Question

The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising against the rule of the British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the British Crown. With reference to this, answer the following question:

The British used many policies of expansion. Mention any three such policies.

Answer 1

1. By Outright Wars: To expand their territorial power in India and to safeguard their economic and political interests, the British waged many wars against the Indian rulers of different states. The Battle of Buxar (1764) established the British as masters of Bengal, Bihar and Odisha. As a result of their success in the Anglo-Mysore Wars (1767 to 1799), the East India Company annexed most of the territories of the Mysore State.
2. By Subsidiary Alliance: Subsidiary Alliance was an agreement between the British East India Company and the Indian Princely States by virtue of which these states lost 'their sovereignty (the power of a ruler to rule independently without any outside interference) to the British.
3. By using the Doctrine of Lapse: Lord Dalhousie, the Governor-General of India, annexed many Indian States to the Company using the Doctrine of Lapse. According to this Doctrine, if an Indian ruler died without a male heir, his kingdom would 'lapse', that is, it would come under the Company's territory in India.
4. On the Pretext of Alleged Misrule: In 1856, Lord Dalhousie annexed Awadh to the Company's dominfons on the pretext of alleged misrule. He declared that Awadh was being misgoverned and British rule was needed to ensure proper administration.