UPSC Mains Daily Questions » Daily Answer Writing Challenge-10th October

Daily Answer Writing Challenge-10th October

Q1. Discuss the role of the Subsidiary Alliance in the expansion of British territories in India.   (150 words, 10 Marks) 

Approach: 

  • Introduction: Briefly explain the Subsidiary Alliance. 
  • Body:  
    • Discuss how it helped the British expansion.  
    • Mention the name of the States that accepted the Subsidiary Alliance. 
  • Conclusion: Conclude by mentioning the significance of the Subsidiary Alliance. 

Answer: 

Subsidiary Alliance was a system brought into fashion by Lord Wellesley in 1798. In doing so, this  system asserted British dominance in India while simultaneously saving India from Napoleon’s  threat. 

Role of Subsidiary Alliance on the Expansion of British Territories in India:

  • Subsidiary Alliance was the Trojan Horse of Empire building, disarming India and making it a  protectorate of the British Empire.  
  • Every Indian state that accepted the Subsidiary Alliance was represented by the Governor General by proxy, which precluded the princes from pursuing any measures or forming any  confederacy against the British.  
  • As a result, the Company was able to maintain an army at the expense of Indian states.  
  • The British had control of strategic and key positions in India due to their placement in the  capitals of the Indian states.  
  • A Subsidiary ally was required to dismiss all Frenchmen from his service under the Subsidiary  System, which helped the Company counter French moves in India effectively.  
  • It acted as an arbitrator in interstate disputes. All direct contact between Indian states and  foreign powers was blocked.  
  • In addition to the very well-compensated officers commanding the Subsidiary force, the British  Residents enjoyed considerable influence over the affairs of the Indian states, which put great  power in the hands of the Company’s authorities in India.  
  • Indian states granted the Company territories in the form of full sovereignty, and it expanded  its domains in the country.  

States that Accepted Subsidiary Alliance: 

  • The Subsidiary Alliance was first accepted in 1798 by the Nizam of Hyderabad.  
  • Among the other states that accepted the Subsidiary Alliance were the Ruler of Mysore (1799),  the Raja of Tanjore (October 1799), the Nawab of Awadh (November 1801), the Peshwa (December  1801), the Bhonsle Raja of Berar (December 1803), the Sindhias (February 1804), the Rajput  states of Jodhpur, Jaipur, Macheri, Bundi and the Ruler of Bharatpur.

Thus, the Subsidiary Alliance was essentially a treaty between the British East India Company and  the princely states of India, through which the English gained control over the Indian kingdoms and  expanded British territory in India. Many Indian states lost their independence, and gradually the  majority of India came under British rule.