Arrange the following events in chronological order:(A) Lord Wellesle…

Arrange the following events in chronological order:

(A) Lord Wellesley devises the system of Subsidiary Alliance
(B) The British conquer Bengal
(C) Lord Dalhousie describes Awadh as a cherry that will drop into the British mouth one day
(D) Awadh is formally annexed to the British Empire

Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

Answer & explanation

Correct answer: option 2

The correct answer is Option (2) → B, A, C, D

(B) The British conquer Bengal — First. Annexation began with the conquest of Bengal, almost a century before 1856. So it comes first.

(A) Lord Wellesley devises the system of Subsidiary Alliance — Second. The Subsidiary Alliance was a system devised by Lord Wellesley in 1798, so it comes second, after the conquest of Bengal.

(C) Lord Dalhousie describes Awadh as a cherry that will drop into the British mouth one day — Third. Lord Dalhousie made the cherry remark in 1851, more than fifty years after Wellesley's system.

(D) Awadh is formally annexed to the British Empire — Fourth. Five years after the remark, in 1856, Awadh was formally annexed. So it comes last.

NCERT (2026-27): “2.1 “A cherry that will drop into our mouth one day”
In 1851 Governor General Lord Dalhousie described the kingdom of Awadh as “a cherry that will drop into our mouth one day”. Five years later, in 1856, the kingdom was formally annexed to the British Empire. The conquest happened in stages. The Subsidiary Alliance had been imposed on Awadh in 1801. By the terms of this alliance the Nawab had to disband his military force, allow the British to position their troops within the kingdom, and act in accordance with the advice of the British Resident who was now to be attached to the court. Deprived of his armed forces, the Nawab became increasingly dependent on the British to maintain law and order within the kingdom. He could no longer assert control over the rebellious chiefs and taluqdars.”

“In the meantime the British became increasingly interested in acquiring the territory of Awadh. They felt that the soil there was good for producing indigo and cotton, and the region was ideally located to be developed into the principal market of Upper India. By the early 1850s, moreover, all the major areas of India had been conquered: the Maratha lands, the Doab, the Carnatic, the Punjab and Bengal. The takeover of Awadh in 1856 was expected to complete a process of territorial annexation that had begun with the conquest of Bengal almost a century earlier.”

“Subsidiary Alliance was a system devised by Lord Wellesley in 1798. All those who entered into such an alliance with the British had to accept certain terms and conditions: (a) The British would be responsible for protecting their ally from external and internal threats to their power. (b) In the territory of the ally, a British armed contingent would be stationed. (c) The ally would have to 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.”