Conquest and Expansion of Company Rule

Company Rule Expands

Following the Battle of Plassey in 1757, the English East India Company's political and territorial influence in India grew rapidly. From controlling Bengal, the Company embarked on a policy of conquest and expansion, gradually bringing more and more Indian territories under its direct or indirect rule. This expansion was achieved through various methods, including military wars, diplomatic strategies, and administrative policies.

Methods of Company Expansion:

Military Conquests: The Company fought wars against powerful Indian kingdoms and states that posed a challenge to its expansion.
Subsidiary Alliance: Introduced by Lord Wellesley (Governor-General from 1798-1805). Indian rulers were forced to accept the Company's authority. They had to disband their own armies and allow the Company's army to be stationed in their territory (which the ruler had to pay for). The ruler also had to give up his foreign relations and accept a British Resident at his court. If the ruler failed to make the payment, part of their territory was annexed by the Company. Hyderabad was the first state to enter into a Subsidiary Alliance.
Direct Annexation: Territories were annexed through military defeat, failure to pay subsidies (Subsidiary Alliance), or through policies like the Doctrine of Lapse.
Treaties and agreements: Unequal treaties were imposed on Indian rulers, forcing them to cede territory or accept Company control.

Map showing the expansion of British territory in India over different periods

*(Image shows a map of India depicting the territories under British control (Company rule) at different time points, illustrating the expansion)*

Tipu Sultan – The “Tiger Of Mysore”

The southern kingdom of Mysore posed a significant challenge to the Company's expansion in the south. Mysore was ruled by the powerful rulers Haidar Ali (ruled 1761-1782) and his son Tipu Sultan (ruled 1782-1799).
Tipu Sultan was a formidable opponent who modernised his army with French assistance and posed a serious threat to the Company's interests in the south.
The Company fought four wars against Mysore (Anglo-Mysore Wars, 1767-1799).
In the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War (1799), the Company decisively defeated Mysore. Tipu Sultan was killed defending his capital Seringapatam.
Mysore was then brought under the control of the Company, and a part of the territory was annexed.

Image of Tipu Sultan or a scene from the Anglo-Mysore Wars

*(Image shows a painting or illustration of Tipu Sultan or a scene from one of the Anglo-Mysore Wars)*

War With The Marathas

After defeating Mysore, the Company turned its attention to the Marathas, who were the dominant power in much of Central and Western India.
The Maratha power was organised into a confederacy under the Peshwas and powerful Maratha sardars (chiefs like Sindhia, Holkar, Gaekwad, Bhonsle).
The Company fought three wars against the Marathas (Anglo-Maratha Wars, 1775-1818).
In the Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817-1818), the Company finally broke the Maratha power and annexed most of their territories.
The defeat of the Marathas removed the last major indigenous challenge to the Company's supremacy in India.

The Claim To Paramountcy

By the early 19th century, the Company was confident in its military power and asserted that its authority was paramount or supreme.
Under Lord Hastings (Governor-General 1813-1823), a new policy of 'Paramountcy' was initiated. The Company claimed that its power was greater than that of Indian states and that it was justified in annexing or threatening to annex any Indian kingdom to protect its interests.
This policy led to further annexations and conflicts.

The Doctrine Of Lapse

Introduced by Lord Dalhousie (Governor-General 1848-1856).
This policy stated that if an Indian ruler died without a natural male heir, his kingdom would 'lapse' (become part of the Company's territory). Rulers were not allowed to adopt heirs to inherit the kingdom.
Several kingdoms were annexed under this doctrine, including Satara (1848), Sambalpur (1850), Udaipur (1852), Nagpur (1853), and Jhansi (1854).
The annexation of Awadh in 1856 on the pretext of misgovernment by the Nawab also caused widespread resentment.

Through a combination of military force, diplomatic strategies like Subsidiary Alliance, and administrative policies like the Doctrine of Lapse, the English East India Company rapidly expanded its rule, bringing almost the entire Indian subcontinent under its control by the mid-19th century.