Explain the three annexation policies of the British? class 8
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Answer:
Doctrine of Lapse: Dalhousie, the last of the Governors General of the time of the Company was associated with this policy of the Doctrine of Lapse. By using this policy as a means, Dalhousie annexed the native states like Satara, Nagpur, Jhansi, Jaitpur and Sambhalpur. By denying the right of adoption to a Hindu native state as legitimate one, the British Governor General Dalhousie annexed the above native states to the British Empire in India.
His policy resulted in a political upheaval which threatened to destroy the solid foundations of the Company’s rule in India in 1857, because his annexationist policy based on the Doctrine of Lapse has no legal, moral or expediency justification.
Subsidiary Alliance: Besides the tool of war, the British East India Company, like a hungry wolf was anxiously waiting to use any means to expand its territorial holdings in India. Of such means Subsidiary Alliance is one. It is Wellesley, the Governor General of Bengal, who vigorously implemented this policy for the advantage of the company. Though, Wellesley is associated with Subsidiary Alliance, the author and originator was not Wellesley but Dupleix, the French Governor. Dupleix devised it and implemented it and later the same was followed by the British from Clive to Wellesley.
Annexation on the Pretext of Mismanagement-This pretext was used to take over an Indian state on the grounds that it was not being managed well.Awadh was annexed this way.
Any three annexation policies of the British are-
a. The doctrine of the lapse-The doctrine of lapse was a policy by the east India company. It said that the state-owned of any Indian Ruler would be taken over by the English ruler in the absence of a natural heir of the ruler.
b. The subsidiary alliance system - the main feature of this annexation policy was that any Indian ruler entering into a subsidiary alliance was not allowed to negotiate and before settling a treaty with another Indian ruler, the ruler had to consult the English.
c. The pretext of mismanagement - The English would take over the states claiming on the grounds of mismanagement. Awadh is an example of this policy.