← 1877 1876 1875 1878 in India → 1879 1880 1881
Centuries:	17th 18th 19th 20th 21st
Decades:	1850s 1860s 1870s 1880s 1890s
See also:	List of years in India Timeline of Indian history

Events in the year 1878 in India.

Incumbents

• Empress of India – Queen Victoria
• Viceroy of India – Robert Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Earl of Lytton

Events

• National income - ₹3,960 million
• 20 September – The Hindu, an Indian newspaper, was founded.

Law

• Vernacular Press Act^[1]
• Indian Treasure Trove Act
• Sea Customs Act
• Dentists Act (British statute)
• Elders' Widows' Fund (India) Act (British statute)
• Territorial Waters Jurisdiction Act (British statute)

Births

• 21 February – The Mother (Mirra Alfassa), multi-origined spiritual leader and founder of Auroville in India (d. 1973)
• 27 November – Jatindramohan Bagchi, poet (d. 1948).
• 10 December – C. Rajagopalachari, Indian politician and freedom-fighter. (d. 1972)