Question

The Indian Nationalists described the Great Uprising of 1857 as the First War of Independence. With reference to this, answer the following question:

Mention any three policies used by the British to expand their political power in India.

Answer 1

The following measures were taken by the British in an effort to increase their political influence in India:

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.
2. By Subsidiary Alliance: Some Indian States were brought under the British control without actually annexing them. This was done by following the Subsidiary Alliance, introduced by Lord Wellesley.
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. The other prominent States which were annexed by applying this Doctrine were Satara, Jaitpur, Sambalpur, Udaipur and Nagpur.
4. On the Pretext of Alleged Misrule: In 1856, Lord Dalhousie annexed Awadh to the Company's dominfons on the pretext of alleged misrule.