Eduqo
Modern Indian History›Ch 1: Advent of Europeans & British Expansion›Anglo-Sikh Wars & British Expansion
Mastering Dalhousie, Wellesley, and the Annexation of Punjab
The British expanded their empire through the Subsidiary Alliance, Doctrine of Lapse, and direct military conquest of Punjab after Ranjit Singh's death.
Quick Memory Hooks
| Policy / War | Governor / Leader | Year / Result |
|---|---|---|
| Subsidiary Alliance | Lord Wellesley | Introduced in 1798 |
| First Anglo-Sikh War | Lord Hardinge | 1845-46 (Treaty of Lahore) |
| Second Anglo-Sikh War | Lord Dalhousie | 1848-49 (Punjab Annexed) |
| Doctrine of Lapse | Lord Dalhousie | Satara first (1848) |
Ranjit Singh
(Lion of Punjab)
Lion of Punjab
Maharaja Ranjit Singh ruled a powerful independent Sikh kingdom until 1839.
Treaty Lahore
(End of 1st War)
End of 1st War
The First Anglo-Sikh War ended with the humiliating Treaty of Lahore in 1846.
Satara 1848
(First Lapse State)
First Lapse State
Satara was the very first state annexed under Dalhousie's Doctrine of Lapse.
Hyderabad
(First Subsidiary)
First Subsidiary
Nizam of Hyderabad accepted Wellesley's Subsidiary Alliance in 1798.
Punjab was annexed after WellesleyPunjab was annexed under Dalhousie in 1849
Wellesley was Governor-General in 1798, while Punjab fell decades later under Dalhousie.
Jhansi was annexed before SataraSatara was annexed in 1848, Jhansi in 1853
Satara is always the correct answer for the first state annexed under Doctrine of Lapse.
Ranjit Singh fought the BritishRanjit Singh maintained peaceful treaty relations
Ranjit Singh signed the Treaty of Amritsar (1809) with the British and avoided war.
Q1.In which year was the Punjab formally annexed by the British East India Company?
Q2.Which Indian state was the first to accept Lord Wellesley's Subsidiary Alliance in 1798?