UNIT 6: LORD WELLESLEY AND HIS REFORMS Unit Structure 6.1 Learning Objectives 6.2 Introduction 6.3 Subsidiary Alliance 6.3.1 Merits 6.3.2 Demerits 6.4 Wellesley and the French Menace 6.5 Estimate of Lord Wellesley 6.6 Let Us Sum Up 6.7 Further Reading 6.8 Answers to Check Your Progress 6.9 Model Questions 6.2 LEARNING OBJECTIVES: After going through this unit you will be able to- Understand the Subsidiary Alliance, Analyse the merits and demerits of Subsidiary Alliance, Analyse Wellesley’s policies towards French in India, Estimate Lord Wellesley. 6.3 INTRODUCTION Lord Wellesley, better known as Marquess Wellesley appointed as Governor General of India in 1798. He had a clear vision of the Mission before him. He wanted to make the Company the supreme power in India, to add to its territories and to reduce all the Indian states to a position of dependence on the Company. Wellesley gave up the policy of peace and non-intervention and inaugurated the policy of war and further wars. In this unit we shall discuss his policies in detail. 7 0 History (Block 1) Lord Wellesley and His Reforms Unit 6 6.3 SUBSIDIARY ALLIANCE Wellesley by nature was an expansionist governor general. To achieve this aim he adopted the policy of conquest and annexation of Indian States. He adopted a new policy of expansion known as Subsidiary Alliance to expand the British territory. According to this new expansionist policy, any native state which wanted British protection to secure their territory from their enemies or restoration of internal peace and order could make an alliance with the British. For that purpose, the British maintained their army in that state at the cost of the native state. The native state could pay these expanses either in cash or in terms of some territory of the kingdom. The state entering into this alliance lost its independence and gradually came under the political control of the British as it was backed by military assistance. Main features of Subsidiary Alliance Any native ruler who entered into a subsidiary alliance with the Company (East India Company) recognised it as a paramount power. A British resident was posted at the court of the allying state, to watch over the activities of the ruler who entered into a subsidiary alliance. It was through him the relationship between the Company and native state was maintained. The allying state could not recognise any other foreign power without the permission of the Governor General. The Company undertook to defend the native ruler from both external as well as internal enemies. The native ruler had to pay the expanses of the British army stationed in his state in terms of cash or territory. Nizam of Hyderabad was the first Indian ruler to accept the Subsidiary alliance in 1798 and came under British protection. Later Mysore, Oudh and the Maratha states came under the umbrella of British protection by this alliance. Wellesley had to wage war against the Maratha chiefs to force them to make subsidiary alliances with the British. History (Block 1) 7 1 Unit 6 Lord Wellesley and His Reforms 6.3.1 MERITS OF THE SUBSIDIARY ALLIANCE Subsidiary Alliance was extremely advantageous to the British. A large number of Indian states entered into this alliance and thus Company became paramount power in a large part of India. The British could maintain a huge army by this alliance without bearing any expenditure. British controlled the administration of their allies through their residents. As the states allying with the British were not allowed to maintain any relation with any other foreign power, the influence of any foreign power came to an end. Another great advantage of this system to the British was that in case the state could not pay the expanses of the army stationed in its state, the British could annex some territories to their empire. 6.3.2 DEMERITS OF THE SUBSIDIARY ALLIANCE From the above discussion it is become clear that the Subsidiary alliance was great advantageous to the British but it was very harmful to the native state that entered into the alliance. The demerits of this alliance were- The Subsidiary alliance weakened the power of the native rulers. By signing the subsidiary alliance, the native rulers practically lost their independence. The native rulers became dependent upon the British army for the protection of their territory. As a result they disbanded their own armies. Lakhs of soldiers and officers were deprived of their livelihood. These unemployed soldiers resorted to dacoities, loots and plunder. The payment of the subsidiary expenses to the British invariably ruined the economy of the allying state. 