Who introduced the Subsidiary Alliance?

(a) Lord Dalhousie

(b) Robert Clive

(c) Lord Wellesley

(d) Warren Hastings

The Correct Answer is (c) Lord Wellesley

The correct answer is Lord Wellesley, who introduced the Subsidiary Alliance system in 1798 when he was the Governor-General of India.

What was the Subsidiary Alliance?
It was a political and military arrangement used by the British East India Company to strengthen their control over Indian states. Under this system:

The Indian ruler had to accept a British army contingent within his territory.

The ruler had to pay for the maintenance of this army. If he failed to pay, part of his territory would be annexed by the Company.

The ruler was not allowed to maintain his own independent army.

The ruler could not enter into alliances with other powers or declare war without British approval.

Impact of the Subsidiary Alliance:

Many Indian states lost their independence and became dependent on the British.

The Company was able to expand its political control without direct warfare in several cases.

Important states like Hyderabad, Awadh, Mysore, and later the Marathas came under this system.

The Subsidiary Alliance was a clever strategy by the British. Instead of fighting costly wars, they controlled Indian rulers by making them financially and militarily dependent. It marked a major step in the expansion of British power in India.