From the independence of India in 1947 to the present day, sixteen individuals have served as head of state of India. The current head of state of India is Droupadi Murmu, elected in 2022 after being nominated by the National Democratic Alliance.
The first major empire to use such a title was the Mughal Empire, whose emperors formally used the title Emperor of Hindustan after Babur defeated Ibrahim Khan Lodi at the First Battle of Panipat in 1526 A.D. When the Mughal Empire started fracturing and declining after the death of Aurangzeb in 1707, the dominant power in the Indian subcontinent became the Maratha Empire, who were looked upon as the ceremonial rulers of the entire Indian subcontinent by outside powers and smaller rulers within India. By 1818 after the Marathas were overthrown, the governor-generals of the East India Company carried the title "Emperor of India". After the British Raj was formed in 1857, following the abolishment of the Company Raj, the monarchs assumed the same title until 1947, when India won Dominion status after it's fight for independence.
From 1947 to 1950, the head of state under the Indian Independence Act 1947 was the of India, 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.
Emperor of Hindustan (1526–1540/1556–1857) Used from the start of the empire after Babur's victory at Panipat till the end of the empire after Bahadur Shah Zafar's exile to Burma in 1857.
Legend:
No.PortraitTitular NameBirth NameBirthReignDeathGrand Vizier1BaburZahir ud-Din Muhammad14 February 1483 Andijan21 April 1526 – 26 December 153026 December 1530 (aged 47) AgraMir Khalifa2HumayunNasir ud-Din Muhammad6 March 1508 Kabul26 December 1530 – 17 May 1540
22 February 1555 – 27 January 155627 January 1556 (aged 47) DelhiQaracha Khan3Akbar I Jalal ud-Din Muhammad15 October 1542 Umerkot11 February 1556 – 27 October 160527 October 1605 (aged 63) AgraBairam KhanMunim KhanAtaga KhanMunim KhanMuzaffar Khan TurbatiTodar MalAbdul RahimAbu'l-FazlMirza Koka4JahangirNur ud-Din Muhammad31 August 1569 Agra3 November 1605 – 28 October 162728 October 1627 (aged 58) BhimberSharif KhanI'timad-ud-DaulaAsaf Khan5Shah Jahan IShihab ud-Din Muhammad5 January 1592 Lahore19 January 1628 – 31 July 165822 January 1666 (aged 74) AgraWazir KhanAzam KhanAfzal KhanIslam KhanSa'dullah KhanMu'azzam KhanJafar Khan6Aurangzeb
Alamgir IMuhi al-Din Muhammad3 November 1618 Dahod, Gujarat31 July 1658 – 3 March 17073 March 1707 (aged 88) AhmednagarFazil KhanJafar KhanAsad Khan7Azam ShahQutb ud-Din Muhammad28 June 1653 Burhanpur14 March – 20 June 170720 June 1707 (aged 53) Agra8Bahadur Shah I
Shah Alam IMirza Muhammad Mu'azzam14 October 1643 Burhanpur19 June 1707 – 27 February 171227 February 1712 (aged 68) LahoreMun'im Khan9Jahandar ShahMuiz ud-Din Muhammad9 May 1661 Deccan27 February 1712 – 11 February 171312 February 1713 (aged 51) DelhiHidayatullah KhanZulfiqar Khan10FarrukhsiyarMuin al-Din Muhammad20 August 1685 Aurangabad11 February 1713 – 28 February 171919 April 1719 (aged 33) DelhiQutb-ul-Mulk11Rafi ud-DarajatShams al-Din Muhammad1 December 169928 February 1719 – 6 June 17196 June 1719 (aged 19) Agra12Shah Jahan IIRafi al-Din Muhammad5 January 16966 June 1719 – 17 September 171918 September 1719 (aged 23) Agra13Muhammad ShahNasir al-Din Muhammad7 August 1702 Ghazni27 September 1719 – 26 April 174826 April 1748 (aged 45) DelhiAmin KhanNizam-ul-MulkRoshan-ud-DaulaItimad-ud-Daula14Ahmad Shah BahadurMujahid al-Din Muhammad23 December 1725 Delhi29 April 1748 – 2 June 17541 January 1775 (aged 49) DelhiShuja-ud-DaulaIntizam-ud-Daula15Alamgir IIAziz al-Din Muhammad6 June 1699 Burhanpur3 June 1754 – 29 November 175929 November 1759 (aged 60) DelhiImad-ul-Mulk16Shah Jahan IIIMuhi al-Millat171110 December 1759 – 10 October 17601772 (aged 60–61)17Shah Alam IIJalal al-Din