Choose the correct statements regarding the 'Subsidiary-Alliance' system:
(A) The British would be responsible for protecting their ally from external and internal threats.
(B) In the territory of the ally, a British armed contingent would be stationed.
(C) The British would provide the resources for maintaining this contingent.
(D) The ally could enter into agreements with other rulers or engage in warfare only with the permission of the British.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → (A), (B) and (D) only
(A) The British would be responsible for protecting their ally from external and internal threats. Correct. This was the first condition of the Subsidiary Alliance, the system devised by Lord Wellesley in 1798.
(B) In the territory of the ally, a British armed contingent would be stationed. Correct. A British armed contingent was stationed in the ally’s territory.
(C) The British would provide the resources for maintaining this contingent. Incorrect. The ally, not the British, had to provide the resources for maintaining the contingent.
(D) The ally could enter into agreements with other rulers or engage in warfare only with the permission of the British. Correct. The ally could not make agreements or go to war without British permission.
Note: A same/similar question was asked in CUET (UG) in the papers below.
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
| – | 22-05 S1 | – | 27-05 S1* | – |
* A similar question.
NCERT: Themes in Indian History Part III — Chapter 10: Rebels and the Raj (2025-26)
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