Sambhav-2025

Approach Briefly introduce the context of British administrative policies. Analyze key administrative strategies used for expansion. Conclude by linking these policies to their long-term impact on Indian sovereignty.

Introduction

The British East India Company extended its paramountcy in India through innovative administrative policies that combined diplomacy and coercion. These policies, implemented between 1757 and 1857, were strategically crafted to weaken Indian states politically and economically, allowing the British to expand their territorial control without always resorting to direct warfare.

Body

Key administrative policies to legitimize and expand their control over Indian territories during 1757–1857:

• Policy of Ring-Fence (1770s):
  • Introduced by Warren Hastings, this policy aimed to create buffer zones to protect British territories from external threats like the Marathas and Afghans.
  • Example: The defense of Awadh was prioritized to safeguard Bengal, with the Nawab forced to pay for British troop maintenance.
  • Though presented as defensive, this policy gradually drew Indian states into British dependence, draining their resources.
• Economic Exploitation:
  • Administrative mechanisms like the Permanent Settlement ensured a steady revenue stream for the British while impoverishing Indian peasantry.
  • By exploiting local resources, the British weakened the economic base of Indian rulers, ensuring their inability to resist.
• Strategic Treaties and Alliances:
  • Treaties like the Treaty of Allahabad (1765) granted the British Diwani rights (revenue collection) in Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa, securing critical resources for further expansion.
  • British residents stationed in princely courts influenced internal governance, ensuring loyalty and compliance.
• Subsidiary Alliance (1798–1805):
  • Introduced by Lord Wellesley, this policy compelled Indian rulers to accept British military presence within their territories.
  • Example: The Nizam of Hyderabad (1798) and Nawab of Awadh (1801) signed treaties, placing themselves under British control.
  • Indian rulers had to disband their own armies and rely entirely on British forces for protection, paying a hefty subsidy.
  • This policy turned rulers into dependent vassals, eroding their sovereignty and financial autonomy.
• Doctrine of Lapse (1848–1856):
  • This policy declared that Indian states without a natural male heir would "lapse" to British control.
  • Annexations under this policy, such as Jhansi, Nagpur, and Satara, disrupted traditional systems of inheritance and undermined the authority of Indian rulers.
  • By enforcing this doctrine, the British justified territorial expansion as a "legal necessity," creating resentment among both rulers and the populace.

Conclusion

The British administrative policies, cloaked in legal and diplomatic justifications, were effectively exploitative tools to expand their territorial control. By combining strategies like the Doctrine of Lapse and Subsidiary Alliance with economic and political manipulation, they systematically dismantled Indian sovereignty, laying the groundwork for colonial domination.