A short note on the claim to paramountcy.
Answers
The British East India company pursued and has aggressive policy by evaluating territorial expansion from the early 18th century.
In addition to this, it comes under new policy as the paramountcy was launched in India.
Under this policy, company claimed with right authority and supreme things have been considered.
Answer
The claim to paramountcy
It is clear from the above that from the early nineteenth
century the Company pursued an aggressive policy of
territorial expansion. Under Lord Hastings (Governor-
General from 1813 to 1823) a new policy of "paramountcy"
was initiated. Now the Company claimed that its authority
was paramount or supreme, hence its power was greater
than that of Indian states. In order to protect its interests
It was justified in annexing or threatening to annex
any Indian kingdom. This view continued to guide later
British policies as well.
This process, however, did not go unchallenged. For
example, when the British tried to annex the small state
of Kitoor (in Karnataka today), Rani Channamma took
to arms and led an anti-British resistance movement.
She was arrested in 1824 and died in prison in 1829.
But Rayanna, a poor chowkidar of Sangoli in Kitoor,
carried on the resistance. With popular support he
destroyed many British camps and records. He was
caught and hanged by the British in 1830. You will
read more about several cases of resistance later in
the book.