Muhammad Ali Gauhar25 June 1728 Delhi10 October 1760 – 31 July 178819 November 1806 (aged 78) DelhiShuja-ud-DaulaMajad-ud-Daula Abdul Ahad Khan KashmiriMirza Najaf KhanAfrasiyab KhanMahadaji Shinde18Shah Jahan IVBidar Bakht Mahmud Shah Bahadur Shah Jahan IV1749 Delhi31 July 1788 – 11 October 17881790 (aged 40–41) Delhi17*Shah Alam IIJalal al-Din Muhammad Ali Gauhar25 June 1728 Delhi16 October 1788 – 19 November 180619 November 1806 (aged 78) DelhiDaulat Rao ShindePosition Dissolved19Akbar Shah IIMuin al-Din Muhammad22 April 1760 Mukundpur19 November 1806 – 28 September 183728 September 1837 (aged 77) Delhi20Bahadur Shah II ZafarAbu Zafar Siraj al-Din Muhammad24 October 1775 Delhi28 September 1837 – 21 September 18577 November 1862 (aged 87) Rangoon
Sultan of Hindustan (1540–1556) No.PictureNameBirth dateDeath dateReignNotes1Sher Shah Suri (شیر شاہ سوری)1472 or 148622 May 154517 May 1540Majumdar, R.C. (ed.) (2007). The Mughul Empire, Mumbai: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, , p.83 — 22 May 15452Islam Shah Suri (اسلام شاہ سوری)150722 November 155426 May 1545 — 22 November 1554Majumdar, R.C. (ed.) (2007). The Mughul Empire, Mumbai: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, , pp.90–93Son of Sher Shah Suri.3N/AFiruz Shah Suri (فیروز شاہ سوری)4 May 154222 November – December 1554December 1554Majumdar, R.C. (ed.) (2007). The Mughul Empire, Mumbai: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, , p.94Son of Islam Shah Suri.4Muhammad Adil Shah (محمد عادل شاہ)unknown1557December 1554 – January 1555 — 1555Majumdar, R.C. (ed.) (2007). The Mughul Empire, Mumbai: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, , pp.94–96Son-in-law of Sher Shah Suri.5Ibrahim Shah Suri (ابراہیم شاہ سوری)unknown1567/1568January – February 1555Brothers-in-law of Sher Shah Suri.6Sikandar Shah Suri (سکندر شاہ سوری)unknown1559February 1555 — 22 June 15557N/AAdil Shah Suri (عادل شاہ سوری)unknownApril 155722 June 1555 — 1556Brother of Sikandar Shah Suri.
Chhatrapati of India (1674–1818) No.PortraitTitular NameBirth NameReign1ShivajiShivaji Shahajiraje Bhonsle6 June 1674 – 3 April 16802SambhajiSambhaji Shivajiraje Bhonsle16 January 1681 – 11 March 16893Rajaram IRamaraja Fateh Shah Bhonsle11 March 1689 – 3 March 17004Shivaji IIShivaji Shah Fateh Ramaraja Bhonsle3 March 1700 – 12 January 17085Shahu IShahu Sambhaji Rajshah Bhonsle12 January 1708 – 15 December 17496Rajaram IIRamaraja Shahu Khan Bhonsle15 December 1749 – 11 December 17777Shahu IIShahu Ramaraja Khan Bhonsle11 December 1777 – 3 May 18088Pratap SinghFateh Singh Pratap Khan Bhonsle3 May 1808 – 3 June 1818
Emperor of India (1876–1947) After the Indian Rebellion of 1857, power was transferred from the British East India Company to the British Empire. The King/Queen of the United Kingdom also adopted the additional title of Emperor/Empress of India. PortraitNameReignConsortImperial DurbarRoyal HouseVictoria1 May 1876 – 22 January 1901None1 January 1877 (represented by Lord Lytton)Hanover22 January 1901 – 6 May 1910Alexandra of Denmark1 January 1903 (represented by Lord Curzon)Saxe-Coburg and GothaGeorge V6 May 1910 – 20 January 1936Mary of Teck12 December 1911Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Windsor20 January 1936 – 11 December 1936NoneNoneWindsorGeorge VI11 December 1936 – 15 August 1947George VI retained the title "Emperor_of_India" until 22 June 1948.Elizabeth Bowes-LyonNoneWindsor
