Ring Fence Policy – 1765-1813 – Best Indian History Notes

The Ring Fence Policy (1765-1813) was put into place through Warren Hastings to create buffer zones that would protect the company’s frontiers. It was an approach to defend their borders with their neighbours to defend their territories. The states that formed a ring fence were required to have subsidiary forces which were organized, equipped and commanded by Company officers that were to pay the states’ rulers.

The British relations with Indian states were a constant change over time, only based on the need for expediency. The British did not forget about their imperial goals. In the end, their relations with the states of origin were governed by their own desires, which changed over the course of time. In this article, we’ll look at the policy of the ring fence (1765-1813) that will prove useful to Modern Indian History preparation for the UPSC Civil service Examination.

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Ring fence Policy – Background

• The British recognized native states as independent states during this period. They were still not yet elevated to the level of absolute authority in India in the early days.
• Therefore, they were unable to intervene in every situation and could not assert absolute sovereignty over the indigenous rulers they became allies.
• The battles in the region of Mysore and the agreement between the Hindu king that followed the 4th Mysore War, the first and second Maratha Wars, the treaties with Avadh and Hyderabad and that with the city of Amritsar together with Ranjit Singh were fought.
• Naturally, the Wellesley wars as well as the treaties with different rulers established the British as the ultimate power in India and their allies were made dependent rulers in India.
• When evaluating their relationship with rulers from their native country, two aspects make a difference:
  • In the absence of the treaty signed with Mysore, the Hindu King of Mysore All treaties signed with the other rulers of the native kingdom were reciprocal and equal, i.e. it was a give-and-take. When negotiating treaties with them, however, the British didn’t claim sovereignty.
  • Each treaty explicitly stated that the local ruler who signed the treaty under the ring fence policy, then the Britishers would have total control over the internal affairs of his state matters.

What is the Policy of Ring Fence?

• Warren Hastings established the Ring-Fence policy, which required the protection of the frontiers of neighbours to safeguard their own territories.
• The East Indian Company’s fight against the Marathas as well as the Kingdom of Mysore is a reflection of this.
• The most significant threat was from Marathas as well as Afghan invasion forces (the Company agreed to organise Awadh’s defense to ensure the security of Bengal).
• The East India Company sent troops to strengthen their allies’ defenses and the cost of their care was borne by the rulers of the state. In this manner, the defense of the local ruler was dependent on the East India Company.
• In the era that was known as the “Policy of Ring Fence”. During this era of the “Policy of Ring Fence,” the British declared no sovereignty over the native rulers, considered them independent, allowing them the right to govern their internal affairs, and, with the exception of cases of the Hindu leader of Mysore they made treaties with them on mutually equal terms.
• Wellesley’s secondary alliance policy is an expansion of the Ring Fence strategy, which sought to lessen states’ dependence on government assistance. British Government in India.
• Allies with subordinates were accepted by powerful powers like Hyderabad, Awadh, and the Marathas. This led to British dominance being created.

Ring Fence Policy – conclusion

The policy of Ring Fence is one of the policies implemented by the British to establish their supremacy over India. Indian provinces. The other similar policies were the system of subsidiary alliances and the Policy of Subordinate Isolation, the Policy of Subordinate union, the Policy of Equal Federation and so on.

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