7 2 History (Block 1) Lord Wellesley and His Reforms Unit 6 CHECK YOUR PROGRESS Answer the following questions: Q. no.1: In which year Lord Wellesley was appointed as the Governor General of India? ................................................................................................................................................... Q. no.2: Who introduced the Subsidiary Alliance in India? ................................................................................................................................................... Q. no.3: Who was the first Indian ruler to accept the Subsidiary Alliance in India? ................................................................................................................................................... Q. no.4: Mention any one provisions of the Subsidiary Alliance. ................................................................................................................................................. 6.4 Wellesley and the French Menace Wellesley sailed for India in 1797, the darkest year in English history. The First Coalition of European powers against France had been shattered. Napoleon Bonaparte had conquered Egypt and Syria and was seriously meditating an invasion of India. During this period England was engaged in a life and death struggle against French and had good experience of the might of Napoleon on land. England was fighting for her existence. England very well realised the implications of a defeat at the hands of Napoleon. It would mean the ruin of her commerce which brought her wealth and financed the political set up in the country which in turn secured the enjoyment of that wealth. Wellesley was not to take any risks. He had rightly understood Napoleon’s maxim: ‘Impossible is a word to be found in the dictionary of fools,’ Tipu Sultan of Mysore, ‘the ancient native enemy of the Company’, was in correspondence with French authorities and planned to turn out the English from India. The same day Wellesley landed in Calcutta, the envoys of Tipu reached back Mangalore on their return from Mauritius bringing with them a frigate and some French soldiers and further promises of help. In Napoleon’s plans on India, Tipu saw the right opportunity for taking revenge History (Block 1) 7 3 Unit 6 Lord Wellesley and His Reforms on the English. He had planted the ‘flag of Liberty’ at Seringapatam, styled himself ‘Citizen Tipu’ and entered into an offensive and defensive alliance with the French. Tipu was making elaborate preparation for an alliance with the French. Tipu was making elaborate preparations for a war with the Company. The Nizam of Hyderabad being deserted by the English after his defeat at Kharda (1795) at the hands of the Marathas, had employed the French Commandant Monsieur Raymond and had organised a corps of 14,000 men with his help. The Maratha chieftain Mahadaji Sindhia very well understood the enmity between the English and the French and had employed Count de Boigne and later on Monsieur Perron to train a Maratha army which then stood at 8,000 infantry and 8,000 cavalry. The Sindhia had granted the revenues of the Ganga-Jamuna Doab for the upkeep of the French officers and their soldiers. Since the Sindhia could not maintain full and effective control over his mercenary captains or their regular troops, these French officers could serve as an instrument of Napoleon. Holding Delhi and Agra as they did, they could launch an offensive against Bihar and Bengal. Wellesley referred to Monsieur Perron’s ‘independent state’ and could not tolerate a French colony in the heart of Hindustan. Wellesley also viewed with considerable concern the employment of European and French officers by Ranjit Singh of the Panjab. A contributory factor was the contemplated invasion of Zaman Shah from the north-west. Wellesley set out in right earnest to combat French danger to Britain’s position in the East. With his usual enthusiasm Wellesley mobilised the English community in Bengal and urged them to contribute liberally towards the war funds and remitted it to England as war contribution. Besides, many Europeans offered themselves for service in any campaign against Napoleon. Wellesley came to the conclusion that the best way to safeguard India against the hostile designs of Napoleon was to make the Company the arbiter of the Indian political world and place the Indian states beyond the influence of the French. He forced Indian princes to accept subsidiary alliances. An Indian State which accepted the subsidiary alliance had to 7 4 History (Block 1) Lord Wellesley and His Reforms Unit 6 accept disarmament, expel Frenchmen and other Europeans from his service, surrender her external relations and accept the superior position of the East India Company. Besides, the subsidiary alliance system enabled the Company to maintain a large standing army at the expense of Indian