RAS question
The treaty of 1818 signed between the British and the Rajput states is known as:
Correct answer: (B) Subsidiary Alliance.
The 1818 treaties between the British and the Rajput states are known as Subsidiary Alliance treaties.
Explanation
In 1818, most Rajput states entered Subsidiary Alliance arrangements with the British East India Company. The arrangement fitted the wider settlement after Lord Hastings' campaigns: Britannica describes the Pindari raids, the Maratha resistance, and then the acceptance of British suzerainty by the Rajput chiefs of Rajasthan, central India and Kathiawar. That is why the label is not just a date-based treaty name; it describes the political terms of the relationship. Under these treaties, Rajput rulers accepted British supremacy, allowed a British Resident at court, and gave up control of foreign affairs. In return, they received British protection, especially from Maratha and Pindari pressure.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) The Treaty of Bassein was a 1802 arrangement between the British and the Peshwa, so it does not name the 1818 British-Rajput settlement.
- (C) The Treaty of Lahore belongs to 1846 and the British-Sikh context, not to the Rajput states' 1818 acceptance of British suzerainty.
- (D) The Treaty of Sagauli was the 1816 settlement between the British and Nepal, whereas the question asks about Rajput states in 1818.
Concept
This tests British expansion in Rajasthan, especially the treaty system through which Rajput states moved under Company paramountcy. It recurs in RAS because 1818 is treated as a turning point from Maratha-Pindari pressure to British-protected princely rule.