Who precisely defined the powers of paramountcy in relationship with the Princely States?

Correct option is D

The correct answer is (d) Lord Curzon

Explanation:

• Lord Curzon, as Viceroy of India, played a major role in aggressively defining and enforcing the concept of paramountcy over the Indian Princely States.
• He asserted that the rights of the native princes did not exist independent of the British Crown, making it clear that they ruled as agents of the British Empire.

Information Booster:

• Curzon held a grand Durbar in Delhi in 1903 to emphasize British imperial supremacy and demand allegiance from the Indian princes.
• He actively intervened in the internal affairs of the princely states to enforce "good administration."

Additional Knowledge:

Lord Mayo (Option a)

• He established Mayo College for the education of Indian princes but did not define paramountcy as rigidly as Curzon.

Lord Salisbury (Option b)

• He was a Secretary of State for India and later Prime Minister of the UK, dealing with broader imperial policy.

Lord Lytton (Option c)

• He held the 1877 Delhi Durbar to proclaim Queen Victoria as Empress, but Curzon explicitly theorized and executed the micromanagement aspect of paramountcy.

None of the above/More than one of the above (Option e)

• Incorrect, as Lord Curzon is deeply associated with this policy shift.

So the correct answer is (d)