Subsidiary Alliance system

The Subsidiary Alliance system (introduced by Lord Wellesley from 1798 onwards) had several primary objectives, but protecting India from Napoleonic danger was not a direct aim. The system was designed to: (a) maintain a large standing army at the expense of Indian states - allies had to pay for British military protection; (c) secure fixed income for the Company through subsidies from allied states; (d) establish British political and military supremacy over Indian states. While the Napoleonic Wars were happening simultaneously in Europe, the Subsidiary Alliance was primarily a mechanism for British territorial and political expansion in India, not a defensive measure against Napoleonic threats. > Wellesley's Subsidiary Alliance = Military/political control, not Napoleonic defense. Answer: b.