Coming
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East
India Company
Clash
with Princely States
1857
War of Independence
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Between the years
1785 to 1798 Britishers waged wars against Tipu Sultan, made a settlement
with Nawab Vazir of Avadh. Actually during this time, Lord Cornwallis
tried his best to have a treaty between Marathas, the Nizam and the
Britishers. The treaty of 1792 included a mutual guarantee against the
sovereign of Mysore. He wanted that British power should assume the
position of a mediator between the various Indian powers at rule. Although
it could not realise, Cornwallis' term as a governor is better known
for the internal reforms which he carried out. Whether it benefited
the Indian or not, it strengthened the fundamental of British government
& realised it's prestige. He put an end to corruption amongst the company
officials. Also important is his creation of Judiciary System & System
for criminal justice. For maintaining law and order he created police
reforms. Cornwallis also ended permanently the issue of Bengal land
revenue.
Sir. John Shore succeeded him. Most important event in his tenure was
the Nizam's defeat at Kharda in March 1795 by the Marathas. This was
in line with Shore's policy of non-interference. Also he acted very
quickly for the spoliation of Awadh. He, fearing an Afghan threat, consolidated
the defenses of Awadh. He was succeeded by Lord Welllesley, in May 1798
as a governor. This was the time of the decline of Marathas along with
the other rules getting weak in military defenses. Lord Wellesley established
Great Britain as the ascendant power in India with his annexations and
absorption. Some times for terrestrial acquisitions his ways were arbitrary.
It was he who consolidated the British power by offering the subsidiary
alliance system, explained subsequently. With this system a subsidiary
force was permanently stationed, within the 'allied state' & it could
not negotiate with any other power, without prior consultation to the
Britishers. A part of the territory was surrendered to Britishers for
maintaining this system. This enabled the British to maintain an effective
subsidiary army whose expenses were paid by the Indian rulers. Lord
Minto came to India in 1807 & his period of being a governor extends
upto 1813. He made a truce with Ranjit Singh and also took vigorous
measures against the chiefs of Bundekkhand.
Lord Hardings, Minto's successor operated during 1813 to 1823. He is
known to history for his suppression of Pindaris, a final overthrow
of the Maratha power and a total defeat of Gurkhas. Thus the political
framework for British India was finished in all essentials.
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