Satya Narayan Reddy]]
|bgcolor=wheat|[[File:No_image_available.svg|60x60px]]
|bgcolor=wheat| 14 February 1991
|bgcolor=wheat| 18 March 1991
|bgcolor=wheat|{{Ayd|1991|2|14|1991|3|18}}
|[[Andhra Pradesh]]
|-
! 16.
|[[Mohammad Shafi Qureshi]]
|[[File:Mohammad Shafi Qureshi, Governor of Madhya Pradesh (cropped).jpg|77x77px]]
| 19 March 1991
| 13 August 1993
!{{Ayd|1991|3|19|1993|8|13}}
|[[Jammu and Kashmir (state)|Jammu and Kashmir]]
|-
! (10).
|[[Akhlaqur Rahman Kidwai]]
|[[File:Akhlaqur Rahman Kidwai (cropped).jpg|69x69px]]
| 14 August 1993
| 26 April 1998
!{{Ayd|1993|8|14|1998|4|26}}
|[[Uttar Pradesh]]
|[[Shankar Dayal Sharma]]
|-
! 17.
|[[Sunder Singh Bhandari]]
|[[File:No_image_available.svg|60x60px]]
| 27 April 1998
| 15 March 1999
!{{Ayd|1998|4|27|1999|3|15}}
|[[Rajasthan]]
|rowspan=4|[[K. R. Narayan]]
|-
|bgcolor=wheat| –
|bgcolor=wheat|[[Justice B.M. Lall]] 
|bgcolor=wheat|[[File:No_image_available.svg|60x60px]]
|bgcolor=wheat| 15 March 1999
|bgcolor=wheat| 5 October 1999
|bgcolor=wheat|{{Ayd|1999|3|15|1999|10|5}}
|bgcolor=wheat|Not Known 
|-
|bgcolor=wheat|—
|bgcolor=wheat|[[Suraj Bhan]]
|bgcolor=wheat|[[File:Suraj Bhan.jpg|75x75px]]
|bgcolor=wheat| 6 October 1999
|bgcolor=wheat| 22 November 1999
|bgcolor=wheat|{{Ayd|1999|10|6|1999|11|22}}
|bgcolor=wheat|[[Haryana]]
|-
! 18.
|[[V. C. Pande]]
|[[File:No_image_available.svg|60x60px]]
| 23 November 1999
| 12 June 2003
!{{Ayd|1999|11|23|2003|6|12}}
|[[Jammu and Kashmir (state)|Jammu and Kashmir]]
|-
! 19.
|[[M R Jois|M. Rama Jois]]
|[[File:Rama Jois.jpg|60x60px]]
| 12 June 2003
| 31 October 2004
!{{Ayd|2003|6|12|2004|10|31}}
|[[Karnataka]]
|rowspan=5|[[A. P. J. Abdul Kalam]]
|-
|bgcolor=wheat| –
|bgcolor=wheat|[[Ved Prakash Marwah]] 
|bgcolor=wheat|[[File:No_image_available.svg|60x60px]]
|bgcolor=wheat| 1 November 2004
|bgcolor=wheat| 4 November 2004
|bgcolor=wheat|{{Ayd|2004|11|1|2004|11|4}}
|bgcolor=wheat|[[North-West Frontier Province]]
|-
! 20.
|[[Buta Singh]]
|[[File:Buta Singh at DJ Sheizwoods house (11) (cropped).jpg|71x71px]]
| 5 November 2004
| 29 January 2006
!{{Ayd|2004|11|5|2006|1|29}}
|[[Rajasthan]]
|-
|bgcolor=wheat| -
|bgcolor=wheat|[[Gopalkrishna Gandhi]]
|bgcolor=wheat|[[File:Gopalkrishna Gandhi - Chatham House 2010.jpg|60x60px]]
|bgcolor=wheat| 31 January 2006
|bgcolor=wheat| 21 June 2006
|bgcolor=wheat|{{Ayd|2006|1|31|2006|6|21}}
|bgcolor=wheat|[[National Capital Territory of Delhi]]
|-
! 21.
|[[R. S. Gavai]]
|[[File:R. S. Gavai.jpg|69x69px]]
| 22 June 2006
| 9 July 2008
!{{Ayd|2006|6|22|2008|7|9}}
|[[Maharashtra]]
|-
! 22.
|[[R. L. Bhatia]]
|[[File:R. L. Bhatia.jpg|70x70px]]
| 10 July 2008
| 28 June 2009
!{{Ayd|2008|7|10|2009|6|28}}
|[[Punjab, India|Punjab]]
|rowspan=2|[[Pratibha Patil]]
|-
! 23.
