Francis Rawdon-Hastings, 1st Marquess of Hastings
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Francis Rawdon-Hastings, 1st Marquess of Hastings, 2nd Earl of Moira (9 December 1754 - 28 November 1826) was a British politician and military officer who served as Governor-General of India from 1813 to 1823.
Hastings was born in County Down, the son of John Rawdon, 1st Earl of Moira and Elizabeth Hastings, Baroness Hastings. He joined the British army in 1771 and served in the American Revolution. He succeeded his father as Earl of Moira in 1793. Becoming a Whig in politics, he entered the government of All The Talents in 1806 as Master-General of the Ordnance, but resigned upon the fall of the ministry the next year.
Being a close associate of the Prince-Regent, it was through his influence that Moira was appointed Governor-General of India in 1813. His tenure as Governor-General was a memorable one, seeing a victorious war against the Gurkhas of Nepal in 1816, the final conquest of the Marathas in 1818, and the purchase of the island of Singapore in 1819. His domestic policy in India was also largely successful, seeing the repair of the Mogul canal system in Delhi as well as educational and administrative reforms. He was raised to the rank of Marquess of Hastings in 1817.
Hastings' tenure in India ended due to a financial scandal in 1823, and he returned to England, being appointed Governor of Malta in 1824. He died at sea off Naples two years later.
On July 12 1804, he married Flora Campbell (daughter of Maj.-Gen. James Campbell, 5th Earl of Loudoun and Flora Macleod) and had four children:
- Sophia Frederica Christina Rawdon-Hastings (d. 28 December 1859)
- Selina Constance Rawdon-Hastings (d. 8 November 1867)
- Flora Elizabeth Rawdon-Hastings (11 February 1806–5 July 1839)
- George Augustus Francis Rawdon-Hastings, 2nd Marquess of Hastings (4 February 1808–13 January 1844)
| Preceded by: The Earl of Chatham | Master-General of the Ordnance 1806–1807 | Succeeded by: The Earl of Chatham |
| Preceded by: The Lord Minto | Governor-General of India 1813–1823 | Succeeded by: John Adam |
| Preceded by: Sir George Nugent | Commander-in-Chief, India 1813–1823 | Succeeded by: Sir Edward Paget |