Which Governor General of India decided that English would be the main medium of instruction for education in India, following Macaulay's famous Minute of 1835?

Introduction / Context:
During the early nineteenth century the British administration in India debated whether education should be promoted through classical Oriental languages like Sanskrit and Persian or through English. The final decision in favour of English as the main medium for higher education had far reaching consequences. This question asks which Governor General took the formal step of making English the medium of instruction, based on Macaulay's Minute of 1835.

Given Data / Assumptions:
We know that Macaulay wrote a famous Minute on Education in 1835 advocating English education. The options list several Governor Generals: Wellesley, Hardinge, Dalhousie, Lord William Bentinck, and Amherst. We assume the learner understands that the decision was implemented through a resolution passed by the Governor General in Council and that this happened in the mid 1830s. Our task is to match that resolution with the correct Governor General.

Concept / Approach:
Thomas Babington Macaulay was a member of the Supreme Council of India. In his Minute he argued that English education would create a class of Indians who could act as intermediaries between the British rulers and the Indian population. Lord William Bentinck, who was Governor General at that time, accepted Macaulay's recommendations and passed a resolution in 1835 making English the medium of higher education and allocating funds to English based institutions. Therefore it is Bentinck who is held responsible for this policy decision.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Note the key date 1835 associated with Macaulay's Minute on Education. Step 2: Recall that Lord William Bentinck served as Governor General from 1828 to 1835. Step 3: Recognise that he accepted Macaulay's arguments and issued the resolution on English education. Step 4: Check the other options. Wellesley served earlier, Hardinge and Dalhousie served later, and Amherst does not match the date 1835. Step 5: Conclude that Lord William Bentinck is the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
Standard works on the history of education in British India clearly state that the English Education Act of 1835 was implemented under Lord William Bentinck. They describe Macaulay's Minute as a key document that influenced Bentinck's decision. Timelines of Governor Generals also show that Bentinck was in office exactly at the time when this policy was adopted, leaving no doubt about his role.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Lord Wellesley is wrong because his focus was on founding institutions like Fort William College and expanding British control, not on the 1835 English education policy. Lord Hardinge and Lord Dalhousie served after 1835 and dealt with other reforms. Lord Amherst was Governor General just before Bentinck and did not implement Macaulay's Minute. None of them are historically credited with the decision to make English the medium of instruction.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes confuse Macaulay with the Governor General himself and may try to pick a name that feels most British or familiar. Others think Dalhousie introduced most modern reforms and therefore might also have done this. To avoid such errors, remember the simple pair Macaulay's Minute 1835 and Bentinck's resolution 1835, which together shaped English education policy in colonial India.

Final Answer:
English was made the main medium of instruction in India under Lord William Bentinck.