Expansion Of British Power In Bengal Flashcards
_____________, which had started out as a trading company in 1600, had by ______ , become one of the major contenders for supreme power in India.
East Indian company, 1773
Explain the british strategy used to expand in india
The British also realized that fighting wars with the different regional rulers to expand their power was not always feasible.
Wars were usually expensive and added severe strain on the British resources.
To avoid fighting wars, the British devised strategic policies that would help them eliminate all their rivals one by one and establish an all-India empire.
They fought wars only when the peaceful ways of annexing a territory failed.
Thus, the British policy of expanding power in India was based on a two-pronged strategy of i) peaceful annexation and ii) military conquests. The British also annexed some territories under the pretext of (iii) maladministration, or misgovernment.
What is the subsidary alliance
Alliance system was a method perfected by Lord Wellesley, the Governor General of India, from 1797 until 1805, to subjugate Any indian powers without the cost and bother of wars
Any indian ruler whose security was threatened was encouraged to seek help from and enter into an alliance with the British, 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 the Subsidiary Alliance.
What were the terms and conditions of the subsidiary alliance
The conditions were as follows.
• British troops (for the protection of the Indian ruler) would be permanently placed in the territory of the subsidiary state.
• The Indian ruler would have to pay for the maintenance of the troops. Payment could be made in cash or in kind, i.e. by ceding part of his territory.
• He had to keep a British official (Resident) at his court.
• He could not employ any Europeans (except the British) in his service or dismiss those who were already there.
• He could not form an alliance with any other power or declare war against any power without the permission of the British.
He would acknowledge the British company as the paramount power
What were the advantages of having a subsidary alliance for the british
The Subsidiary Alliance proved very advantageous for the British:
• The British maintained large armies at the expense of the Indian rulers.
The British acquired valuable territories as subsidiary payment. This led to the expansion of the British empire in India and an increase in its resources.
The influence of European rivals, especially the French, was excluded from the courts of the Indian rulers.
The British controlled the foreign policy of the subsidiary states.
The british controlled the foreign policy of the subsidary states
What were the advantages of having a subsidary alliance for the british
The Subsidiary Alliance proved very advantageous for the British:
• The British maintained large armies at the expense of the Indian rulers.
The British acquired valuable territories as subsidiary payment. This led to the expansion of the British empire in India and an increase in its resources.
The influence of European rivals, especially the French, was excluded from the courts of the Indian rulers.
The British controlled the foreign policy of the subsidiary states.
The british controlled the foreign policy of the subsidary states
What were the disadvantages of the subsidary alliance for the indians
• The Indian rulers of subsidiary states lost their independence. They virtually became puppets in the hands of the British.
• The payment of huge subsidies led to a heavy drain on their resources and the impoverishment and decay of the states.
The administration collapsed.
• When the administration collapsed, the British used it as an excuse for annexing the kingdom on grounds of misgovernment.
• The Indian rulers were fully protected by the British against external and internal enemies. They lost interest in the welfare of the people and neglected them as they were no longer afraid of revolts. The people suffered untold miseries under irresponsible and oppressive rulers.
• The Subsidiary Alliance aided the British in subjugating the powerful kingdom of the Marathas.
How did the third battle of panipat effect rule for kings in india
SUBJUGATION OF THE MARATHAS
The Third Battle of Panipat (1761) was a major tuming point in the history of India.
The defeat of the combined forces of the Mughals and the Marathas at the hands of the Afghan ruler, Ahmad Shah Abdali, proved disastrous for the country. It left India drained and fragmented.
(1775-82)
Explain what happend to the maratha empire
The Maratha empire broke up into five virtually independent states.
The power of the Peshwa, the former head of the Maratha empire, had declined.
The four other centres of Maratha power were the Gaekwad family of Baroda in Gujarat, the Bhonsle family of Nagpur in Berat, the Sindhias of Gwalior and the Holkars of Indore. Maharashtra was under the Peshwa, who was based in Poona.
How did the marathas manage to recover after the third battle of panipat
The Marathas, who controlled most of western and central India, made a remarkable recovery after the Third Battle of Panipat.
Despite being a house divided, the Marathas proved to be formidable rivals. It took the British 43 years (1775-1818) and three wars to bring the Marathas under their control.
The First Anglo-Maratha War
Why were the british compelled to fight wars
The British had to resort to fighting wars to subjugate some independent regional powers like Mysore and the Sikhs.
Hyder Ali, the ruler of Mysore, was a powerful and fiercely independent ruler.
The Sikhs, under Ranjit Singh, had also developed into a strong state that was fiercely protective of their freedom.
Who is lord dalhousie? What did he do?
Lord Dalhousie, the Governor General of India from 1848-56, adopted a number of methods to give the final touches to the work of building an empire in india
What were the methods adopted by dalhousie
. The methods he adopted were:
War-Punjab
Doctrine of Lapse-Satara, Jhansi and
Nagpur
• Annexation on the grounds of maladministration- Awadh
As we have studied earlier, Dalhousie subjugated the Sikhs in the Second Anglo-Sikh War and annexed Punjab in 1849.
What is doctorine of lapse
The policy of Doctrine of Lapse was formulated by Lord Dalhousie as a peaceful way of annexing subordinate Indian states and bringing them under the direct rule of the Company.
