Correct Option
Lord Canning served as the Governor-General of India from 1856 to 1862. He held this position during the Sepoy Mutiny, also known as the Revolt of 1857. Following the suppression of the revolt and the enactment of the Government of India Act, 1858, he was appointed the first Viceroy of India. This act marked the end of the East India Company's rule and the direct assumption of governance by the British Crown. His post-revolt policies were generally conciliatory, including granting amnesty to certain rebels and introducing reforms such as the Indian Councils Act of 1861, which allowed for the inclusion of Indians in legislative councils.
Incorrect Options
Lord Dalhousie was the Governor-General of India from 1848 to 1856. His tenure concluded just prior to the outbreak of the Sepoy Mutiny in 1857.
Lord Hardinge served as the Governor-General from 1844 to 1848, which was well before the period of the Sepoy Mutiny.
Lord Lytton held the position of Viceroy of India from 1876 to 1880. His tenure was significantly later than the Sepoy Mutiny, and he was a Viceroy, not a Governor-General, during the period of the revolt.