Subsidiary Alliance - Modern History Notes for UPSC

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NCERT Subsidiary Alliance - Modern History Notes for UPSC

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The Subsidiary Alliance is an alliance between the Indian States and the British East India Company. The Subsidiary Alliance was introduced by the French East India Company Governor Joseph Fran- cois Dupliex with the Nizam of Hyderabad in India. Lord Wellesley, the Governor - General of British East India Company used this alliance with several States. Under the Subsidiary Alliance, the Indian rulers were forbidden from making any negotiations with other rulers without prior permission from the British East India Company. They were also not allowed to maintain a standing army. With the fall of the Magadha Empire, several States accepted this Alli- ance with Wellesley for protecting themselves from the neighbouring States. The Subsidiary Alliance NCERT is a crucial topic in modern history for UPSC. This article talks about the features of the Subsidiary Alliance, its various stages, effects and advantages and more.

Features of Subsidiary Alliance - NCERT • The Subsidiary Alliance system was used by Lord Wellesley to build an empire in India. • Under this Alliance, the ruler of the concerned state was required to: • Acknowledge British East India Company as paramount of power • Permanently station a British army within his territory • Pay subsidy for maintaining this army. • Post a British resident in his court. • Not negotiate with any other rulers without prior consent from the Governor - General. • Not employ any European in their service without getting approval from the British. • If the ruler fails to make payment as per the Alliance, then the state would be confiscated by British East India Company. • In return to this, the British would do the following: • The state and the ruler would be protected from the enemies. • Policy of non interference in the internal matters of the allied States.

Stages of Subsidiary Alliance - NCERT The Subsidiary Alliance system involved four stages • In the First stage, troops were offered by the Company to the friendly Indian state, to fight the war that it was engaged in. • In the second stage, a common cause was created with that Indian state and soldiers of both Company and the Indian state took the field. • In the Third stage, the ruler was promised a contingent for a fixed sum of money. The soldiers were recruited, trained and maintained by the Company. • In the Fourth stage, the Company usually levied high protection fees to the Indian States. If the ruler fails to pay, then in lieu of payment certain parts of the territory were ceded to the British East India Company.

Effects of Subsidiary Alliance - NCERT • Under the Subsidiary Alliance system, many small and big States came under the British rule. • Many soldiers and officers were deprived of their livelihood. • This led to the misery and degradation of the country. • Many unemployed soldiers began to join the roaming independent soldiers as foragers and plunderers. pindarees.

 Useful Links Advantages of Subsidiary Alliance to the Company • The Subsidiary Alliance system disarmed the majority of the States and brought vast areas under the British control. • A large standing army was maintained by the Company at the cost of the Indian rulers. • With the Company's troops stationed in most of the States, it was easy for the British East India Company to counteract the French movements. Under the Alliance, the Indian States were asked to dismiss all the French men from their services. • Full sovereignty over many Indian States were obtained by the British and thus they brought a vast region under their rule.

States that accepted Subsidiary Alliance - NCERT • The First Prince to accept the Subsidiary Alliance was the Nizam of Hyderabad in 1798. • The last Maratha Confederation to accept the Alliance was the Holkars. • The order in which different States accepted Subsidiary Alliance is as follows, • Hyderabad in 1798 • Mysore in 1799 • Tanjore in October 1799 • Awadh in November 1801 • Peshwa in December 1801 • Bhonsle of Berar in December 1803 • Sindhia in February 1804 • Jodhpur in 1818 • Jaipur in 1818 • Macheri in 1818 • Bundi in 1818 • Bharatpur in 1818 • Holkars

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Subsidiary Alliance - NCERT FAQs Q1. Who introduced the Subsidiary Alliance? A1. The Subsidiary Alliance was introduced by the governor of French East India Company, Joseph Francois Dupliex . It was followed by all governor generals right from Robert Clive who brought it near perfection.

Q2. What were the main principles of Subsidiary Alliance? A2. The main principles of the Subsidiary Alliance system were that the Indian state rulers should acknowledge the paramount of British, should deploy British troops in their territory, should ask permission before entering into any Alliance with the neighbouring States, should pay British for maintaining the army, should appoint British resident in the court, should remove French men from the services.

Q3. What is the Subsidiary Alliance and Doctrine of Lapse?

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A3. The Subsidiary Alliance meaning is that the Indian state accepts the Paramount of British and abides by the terms of the Alliance set forth by the British. In doctrine of lapse, the adopted son has the right to be the heir to the father’s private property but not the state. It was to be decided by the British whether to bestow or annex the state.

Q4. How did the Subsidiary Alliance help the British? A4. With the help of the Subsidiary Alliance system, British brought a vast area under their control. The British maintained a huge army at the cost of the Indian rulers. With British troops deployed in the Indian States, they were in a position to easily retaliate against the French East India Company.

Q5. What were the States that were subsidised by the Subsidiary Alliance system? A5. The States that accepted the Subsidiary Alliance system are Hyderabad, Mysore, Tanjore, Awadh, Peshwa, Bhonsle of Berar, Sindhia, Jodhpur, Jaipur, Macheri,Bundi and Bharatpur.