British Expansion in India – Mysore, Maratha

British Expansion in India

The political situation in Deccan

In the 1760s, the neighbouring states in the Deccan came into conflict with each other in their attempt to expand their territories to fulfil their need for resources. Three factors pushed this conflict:

1. Maratha’s Loss in 1761 made them weaker and a target for the neighbouring Hyderabad.
2. The rise of Mysore threatened its neighbouring states, and the Marathas and the Nizam formed an alliance against Mysore and also cooperated with the British to curb the power of Mysore.
3. Nizam was equally apprehensive of the Maratha’s expansion in the south and therefore cooperated with the British against the Marathas.

British Expansion in Mysore

The Mysore Kingdom was founded by Wodeyars, who were vassals of the Vijayanagar Empire. Chikka Krishnaraja Wodeyar II ruled Mysore from 1734 to 1766.

Haider Ali, a captain in the Kingdom’s army, rose to prominence, eventually becoming the de facto ruler. He and later his son, Tipu Sultan, were involved in a constant struggle with the British.

Reasons for Anglo-Mysore rivalry:

1. The British saw Haider Ali’s and Tipu Sultan’s control over Malabar as a threat to their commercial interests.
2. Mysore was also seen as a threat to British control over Madras.
3. The French alliance with the Mysore rulers was seen as a threat to British dominance in this region.

The First Anglo-Mysore War (1767-69)

The British signed a treaty with the Nizam of Hyderabad in 1766, in which Nizam ceded to them the Northern Circars and in turn British would provide protection against Hyder Ali.

• The Nizam and the Marathas entered into a pact with the British against Haider Ali, and the Marathas attacked Mysore in 1766.
• However, Hyder Ali showed his diplomatic skills and paid the Marathas to become neutral and converted the Nizam into his ally (against the Nawab of Arcot).
• Haider Ali then launched an attack against the British and reached up to the gates of Madras.
• The British had to conclude a humiliating treaty with Haider Ali in 1769, the Treaty of Madras.
• Both powers agreed to help each other in case of an attack by a third party.

British Expansion in Marathas

After their defeat in the third battle of Panipat, Maratha’s power revived in the early 1770s under Madhavrao Scindhia and asserted its power on Mysore and Nizam of Hyderabad.

British Expansion in India under Warren Hastings (1772-85)

Policy of Ring-Fence

Warren Hastings upon his takeover, started a ring-fence policy that involved the creation of buffer states around their territories to avoid direct confrontation with powers like the Marathas and Afghans. Terms of the Policy dictated that:

• The East India Company would take responsibility for its ally’s security, and the ally, would take care of the expenses.
• This way, the local ruler would become dependent on the British and lose their freedom in diplomatic and defence issues.

In 1774, Warren Hasting assisted the Nawab of Oudh in the Rohilla war, which led to the annexation of Rohilkhand into Oudh. Hastings justified his action on the ground that Oudh, was needed as a strong buffer state to defend the British interests.

The policy of Ring-Fence was further developed into the subsidiary alliance by Lord Wellesley.