Consider the statements (A) and (B) about ‘Subsidiary Alliance” and choose the correct option.
(A) Indian rulers were allowed to have their independent armed forces.
(B) Indian rulers were required to pay to the East India Company.

Correct option is D

The correct answer is (A) is false, (B) is true. Under the Subsidiary Alliance system, Indian rulers were not allowed to have independent armed forces. Instead, they were required to disband their armies and accept British forces stationed in their territories for protection. Additionally, Indian rulers had to pay a subsidy to the East India Company for maintaining these British troops. If they could not pay, parts of their territory were often annexed by the British.
Information Booster:
• Subsidiary Alliance was introduced by Lord Wellesley in the early 19th century.
• Indian states lost the right to maintain their own military forces under this system.
• The system made Indian rulers financially dependent on the British.
• If a ruler failed to make the payment, they risked losing territory to the British.
• The Alliance was a strategic tool for British expansion without direct conquest.
Additional Knowledge:
• Independent Armed Forces: This statement is incorrect; the alliance aimed to weaken the military independence of Indian states.
• Payment to the Company: Indian rulers had to pay for the British troops stationed in their states.
• Impact of Alliance: The policy increased British influence, effectively making allied Indian states protectorates of the Company.
• Historical Examples: The Nizam of Hyderabad was one of the first rulers to accept the Subsidiary Alliance.