Question

Who initiated the claim to paramountcy? What was the claim?

Answer 1

Under Lord Hastings, the East India Company pursued territorial expansion and  policy of 'paramountcy'   to state that British  power was more than any Indian state. Under this claim, they justified their annexation of other territories.

Answer 2

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.