Lord Wellesley: Expansion, Wars, and Subsidiary Alliances & Financial Challenges

Lord Wellesley’s Bold Shift: Transforming British Strategy in Colonial India

Lord Wellesley came to India in 1798 when the British were at war with France on a global scale. Before that time, the British had a strategy of consolidating their resources and gains in India and only expanding their territory when it was practicable to do so without upsetting the main Indian forces. The time had arrived, according to Lord Wellesley, to subjugate as many Indian states as possible. The “policy of non-intervention” with regard to the native rulers was primarily followed by Sir John Shore, who served as the Company’s governor general on an as-needed basis from 1793 to 1798. However, the subsequent governor general, Lord Wellesley, entirely changed his approach. In order to fulfill his goal of making the Company the Supreme Power in India, he chose to undertake an aggressive foreign policy.

Lord Wellesley’s Subsidiary Alliance: Transforming Indian Politics

Wellesley’s Alliance Tactics: British Dominance in Colonial India

Lord Wellesley’s Subsidiary Alliance was yet another extremely effective tactic for enhancing British control over the country’s territory and political influence. This type of agreement was compelled to be signed by the new king of Mysore after Tipu’s defeat, various Maratha chiefs following the Second Maratha War, the Nizam of Hyderabad, the Nawab of Awadh, and other Company-dependent allies. Following are the details of the treaty:

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• A ruler who ratified this pact was forbidden from having relationships with any other indigenous rulers and was not allowed to hire any Europeans without permission from the English.
• Lord Wellesley was required to give the English a portion of his land in exchange for keeping an English resident at his court and an English force within his borders.
• Because of this agreement, the English were able to expand their territory and force the French out of the courts of the local governments.
• The Nizam of Hyderabad signed this agreement with Wellesley initially (in September 1798 and 1800).

Second Anglo-Maratha War (1803-1805): Internal Strife and British Opportunity

Lord Wellesley had a great chance to reduce the Marathas’ influence through internal disputes among the Marathas. The war progressed as follows:

• Between Holkar and the Peshwa and the Sindhia on the one side, and between Holkar and the Peshwa and the Sindhia on the other, a virtual battle ensued.
• In October 1802, Peshwa Baji Rao was defeated by Jaswant Rao in a battle at Poona, forcing him to seek refuge in Bassein and placing Vinayak Rao, Raghunath Rao’s grandson, on the Peshwa’s gaddi.

Wellesley’s Triumph: Fourth Anglo-Mysore War and Mysore’s Fate

The third Mysore war, which was waged while Lord Cornwallis served as governor-general, significantly reduced Tipu Sultan’s influence. The war progressed as follows:

• Lord Wellesley decided to depose Tipu Sultan as soon as he arrived in India. As a result of his initial conversations with the Marathas and the Nizam of Hyderabad, he was given the assurance that they would act impartially in the case of an English-Tipu confrontation.
• Then, in 1799, Lord Wellesley launched a war on him. The battle was easily won by the English.
• When Mysore came under siege from two sides, Tipu was forced to seek sanctuary in his capital, Srirangapatna, where he sacrificed his life in fighting.
• In May 1799, the English seized Srirangapatna after Tipu’s son gave himself up to them. 
• Post seizure of Seringapatam small section of Mysore’s territory was given to the Nizam, a bigger portion was taken by the English, and the remaining land was given back to the younger son of the former Hindu king of Mysore, who later converted into an ally of the English.

Wellesley’s Press Control: 1799 Act and its Evolution

Lord Wellesley created the Censorship of Press Act in 1799 to stop the French from publishing anything that might have a negative impact on the British in any way. In accordance with the Act:

• All newspapers were now reviewed by the government before publishing as a result of this statute.
• Later, in 1807, this statute was expanded to cover all forms of press publications, such as newspapers, magazines, books, and pamphlets.
• The laws were loosened under Lord Hastings’ authority.

Wellesley’s Expensive Legacy: Tussles, Troubles, and Transition

Although entertaining, Lord Wellesley’s trips were expensive. Following were the highlights of his tenure:

• Tussle with CoDs: The continued disputes with Mysore and the Marathas, as well as his plan to launch educational activities in India, which put financial pressure on the company, made the Court of Directors impatient.
• In July 1805, Lord Cornwallis was called back in and sent back to India.
• His peers urged him to restore peace to the British dominions, which were being threatened by wounded lions like Holkar and Scindia.

Conclusion

In order to make the Company the dominating force in India, Lord Wellesley followed an aggressive campaign with local authorities. For the most part, this plan was successful. Sir George Barlow, a close friend of John Shore and Lord Wellesley, succeeded him. His tenure, which lasted from 1805 to 1807, was terminated by a mutiny in Vellore in 1806.

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Previous Year Questions

Q1. Which one of the following statements does not apply to the system of Subsidiary Alliance introduced by Lord Wellesley? (UPSC 2018)

1. To maintain a large standing army at others’ expense
2. To keep India safe from Napoleonic danger
3. To secure a fixed income for the Company
4. To establish British paramountcy over the Indian States

Regarding Arthur Wellesley FAQs

Q1. Which policy did Lord Wellesley put into place?

Ans. The notion of a subsidiary alliance was first put forth by Lord Wellesley, the British Governor-General of India from 1798 to 1805. The arrangement prohibited Indian kings from possessing their own armed troops.

Q2. Which regions came under the Subsidiary Alliance?

Ans. Some Indian states that came under the Subsidiary Alliance were Hyderabad, Awadh (Oudh), Mysore, and Tanjore during British colonial rule.

Q3. Who was the first ruler to enter into the subsidiary alliance?

Ans. In 1798, the Nizam of Hyderabad became the first to consent to a well-drafted subsidiary alliance. Baji Rao II, the king of the Maratha people, consented to a secondary alliance following the Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817–19).

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