|[[Devanand Konwar]]
|[[File:Pranab Mukherjee attending the Launching Ceremony of Agriculture Road Map of Bihar (2012-2017), at Patna, in Bihar. The Governor of Bihar, Shri Devanand Konwar and the Chief Minister of Bihar, Shri Nitish Kumar are also seen (cropped).jpg|84x84px]]
| 29 June 2009
| 21 March 2013
!{{Ayd|2009|6|29|2013|3|21}}
|[[Assam]]
|-
! 24.
|[[D. Y. Patil]]
|[[File:Shri D.Y. Patil (cropped, 3x4).jpg|80x80px]]
| 22 March 2013
| 26 November 2014
!{{Ayd|2013|3|22|2014|9|26}}
|[[Maharashtra]]
|rowspan=4|[[Pranab Mukherjee]]
|-
|bgcolor=wheat| —
|bgcolor=wheat|[[Keshari Nath Tripathi]]
|bgcolor=wheat|[[File:Keshari Nath Tripathi - Kolkata 2016-07-01 5591.JPG|90x90px]]
|bgcolor=wheat| 27 November 2014
|bgcolor=wheat| 15 August 2015
|bgcolor=wheat|{{Ayd|2014|11|27|2015|8|15}}
|rowspan=6|[[Uttar Pradesh]]
|-
! 25.
|[[Ram Nath Kovind]]
|[[File:Ram Nath Kovind official portrait.jpg|74x74px]]
| 16 August 2015
| 20 June 2017<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://presidentofindia.nic.in/profile.htm|title=Profile of the President of India|website=presidentofindia.nic.in|language=en|access-date=2018-01-12}}</ref>
!{{Ayd|2015|8|16|2017|6|20}}
|-
|bgcolor=wheat| —
|bgcolor=wheat|[[Keshari Nath Tripathi]]
|bgcolor=wheat|[[File:Keshari Nath Tripathi - Kolkata 2016-07-01 5591.JPG|90x90px]]
|bgcolor=wheat| 20 June 2017<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/ram-nath-kovind-resigns-as-bihar-governor/article19108472.ece|title=Ram Nath Kovind resigns as Bihar Governor|date=2017-06-20|work=The Hindu|access-date=2018-01-12|agency=PTI|language=en-IN|issn=0971-751X}}</ref>
|bgcolor=wheat| 29 September 2017
|bgcolor=wheat|{{Ayd|2017|6|20|2017|9|29}}
|-
! 26.
|[[Satya Pal Malik]]
|[[File:Governor of Bihar Satya Pal Malik.jpg|60x60px]]
| 30 September 2017<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/who-is/who-is-satya-pal-malik-bihar-governor-4868075/|title=Who is Satya Pal Malik?|date=2017-09-30|work=The Indian Express|access-date=2018-01-12|language=en-US}}</ref>
| 23 August 2018
!{{Ayd|2017|9|30|2018|8|23}}
|rowspan=3|[[Ramnath Kovind]]
|-
!27.
|[[Lalji Tandon]]
|[[File:The Governor of Bihar, Shri Lalji Tandon in New Delhi on August 28, 2018 (cropped).JPG|60x60px]]
|23 August 2018<ref>{{cite news |title=Lalji Tandon sworn in as Bihar Governor |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/lalji-tandon-sworn-in-as-bihar-governor/article24758631.ece |work=The Hindu|date=23 August 2018 |language=en-IN}}</ref>
|28 July 2019
!{{Ayd|2018|8|23|2019|7|28}}
|-
!28.
|[[Phagu Chauhan]]
|[[File:Phagu Chauhan.jpg|80x80px]]
|29 July 2019
|13 February 2023
!{{Ayd|2019|7|29|2023|2|13}}
|-
!29.
|[[Rajendra Arlekar|Rajendra Viswanath Arlekar]]
|[[File:Rajendra Arlekar.jpg|70x70px]]
|14 February 2023
|1 January 2025
!{{Ayd|2023|2|14|2025|1|1}}
|[[Goa]]
|rowspan=2|[[Droupadi Murmu]]
|-
!30.
|[[Arif Mohammad Khan]]
|[[File:Governor Arif Mohammad Khan.jpg|70x70px]]
|2 January 2025
|''Incumbent''
!{{Ayd|2025|1|2}}
|[[Uttar Pradesh]]
|-
|}

==See also==
*[[Governor (India)]]
*[[Chief Minister of Bihar]]
*[[List of governors of Bihar and Orissa Province]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://governor.bih.nic.in Bihar governor website]

{{Government of Bihar}}
{{Governor of Bihar}}
{{Current Indian governors}}
{{Administrators of provinces in British India}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:List of Governors of Bihar}}
[[Category:Governors of Bihar| ]]
[[Category:Lists of governors of Indian states|Bihar]]
[[Category:Bihar-related lists|Governors]]