Lord Hastings
When Lord Hastings(1813-1823) took office, the Company’s military confidence was at an all-time high. The days of cautious defence were gone — this was an era of imperial self-assurance.
Key Features of His Tenure
- Vigorous Forward Policy – Hastings actively sought opportunities to expand British influence.
- Heavy use of military force – He was prepared to fight major wars to remove any obstacle to British dominance.
Major Wars under Lord Hastings
1. Anglo-Nepal War (1814–1816)
- The British clashed with the Gorkhas over expansion into the Himalayan foothills.
- Result: British victory and the Treaty of Sugauli (1816), which gave them Shimla and parts of Kumaon and Garhwal.
- This war secured a key mountain frontier.
2. Third Anglo-Maratha War (1817–1819)
- This was the decisive blow to Maratha power.
- All major Maratha chiefs (Peshwa, Bhonsle, Scindia, Holkar) were defeated.
- Result: The end of Maratha political independence and the complete establishment of British paramountcy in India.
The Policy of Paramountcy
- Hastings asserted that Company authority was supreme over all Indian states.
- This meant the British could intervene, annex, or threaten annexation whenever they believed their “interests” were at stake.
- It was a legal and political doctrine to justify intervention beyond existing treaties.
Case Study: Rani Chennamma of Kittur
- Background: Rani Chennamma became queen after marrying Raja Mallasarja. When her son died, she adopted Shivalingappa as heir.
- Conflict: The British refused to recognise the adoption, citing their authority under paramountcy (similar in spirit to the later Doctrine of Lapse).
- Events:
- 1824: She resisted British orders, fought them in battle, and defeated Company forces in her first revolt.
- In the second confrontation, she was captured and imprisoned at Bailhongal Fort, where she died in 1829.
- Aftermath: Her follower Sangoli Rayanna continued guerrilla resistance until his capture and execution in 1830.
- Legacy: One of the earliest female leaders to openly fight British expansion — celebrated as a folk hero in Karnataka.