Which of the following was/were the main feature(s) of the Subsidiary Alliance, a system devised by the British in colonial India? (a) It was devised by Lord Wellesley. (b) A British armed contingent would be stationed in the territory of the allied party. (c) The allied party could not enter into any treaty with another ruler. (d) The British would protect the allied party only from internal challenges. Select the correct option from the code given below:
- A.Only (b)
- B.(a) and (b)
- C.(a), (b) and (c)
- D.(a) and (d)
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is C, (a), (b) and (c). Statements (a), (b) and (c) describe the Subsidiary Alliance correctly, while (d) does not. Lord Wellesley, Governor-General from 1798 to 1805, turned the Subsidiary Alliance into the main tool of British expansion. An Indian ruler who signed it had to keep a British force in his state and pay for it, either in cash or by giving up territory. He also had to accept a British Resident at his court, and he could not deal with other powers or employ other Europeans without British consent. The Nizam of Hyderabad was the first to sign, in 1798, and Awadh had to give up about half its territory in 1801 to meet the cost. Statement (d) is wrong because the British promised protection from outside enemies as well as internal revolts. So option A misses (a) and (c), option B misses (c), and option D wrongly includes (d). Exam tip: Subsidiary Alliance means Wellesley, 1798, Hyderabad first; Doctrine of Lapse means Dalhousie.
Practice Questions
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