Provinces of British India

In 1858 the control of British India was transferred to the Crown whose representative was the Governor-General otherwise known as the Viceroy. The land was divided into Provinces under local administrations. At the turn of the 20th century there were eight major or Regulation Provinces which comprised the older provinces which had enjoyed a longer period of settled government. They were headed by a Governor or Lieutenant-Governor and were: Bengal, Madras, Bombay, United Provinces, Central Provinces, Punjab and Assam.