UPSC Prelims 2018 Q75: Modern History – Advent Of Europeans & British Expansion
- (a) To maintain a large standing army at other’s expense
- (b) To keep India safe from Napoleonic danger
- (c) To secure a fixed income for the Company
- (d) To establish British paramountcy over the Indian States
Answer: (c) To secure a fixed income for the Company
Explanation
Subsidiary Alliance (Lord Wellesley, 1798) - Which Statement Does NOT Apply?
Subsidiary Alliance system was designed by Lord Wellesley (Governor-General 1798-1805) to bring Indian states under British control without direct annexation. First accepted by the Nizam of Hyderabad (1798).
Key features/goals of Subsidiary Alliance:
| Feature | Applies? | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| (a) Maintain a large standing army at other's expense | YES | British stationed troops in Indian states; states paid for their upkeep or ceded territory in lieu - a self-financing army. |
| (b) Keep India safe from Napoleonic (French) danger | YES | Wellesley designed it partly to eliminate French influence at Indian courts (French officers were advising Nizam, Marathas). |
| (c) Secure a fixed income for the Company | NO / Does not apply | The system's revenue was not a fixed income but a variable amount depending on troops stationed. The primary aim was NOT securing fixed income - it was political control and elimination of French influence. |
| (d) Establish British paramountcy over Indian states | YES | Under Subsidiary Alliance, the state ceded control of foreign relations, dismissed European (non-British) advisers, and accepted a British Resident - firmly establishing paramountcy. |
Answer: (c) To secure a fixed income for the Company - this is the statement that does NOT apply.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. As answer - maintaining British army at the state's expense WAS a defining feature of Subsidiary Alliance.
- (b) Incorrect. As answer - checking Napoleonic/French influence WAS an explicit Wellesley motive.
- (c) CORRECT. (as the not-applicable statement). Fixed income was not the objective of Subsidiary Alliance - political control and elimination of French influence were.
- (d) Incorrect. As answer - establishing British paramountcy (control over foreign affairs, resident, subsidy) WAS the core aim.
Key point
Subsidiary Alliance (Wellesley 1798) features: (i) British troops stationed in state, paid by state (or ceded territory), (ii) British Resident in court, (iii) State cannot conduct foreign relations without British consent, (iv) European (non-British) advisers dismissed, (v) Not for fixed revenue but political control.
Remember
Lord Wellesley's Subsidiary Alliance system (1798) aimed at establishing British paramountcy over Indian states, keeping India safe from Napoleonic (French) influence, and maintaining a large British army at the states' expense. It was NOT designed primarily to secure a fixed income for the Company - the objective was political control and elimination of French influence, not revenue certainty.
Common mistakes
- Confusing Subsidiary Alliance (Wellesley) with Doctrine of Lapse (Dalhousie) - Subsidiary Alliance = political control mechanism; Doctrine of Lapse = annexation on failure of heirs.
- Assuming Subsidiary Alliance was primarily about revenue - it was about political paramountcy and eliminating French influence.
- Missing that Hyderabad (1798) was the first signatory; Awadh, Mysore, Marathas followed.
Exam tip
Wellesley's three tools for expansion: Subsidiary Alliance (Hyderabad 1798, Awadh 1801, Marathas 1802 onward), outright war (Mysore 1799 - defeat/death of Tipu), and diplomatic pressure. Objective: political paramountcy, not fixed revenue.
Sources
- Bipan Chandra - India's Struggle for Independence
- NCERT Class 8 - Our Pasts III (Chapter on Company Rule Expansion)