Expansion & Annexations

Subsidiary Alliance System
Devised by Lord Richard Wellesley.
Indian rulers were not allowed to have independent armies.
British provided protection in return for territory or subsidies.
Used to annex Hyderabad, Awadh, and attempted with Mysore.

• Introduced by Lord Dalhousie.
• Annexed states without a male heir.
• Used to annex Satara, Jhansi, Nagpur, and others.

• Causes: British desire to curb Mysore's power; Haider Ali's disputes with the Nizam and Marathas.
• Course: Initial British alliance with Nizam and Marathas against Haider.
• Outcome: Treaty of Madras (1769); return to pre-war territories; mutual defense agreement.

• Causes: British seizure of Mahe; Haider's alliance with Marathas and Nizam.
• Course: Haider's initial successes; British victories under Sir Eyre Coote.
• Outcome: Treaty of Mangalore (1784); mutual restitution of territories.

• Causes: Tipu's attack on Travancore; British desire for expansion.
• Course: British, Marathas, and Nizam formed a Triple Alliance against Tipu.
• Outcome: Treaty of Seringapatam (1792); Tipu ceded half his territories, paid indemnity, and surrendered two sons as hostages.

• Causes: Tipu's alliance with France; British desire to eliminate him.
• Course: British forces led by Lord Wellesley attacked Mysore.
• Outcome: Tipu Sultan was killed; Mysore annexed; Subsidiary Alliance imposed.

Tipu Sultan's Administration
Established a centralized administration with seven departments.
Issued coins and introduced a new calendar.
Encouraged trade and agriculture; built a navy.
Used iron-cased rockets, a first in military history.
Maintained embassies in France, Turkey, and Egypt.

Rise of the Marathas
Shivaji (1627-1680) founded a stable kingdom challenging Mughal authority.
After Shivaji, Peshwas became the de facto rulers.
Marathas became a formidable force, challenging the British.

• Causes: British interference in Maratha succession disputes.
• Outcome: Treaty of Salbai (1782); mutual restoration of territories; peace for 20 years.

• Causes: Peshwa Baji Rao II signed the Treaty of Bassein (1802) with the British.
• Outcome: British defeated Maratha chiefs; treaties of Deogaon, Surji-Anjangaon, Rajghat imposed.

• Causes: British desire to end Maratha power; conflict with Pindaris.
• Outcome: Maratha confederacy dissolved; Peshwa pensioned off; territories annexed.

18th Century Rule: Sindh ruled by Kallora chiefs.
Talpura Takeover (1771): Baluch Talpura tribe moved to Sindh, gained power.
Mir Fath Ali Khan (1783): Talpura leader exiled Kallora prince, secured Sindh.
Power Sharing: Durrani monarch urged Fath Ali to share power with brothers ("Char Yar").

• British Arrival: Soon followed, marking British interests in Sindh.
• Napoleonic Threat: Fear of French invasion led British to secure allies.
• Treaty with Amirs (1809): British-Amir 'eternal friendship' treaty; no French allowed in Sindh.
• Renewed in 1820: Resolved border disputes with Cutch.

• Subsidiary Force: Sindh entered subsidiary alliance; Amirs paid Rs. 3 lakh for British troops.
• First Anglo-Afghan War (1839-42): Amirs obligated to assist British.
• Loss of Autonomy: Independent status diminished.

Governor-General Lord Ellenborough (1842): Pushed for Sindh’s annexation.
Sir Charles Napier (1843): Annexed Sindh; Napier as first governor.

• Post-Mughal Disorder: Ahmad Shah Abdali’s invasions created chaos.
• Rise of Sikh Misls: Sikh military brotherhoods emerged, seizing territories.
• Sukerchakia Misl: Controlled area between Ravi and Chenab.

• Early Leadership (1792-1797): Took control after his father’s death.
• Governorship of Lahore (1799): Zaman Shah appointed him, extended territory.
• Blood and Iron Policy: Rapidly consolidated Punjab’s power.

• Cis-Sutlej Ambitions: Clashed with East India Company.
• Treaty of Amritsar (1809): River Sutlej became boundary; limited Ranjit Singh’s expansion.
• Further Conquests: Expanded to Multan, Kashmir, Peshawar.

• Decline: Civil power weakened; military dominance increased post-Ranjit.
• Instability: Rival factions and 'king-maker' army emerged.

• Causes: Anarchy post-Ranjit, British annexations aroused Sikh suspicion.

• Treaty of Lahore (1846); British resident appointed, Sikh army reduced.
• Separating Kashmir
• – War Indemnity: Kashmir sold to Gulab Singh Dogra.
• – Sikh Rebellion: Led to Treaty of Bhairowal (1846), concessions but Kashmir retained by Dogras.

• Provocation: Mulraj’s revolt after replacement in Multan.
• Annexation of Punjab: Final defeat; Dalhousie annexed Punjab.

• Expansion Tensions: British-Burmese rivalry over territory led to wars.
• 1st Anglo-Burmese War (1824-26): British victory; Treaty of Yandabo, large indemnity, territory ceded.
• 2nd Anglo-Burmese War (1852): British seized Pegu, expanded control.

• French Threat: British invaded Upper Burma to counter French influence.
• Annexation of Burma: Thibaw deposed; Burma came under British control.

• British Strategy: Forward policy to counter Russian threat.
• Tripartite Treaty (1838): British, Sikhs, Shah Shuja alliance to control Afghanistan.
• British Invasion (1839): General Keane stormed Kabul, installed Shah Shuja.