Governor-General The Governor-General was the representative of the British 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. PortraitGovernor-General or ViceroyTerm of officeSecretary of State Appointed by Queen Victoria Charles Canning, 2nd Viscount CanningCreated Earl Canning 1859.18581862 Lord Stanley Charles WoodJames Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin18621863Charles WoodRobert Napier 18631863William Denison 18631864Sir John Lawrence, 1st Baronet18641869 Charles Wood George Robinson, Earl de Grey Viscount Cranborne Stafford Northcote George Campbell, 8th Duke of ArgyllRichard Bourke, 6th Earl of Mayo18691872George Campbell, 8th Duke of ArgyllJohn Strachey 18721872Francis Napier, 10th Lord Napier 18721872Thomas Baring, 2nd Baron Northbrook18721876 George Campbell, 8th Duke of Argyll Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of SalisburyRobert Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Earl of Lytton18761880 Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury Gathorne Gathorne-Hardy, Viscount Cranbrook Marquess of HartingtonGeorge Robinson, 1st Marquess of Ripon18801884 Marquess of Hartington John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of KimberleyFrederick Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 1st Earl of Dufferin18841888 John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley Lord Randolph Churchill John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley R. A. Cross, 1st Viscount CrossHenry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 5th Marquess of Lansdowne18881894 R. A. Cross, 1st Viscount Cross John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley Henry FowlerVictor Bruce, 9th Earl of Elgin 18941899 Henry Fowler Lord George HamiltonGeorge Curzon, 1st Baron Curzon of KedlestonOliver Russell, 2nd Baron Ampthill was acting Governor-General in 1904.18991905 Lord George Hamilton William St John Brodrick Appointed by Edward VII Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 4th Earl of Minto19051910 William St John Brodrick John Morley Robert Crewe-Milnes, Earl of Crewe Appointed by George V Charles Hardinge, 1st Baron Hardinge of Penshurst19101916 Robert Crewe-Milnes, Earl of Crewe John Morley, 1st Viscount Morley of Blackburn Robert Crewe-Milnes, 1st Marquess of Crewe Austen ChamberlainFrederic Thesiger, 1st Viscount Chelmsford19161921 Austen Chamberlain Edwin MontaguRufus Isaacs, 1st Marquess of Reading19211926 Edwin Montagu William Peel, Viscount Peel Sydney Olivier, 1st Baron Olivier F. E. Smith, 1st Earl of BirkenheadE. F. L. Wood, 1st Baron Irwin19261931 F. E. Smith, 1st Earl of Birkenhead William Peel, Viscount PeelGeorge Goschen, 2nd Viscount Goschen 1929 1929 William Peel, Viscount Peel, William Wedgwood BennFreeman Freeman-Thomas, 1st Earl of Willingdon19311936 William Wedgwood Benn Samuel Hoare Lawrence Dundas, 2nd Marquess of Zetland Appointed by Edward VIII Victor Hope, 2nd Marquess of Linlithgow19361943 Lawrence Dundas, 2nd Marquess of Zetland Leo Amery Appointed by George VI Archibald Wavell, 1st Viscount Wavell19431947 Leo Amery Frederick Pethick-Lawrence, 1st Baron Pethick-LawrenceLouis Mountbatten, 1st Viscount Mountbatten of Burma19471947 Frederick Pethick-Lawrence, 1st Baron Pethick-Lawrence William Hare, 5th Earl of Listowel
Monarch of the Dominion of India (1947–1950) Head of State during the Dominion of India. The succession to the throne was the same as the succession to the British throne. No.PortraitMonarchReignRoyal HousePrime MinisterGovernor GeneralReign startReign end1George VI 1947 1950WindsorNehru Mountbatten Rajagopalachari
Governor-General 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.PortraitGovernor-GeneralTenurePrime MinisterTook officeLeft office Appointed by George VI 1 The Rt. Hon. The Earl Mountbatten of Burma 1947 1948Jawaharlal Nehru 2 Chakravarti Rajagopalachari 1948 1950
President of India (1950–present) Under the Constitution of the Republic of India, the president replaced the monarch as head of state. The president is elected by Electoral College of India for a five-year term. In the event of a vacancy, the vice president serves as acting president.
Status