Question

The masterstroke of Lord Wellesley to establish British paramountcy in India was______.
A)Doctrine of Lapse
B)Subsidiary Alliance
C)Mediatisation
D)Annexation of Indian States

Answer 1

HINT: Lord Wellesley, played a crucial role in extending and asserting facets of British paramountcy. The princely states constituted a significant part of British India. The British controlled them but they were not formally annexed.

Complete step by step solution:

Option A)Doctrine of Lapse was devised by Lord Dalhousie, under which the Indian states were subjected to annexation in absence of a natural or adopted heir. Opposition to this led to the revolt of 1857. This option is not correct.

Option B)To expand the political roots and attain more profit in India, Lord Wellesley propagated two methods: outright war and Subsidiary Alliance. This was a major step that led to the strengthening of the British Empire in India. The Subsidiary Alliance, led by the Indian kingdoms lost their sovereignty to the British. This was basically a treaty between the Indian Princely states and British East India company.

The term was introduced by French Governor Dupleix, but was put to practice by Lord Wellesley.
Under the alliance, the British would protect the state against any attack or revolt as the Indian ruler would accept British forces in their territory while they dissolve their own forces or army. Under the alliance, the Indian ruler became a British “ protectorate” and lost all their powers in terms of military or political connections. So, option B is correct.

Option C) Mediatisation, is the loss of status and immediacy of a person belonging to a higher rank or having higher authority like the Emperor. Hence, this too is an incorrect answer.

Option D) Annexation of Indian states can be traced to the period of The Indian Independence Act of 1947, where these states were given an option to join India or Pakistan or continue as a separate state.

NOTES: Lord Wellesley, was born in 1768 and he came to India in the year 1798. He became the Governor-General of India from 1798 to 1805.