Roadmap for Answer Writing

Introduction 

• Introduce the key claim of the question: Lord Wellesley’s tenure as Governor-General marked a significant transformation in the relationship between Britain and India.
• Briefly state how his policies of military expansion, alliances, and administrative reforms extended British control over India, effectively making the British Empire in India more centralized and direct.

1. The Subsidiary Alliance System 

• Explain the policy: Introduced in 1798, the Subsidiary Alliance system required Indian rulers to maintain British troops at their own expense and not make independent treaties.
• Impact on expansion: Over 100 states signed this alliance, leading to British dominance across vast regions.
• Examples:
  • Nawab of Awadh forced to cede territories (1801).
  • Hyderabad’s territories were similarly taken.
• Fact Source: “During Wellesley’s rule, the system expanded British power by coercing states into submission” (Historical accounts on Wellesley’s policies).

2. Military Conquests and the Defeat of Regional Rivals 

• Defeating Tipu Sultan (Fourth Anglo-Mysore War, 1799): Wellesley’s strategy to neutralize the threat from Tipu Sultan, who allied with France, led to his defeat and the fall of Seringapatam.
  • Resulted in British control over Mysore and the installation of a puppet ruler.
• Impact on Marathas (Second Anglo-Maratha War, 1803-1805): British secured control over territories like Agra and Delhi, and the Treaty of Bassein (1802) fragmented the Maratha confederacy.
• Fact Source: “The defeat of Tipu Sultan and Maratha consolidation under British rule were pivotal in securing British supremacy” (British India documentation).

3. Administrative Reforms 

• Fort William College (1800): Established to train British recruits in Indian culture, law, and languages, enhancing their ability to administer India.
• Censorship of Press Act (1799): Enforced strict press control to prevent French influence and maintain British authority in India.
• Expansion of British bureaucracy: Raised the status and responsibilities of senior officials, further entrenching British control over India’s administration.
• Fact Source: “Wellesley’s administrative reforms ensured that the British bureaucracy could efficiently manage a growing empire” (Records of British colonial governance).

4. Political and Economic Control 

• Strategic Expansion: By employing policies like the Subsidiary Alliance and winning military victories, Wellesley not only expanded British territorial control but also secured economic dominance in India, including lucrative regions for trade like Bengal and the Deccan.
• Fact Source: “Wellesley’s territorial and strategic decisions marked a shift from indirect control to direct imperial rule” (British Empire history).

Conclusion 

• Summarize how Wellesley’s policies made the British Empire in India more centralized, transforming it into the British Empire of India by extending British political, military, and economic control over a large part of the subcontinent.
• Reaffirm the long-term impact of these policies on India’s political landscape.

Key Facts and Sources

1. Subsidiary Alliance:
   • Wellesley’s system forced Indian rulers to accept British military presence and control (Over 100 states).
   • Source: British colonial policy records, historical accounts on British imperialism.
2. Military Conquests:
   • Victory over Tipu Sultan in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War (1799).
   • Treaty of Bassein and the defeat of Marathas (1803-1805).
   • Source: British India military records, Maratha history accounts.
3. Administrative Reforms:
   • Fort William College (1800) for training administrators.
   • Censorship of Press Act (1799) to control public opinion.
   • Source: Administrative history of British India.
4. Economic Control:
   • Expansion of British dominance over regions like Bengal and the Deccan.
   • Source: Economic history of the British Empire in India.