1798-1848

By - Mahipal Singh Rathore

Richard Wellesley (1798-1805)

Subsidiary Alliance

Charter Act of 1813

Francis Hastings 1813-23 : Nepal and Burma wars

William Bentick 1828-35

Charter Act of 1833

Anglo- Sikh wars

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Richard Wellesley (1798-1805)

• Called himself ‘Bengal tiger’

• Wellesley came to India with a determination to launch a forward policy in order to make ‘the British Empire in India’ into ‘the British Empire of India’.

• The system that he adopted to achieve his expansionist objective is known as the ‘Subsidiary Alliance’

• Opened Fort William College at Calcutta to train the Company’s servants in Indian languages & customs; but it was closed in 1802

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Conditions on his Arrival

• 1798 - British were locked in a life and death struggle with France all over the world.

• He decided that the time was ripe for bringing as many Indian states as possible under British control.

• By 1797, the two strongest Indian powers, Mysore and the Marathas, had declined in power.

• The 3rd Anglo-Mysore war had reduced Mysore to a mere shadow of its recent greatness and the Marathas were dissipating their strength in mutual intrigues and wars.

• Expansion was Profitable- more area for raw materials and trade

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The Subsidiary Alliance

• Indian states were called the protected states & British, the paramount power

• British were to save Indian states from external aggression in return of money/Part of territory to support subsidiary troops.

• The native ruler had to maintain a contingent of British troops in his territory commanded by British officers.

• States had to cut off their relations from any other foreign power(mainly French)

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• Forbidden to make new political connections even with Indian states without British Permission.

• States were also to disband their army & Keep a British resident at their court

• States were also forbid to employ any other Europeans in their court / service without British permission.

• British would not interfere in internal affairs of protected states.

• First alliance was made with Nizam of Hyderabad

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In reality, by signing a Subsidiary Alliance, an India princely state virtually signed away−

• Its independence;

• The right to self-defence;

• Maintaining diplomatic relations;

• Employing foreign experts; and

• Settling its disputes with its neighbours.

Unforeseen effect - Unemployed Soldiers joined/became Pindaris and harassed many states

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The progress of Subsidiary Alliance

• 1765 - Treaty of Allahabad with Awadh was a precursor to S.A.

• 1798 - Nizam of Hyderabad was the first to sign

• 1799 – Tanjore, Surat

• 1799 - Mysore

• 1801 - Awadh – annexation of Rohilkhand

• 1801- Arcot annexed

• 1802- Gaekwad, Peshwa

• 1803- Scindia and Bhonsle

• 1810s- All Rajput states of Rajasthan

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India in 1805

Blue- Subsidiary allies

Pink- Area under direct British rule (annexed)

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Merits

1. By this system the English became the supreme/Paramount power in India

2. The resources and influence of the company increased greatly

3. The alliances helped the English maintain control over other Indian rulers

4. It enabled the company to maintain a large standing army at the expense of Indian Princes

5. The extent of British Empire in India increased greatly as several rulers had ceded parts of their kingdoms.

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Demerits of S.A.

1. The native rulers lost their prestige and dignity,

2. The subsidy demanded from the Indian rulers was beyond their means and they could not afford it. So they taxed their people very heavily

3. The Indian rulers were compelled to disband their own armies –Pindari scourge

4. The local rulers lived a life of irresponsibility and degradation because they considered that their security was now British concern

5. Though not allowed to wage war with each other directly, they kept plotting and intriguing against one another.

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Sir George Barlow (1805 – 1807)

• Mutiny of Vellore in 1806 in which the Indian soldiers killed many English officers

Lord Minto 1 (1807 -1813)

• Treaty of Amritsar with Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Punjab

• Charter act (1813) was passed during his period

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Charter Act of 1813

Charter - a written grant by the sovereign/legislative power by which a body such as a company or university is created or its rights and privileges defined

Causes for bringing the Act

• A large trading community in England due to Industrial revolution – ‘Free Traders’

• They were demanding the removal of monopoly of EIC

• Demand from a section of Utilitarian and Liberals for direct/crown rule over Indian territories – civilise the brown race

• Christian missionaries pressurised the govt to allow evangelism

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Provisions of the Act

• Renewed the charter issued to the EIC for 20 years –company rule continued

• Rs.1 Lakh annually for promoting modern education in country

• British subjects could settle in India

• Christian missionaries allowed to enter India and preach Christianity

• Monopoly of EIC ended in India except for tea & trade with China (for 20 years )

• Other British merchants and companies could now trade in India

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Lord Francis Hastings 1813-1823

• Gurkha war with Nepal

• Suppression Of Pindaris

• Full Suppression of Marathas -Third Anglo Maratha War

• Established Ryotawari System of Land Revenue

• 1817 –Hindu college at Calcutta for English & western education by Raja Rammohan Roy & David Hare

• 1817 – British set up 3 Sanskrit colleges at Calcutta, Delhi and Agra

• Encouraged freedom of press & abolished censorship issued in 1799 during Wellesley period

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©DrMahipalRathore

Anglo-Nepal War 1814-16

Treaty of Sugauli 1816

1.Nepal accepted a British resident.

2. Ceded the districts of Garhwal and Kumaon, and abandoned claims to Tarai

3. Nepal withdrew from Sikkim.

4.Recruitment of Gurkha in British army

Advantages to British:

• It got better facilities for trade with Central Asia.

• It acquired hill stations such as Shimla, Mussorie and Nanital.

