Late 18th century British ideology of expansion changed. Write about the
changes on the basis of subsidiary alliance and doctrine of lapse
Answers
Answer:
A subsidiary alliance, in South Asian history, was a tributary alliance between an Indian state and a European East India Company. The system of subsidiary alliances was pioneered by the French East India Company governor Joseph François Dupleix, who in the late 1740s established treaties with the Nizam of Hyderabad and other Indian princes in the Carnatic.[1]
Subsidiary Alliance- The Subsidiary Alliance system was a method perfected by Lord Wellesley to subjugate Indian powers without the cost and botheration of war. Any Indian ruler, whose security was threatened, was encouraged to seek help and enter into an alliance with the English, who promised to protect the ruler from external attacks and internal revolts. The Indian ruler had to accept certain terms and conditions. This arrangement was known as Subsidiary Alliance.
The doctrine of Lapse- It was a policy of the British East India Company under which if the ruler of a princely state or territory under the paramountcy of the Company died without a natural heir, the state/territory would automatically be annexed to the British empire.
changes due to subsidiary alliance
As a result of Indian rulers disbanding their armies, many people were rendered unemployed.
Many Indian states lost their independence and slowly, most parts of India were coming under British control.
The Nizam of Hyderabad was the first to accept the Subsidiary Alliance in 1798.
Lord Clive also introduced the subsidiary system in Oudh and the Treaty of Allahabad was signed where the British promised the Oudh territory from enemies like Marathas.
Order in which the Indian States entered into Subsidiary Alliances
Hyderabad (1798)
Mysore (1799 – After Tipu Sultan was defeated in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War)
Tanjore (1799)
Awadh (1801)
Peshwa (Marathas) (1802)
Scindia (Marathas) (1803)
Gaekwad (Marathas) (1803)
Who used Subsidiary Alliance effectively? – Lord Wellesley (4th Governor-General of Bengal).
What was the nature of the Subsidiary Alliance? – It was termed as Non-Intervention Policy.
Who was the pioneer of ‘Subsidiary Alliance’? – French EIC Governor Dupleix
Under the subsidiary alliance, Indian rulers had to pay subsidy for the British Garrison deployed in their territory; seek permission from British EIC to partner with any other European for any service, and also for the negotiations with other Indian rulers.
changes due to doctrine of lapse
Many Indian states lost their sovereignty and became British territories.
This led to a lot of unrest among the Indian princes.
A lot of people were unhappy with the ‘illegal’ nature of this doctrine and this was one of the causes of the Indian Revolt of 1857.
Nana Sahib and the Rani of Jhansi had grievances against the British because the former’s pension was stopped by the British after his foster father died, and Rani’s adopted son was denied the throne under the doctrine of lapse.
Dalhousie returned to Britain in 1856. After the Indian Revolt broke out in 1857, his governance was widely criticised as one of the causes of the rebellion.