Question

Identify the incorrect statement regarding the 'Subsidiary Alliance System' from the following options.

• A. Nawabs were dependent on the British Army for their protection.
• B. Under this system, the British would be responsible for the internal and external protection of Indian rulers.
• C. Nawabs and local rulers were allowed to keep their own army as well.
• D. Subsidiary Alliance was the strategy of the British to acquire more territories in India.

Hint:

To remember the Subsidiary Alliance, think of it as "Protection at the cost of Independence." The British provided the shield, but they also took away the ruler's sword (army) and tongue (diplomacy).

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Concept: The Subsidiary Alliance System was a sophisticated diplomatic and military tool introduced by Lord Wellesley (1798–1805) to establish British paramountcy in India without the immediate cost of direct annexation. It functioned as a "protectorate" system where Indian states surrendered their external sovereignty to the British East India Company in exchange for a guarantee of security against domestic and foreign rivals.
Step 1:Evaluating the military obligations (The core of the system).
The most critical condition of the Subsidiary Alliance was the total disarmament of the native ruler. To ensure the ruler could never challenge British authority, the Company demanded that:

• The native ruler must disband their own standing army.
• A British armed contingent (the subsidiary force) would be stationed permanently in the state’s territory.
• The ruler had to pay for the maintenance of this force, either through cash or by ceding a part of their territory.

Therefore, statement (c) is the incorrect statement because rulers were explicitly forbidden from maintaining their own independent military forces.
Step 2:Analyzing the loss of external sovereignty and protection.
Under statements (a) and (b), the British took over the "protection" role. While this sounded beneficial, it meant:

• The ruler could not employ any other Europeans (French, Dutch, etc.) in their service without British permission.
• The ruler could not negotiate or enter into any alliance with any other Indian power without the British Resident's mediation.
• In return, the British promised to defend the state from any external invasion or internal rebellion. This made the Nawab or Raja a "protected" figurehead, completely dependent on British support.

Step 3:The expansionist strategy of the British.
Statement (d) is correct because the system was a "bloodless" way to acquire land and resources. The cost of maintaining the British army was often set so high that the Indian rulers inevitably fell into debt. When they failed to pay the "subsidy," the British used the default as a justification to annex large tracts of fertile land (in the case of the Nizam of Hyderabad and the Nawab of Awadh).