• Gurkha joined the British Indian army in large numbers- great service to empire’s armies

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Burma wars

• Lure of forest resources, market for British manufacturers and the need to check French ambitions in Burma and in rest of South East Asia

First Burma War (1824-26)

• Burmese occupied Arakan and Manipur - posed a threat to Assam and Brahmaputra valley. British forces occupied Rangoon in 1824.

• 1826 - Treaty of Yandabo.

• Burma recognized Manipur as an independent state and the terms of treaty allowed the British to acquire most of the Burma’s coastline and also a firm base in Burma for future expansion.

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• 2nd and 3rd Burma wars in 1852 and 1885 respectively

• Annexation of Burma after 3 wars.

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William Bentick 1828-35

1st true British reformer who worked for the welfare of Indians as his primary duty - ‘He acted where others talked’

Social reforms:

Outlawing of sati practice,1829

Prevented female infanticide → Made it an offence

Banned human sacrifice

Reform in the Hindu Law of Inheritance

Suppression of Thugs by Colonel Sleemen

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• Adopted policy of non-intervention and only annexed states to end misgovernment - Ended misgovernment in Mysore and put it under Lord Cubbon

Financial reforms

• Abolished double bhatta system

• Reduced salaries as increased by Cornwallis to consolidate finance

• Abolished provincial courts set up by Cornwallis to cut down expenditure

• Mahalwari system for land revenue introduced

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• Introduced local language in lower courts & English in higher courts replacing Persian.

• Macaulay committee –For educational reforms - suggested English be made as official language

• Laid foundation of Calcutta Medical College – 1835

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Charter Act of 1833 1. Complete end to monopoly of EIC (complete free trade policy).

EIC - purely administrative body.

2. Centralized the administration in India- GG got powers of superintendence, direction and control of the whole civil and military government and the revenues of India.

3. The Governor General of Bengal → Governor General of India.

Lord William Bentinck-Last GG of Bengal, First GG of India *

4. It attempted to introduce a system of open competition for selection of civil servants – Indians should not be debarred from holding any office. However this provision was dropped after opposition from court of directors.

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5. Enlarged the Executive council by the addition of 4th member (Law Member) for legislative purposes..

T.B Macaulay was the first law member.

6. Appointment of a law commission in India

Charter of 1833 made provision to create uniform and codified system of law in India.

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Lord Macaulay’s Minute (1835)

• Government resources should be devoted to teaching of western sciences and literature through the medium of English language alone

• The Government soon made English as the medium of instruction in its schools and colleges and opened a few English schools and colleges instead of a large number of elementary schools, thus neglecting mass education.

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Downward filtration theory The British planned to educate a small section of upper and middle classes,

thus creating a class “Indian in blood and colour but English in tastes, in opinions, in morals and in intellect” who would act as interpreters between the Government and masses and would enrich the vernaculars by which knowledge of western sciences and literature would reach the masses.

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Sir Charles Metcalfe 1835-36

• He held the post temporarily

• Removed the restriction on the vernacular press – LIBERATOR OF PRESS

Lord Auckland 1836-1842

• 1st Afghan War : A disaster for British with an overall Afghan victory

• Tripartite Treaty between the English, Mahraja Ranjit Singh and Shah Shuja of Afghanistan.

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©DrMahipalRathore

Lord Ellenborough 1842-1844

• Ended 1st Afghan war & withdrew British forces from Afghanistan

• Annexation of Sindh – under Charles Napier

Lord Hardinge I 1844-1848

• 1st Anglo Sikh war & Treaty of Lahore 1846

• British emerge victorious

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Anglo Sikh Wars

• The Sikh Misls of 18th century had consolidated in a large empire in the Punjab and Kashmir region under Mahraja Ranjit Singh from 1800 onwards

• Treaty of Amritsar 1809 – River Sutlej was fixed as boundary between British area of influence and Ranjit Singh’s empire.

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©DrMahipalRathore

• 1839 – Ranjit Singh dies

• Ranjit Singh maintained a careful balance between the powerful Sikh chiefs and the freshly recruited military commanders from among the peasants of central Punjab and the non-Punjabi nobles, such as Dogra Rajputs from Jammu.

• This delicate balancing game functioned well until Ranjit Singh’s death in 1839. Within a decade of his death independent Sikh rule disappeared from Punjab, as a struggle for power among the mighty Sikh chiefs and the royal family feuds helped the English to take over without much difficulty

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1st Anglo-Sikh War 1845-46 • Court intrigues and succession struggles

• Fear of a British attack led to Sikh army crossing Sutlej and being defeated in 4 hard fought battles

Treaty of Lahore 1846

• Resident installed at Lahore court

• Territory up to Beas river annexed by British

Treaty of Amritsar

• Kashmir given to Dogra Raja Gulab singh of Jammu for Rs.75 lakh

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2nd Anglo-Sikh War 1848-49

• Revolt by Governor of Multan-later Sikh army joined him

• Sikh army defeated

• Kohinoor taken by British ,Sikh Empire annexed by Dalhousie

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Thus after the Battles of Plassey (1757) and Buxar (1764) which established British dominion over East India, the Anglo-Mysore wars (1766–1799), the Anglo–Maratha Wars (1775–1818), Annexation of Sindh (1843) and finally the Anglo-Sikh Wars (1845–1849) consolidated the British claim over South Asia, resulting in the British Empire in India

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THANK YOU

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