Understanding the Subsidiary Alliance System

The question asks about the individual who devised the Subsidiary Alliance system. This was a significant policy implemented by the British in India to expand their control over Indian states.

Let's analyze the system and who was associated with it.

What was the Subsidiary Alliance?

The Subsidiary Alliance was essentially a treaty offered by the British East India Company to Indian princely states. Under this alliance, the Indian ruler would:

• Accept the paramountcy of the British East India Company.
• Maintain a British resident at their court.
• Agree to disband their own army and instead accept British troops for their protection.
• Pay for the maintenance of the British contingent stationed in their territory.
• Cede certain territories to the British if they failed to make the payment.
• Not enter into alliances with any other power or wage war without the permission of the British.
• Allow the British to interfere in their internal affairs if necessary.

In return, the British promised to protect the state from external threats.

Who Devised and Implemented the Subsidiary Alliance?

While the concept of subsidiary forces existed before, the system was fully developed and implemented on a large scale by Lord Wellesley during his tenure as Governor-General of India from 1798 to 1805.

Lord Wellesley used the Subsidiary Alliance as a primary tool to bring a large number of Indian states under British control without direct annexation in many cases, significantly expanding the Company's political and military power in India.

Examining the Options

• Lord Wellesley: As discussed, he is credited with systematizing and widely implementing the Subsidiary Alliance policy.
• Lord Dalhousie: He served as Governor-General much later (1848-1856) and is famous for the Doctrine of Lapse, another policy used for annexation.
• Lord Canning: He was the Governor-General (later Viceroy) during the Indian Mutiny of 1857 (1856-1862). He is known for his role during and after the mutiny and the transfer of power from the Company to the British Crown.
• Lord Ripon: He served as Viceroy much later (1880-1884) and is known for reforms like the Vernacular Press Act repeal and the Ilbert Bill.

Therefore, the individual who devised and extensively used the Subsidiary Alliance system was Lord Wellesley.

Consequences of the Subsidiary Alliance

The Subsidiary Alliance had profound consequences for the Indian states and the British East India Company:

• It weakened the Indian rulers militarily and politically.
• It increased the financial burden on Indian states.
• It allowed the British to maintain a large army at the expense of Indian states.
• It paved the way for future annexations through failure to pay or internal instability exploited by the British.
• It significantly expanded British territory and influence in India.

Based on the historical context and the significant role played by Lord Wellesley in formulating and implementing this policy, he is correctly identified as the person who devised the Subsidiary Alliance system.

Revision Table: Key British Policies in India

Additional Information on Subsidiary Alliance

The first state to enter into a Subsidiary Alliance was the Nizam of Hyderabad in 1798. Other major states that accepted the alliance included Mysore, Awadh, the Peshwa, the Scindia of Gwalior, and the Bhonsle of Nagpur. This system effectively made these states dependent on the British, gradually eroding their independence and bringing them under indirect British rule.