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Q75 (IAS/2018) History & Culture â€ș Modern India (Pre-1857) â€ș British annexation policies Official Key

Which one of the following statements does not apply to the system of Subsidiary Alliance introduced by Lord Wellesley ?

Result
Your answer: —  Â·  Correct: C
Explanation

The correct answer is option C because securing a fixed income for the Company was not a primary objective of the Subsidiary Alliance system introduced by Lord Wellesley.

The Subsidiary Alliance was used by Lord Wellesley to build an empire in India and subordinate Indian states to the paramount authority[1] of the Company.[2] The system had multiple strategic objectives: maintaining a large army at the cost of Indian states[3], keeping the French from reviving their influence in India during the period when Napoleon's expedition towards the East was a real threat to the British[4], and making Indian states virtually sign away their independence by losing rights of self-defence, diplomatic relations, and sovereignty in external matters, thereby establishing British paramountcy.[2]

While Indian rulers paid a subsidy for maintaining British forces[1], this was meant to cover military expenses rather than generate a fixed income stream for the Company. The financial arrangement was incidental to the larger political and strategic goals of territorial control, military dominance, and countering French influence. Options A, B, and D were all explicit aims of the system, making option C the statement that does not apply.

Sources
  1. [1] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 5: Expansion and Consolidation of British Power in India > Subsidiary Alliance > p. 120
  2. [2] Modern India ,Bipin Chandra, History class XII (NCERT 1982 ed.)[Old NCERT] > Chapter 4: The British Conquest of India > Expansion under Lord Wellesley (1798-1805) > p. 76
  3. [3] Modern India ,Bipin Chandra, History class XII (NCERT 1982 ed.)[Old NCERT] > Chapter 4: The British Conquest of India > Expansion under Lord Wellesley (1798-1805) > p. 77
  4. [4] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 5: Expansion and Consolidation of British Power in India > Subsidiary Alliance > p. 121
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Q. Which one of the following statements does not apply to the system of Subsidiary Alliance introduced by Lord Wellesley ? [A] To maintain

At a glance
Origin: From standard books Fairness: High fairness Books / CA: 10/10 · 0/10
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A classic static question directly from standard texts (Spectrum/NCERT). It tests your grasp of the 'strategic intent' behind colonial policies rather than just the clauses. High fairness; if you read the chapter on Wellesley, the 'Napoleonic threat' and 'Paramountcy' are headline themes.

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1
Was maintaining a large standing army at the expense of Indian princely states an aim of the Subsidiary Alliance system introduced by Lord Wellesley?
Origin: Direct from books Fairness: Straightforward Book-answerable
From standard books
Modern India ,Bipin Chandra, History class XII (NCERT 1982 ed.)[Old NCERT] > Chapter 4: The British Conquest of India > Expansion under Lord Wellesley (1798-1805) > p. 77
Presence: 5/5
“The Subsidiary Alliance system was, on the other hand, extremely advantageous to the British. They could now maintain a large army at the cost of the Indian states. They were enabled to fight wars far away from their own territories, since any war would occur in the territories either of the British ally or of the British enemy. They controlled the defence and foreign relations of the protected ally, and had a powerful”
Why this source?
  • Explicitly states the Subsidiary Alliance let the British maintain a large army at the cost of Indian states.
  • Links this arrangement to British ability to fight wars away from their own territory, showing financial shifting of military burden.
Exploring Society:India and Beyond ,Social Science, Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 4: The Colonial Era in India > DON'T MISS OUT > p. 94
Presence: 5/5
“Another stratagem (known as 'subsidiary alliance') was to install a British 'Resident' in the courts of Indian rulers to protect them against internal or external threats; in exchange, they would have to maintain British troops at their own expense and conduct foreign relations only through the British. While appearing to preserve the sovereignty of princely states, the system effectively transferred real power to the British while burdening Indian rulers with the costs of their own subjugation! The ruler of Hyderabad was among the first to enter such an alliance in 1798; several others soon followed. These so-called alliances allowed the British to control vast territories without the administrative costs of direct rule, creating what was called 'an empire on the cheap'.”
Why this source?
  • Specifies allied rulers had to maintain British troops at their own expense and conduct foreign relations only through the British.
  • Describes the effect as ‘burdening Indian rulers’ and creating an 'empire on the cheap', implying deliberate cost-shifting.
Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 5: Expansion and Consolidation of British Power in India > The Policy of Ring-Fence > p. 120
Presence: 4/5
“The defence of Awadh constituted the defence of Bengal during that time. Thus the states brought under the ring-fence system were assured of military assistance against external aggression—but at their own expense. In other words, these allies were required to maintain subsidiary forces which were to be organised, equipped and commanded by the officers of the Company who, in turn, were to be paid by the rulers of these states. Wellesley's policy of subsidiary alliance was, in fact, an extension of the ring-fence system which sought to reduce the Indian states into a position of dependence on the British government.”
Why this source?
  • Explains allies were required to maintain subsidiary forces organised and commanded by Company officers and paid by the rulers.
  • Frames Wellesley's subsidiary alliance as an extension of prior policy that reduced states to dependence — consistent with aiming to shift military costs.
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Statement analysis

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Statement analysis

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SIMILAR QUESTIONS

NDA-II · 2015 · Q75 Relevance score: 5.81

Which one of the following statements about Subsidiary Alliance devised by Lord Wellesley in the year 1798 is not correct?

CDS-I · 2022 · Q99 Relevance score: 4.32

Which one of the following was not included in the terms and conditions of Subsidiary Alliance System of Lord Wellesley ?

NDA-I · 2017 · Q64 Relevance score: 3.83

Which one of the following was NOT a feature of the Subsidiary Alliance of Lord Wellesley ?

CAPF · 2010 · Q96 Relevance score: 3.18

Which one among the following is not correct about the Subsidiary Alliance ?

NDA-II · 2016 · Q35 Relevance score: 2.45

Subsidiary Alliance was a system devised by