Resident
Also called: British Resident · Topic: Europeans in India and the Rise of Company Rule · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 2 "Rebels and the Raj"
Meaning
A Resident was an officer who represented the Governor-General at the court of an Indian state that the British did not rule directly. Officially he was like an ambassador. In practice, he often controlled the ruler. Under the Subsidiary Alliance, the Resident's "advice" had to be followed. This meant the ruler kept his title, but the real power passed to the British.
Example
Hyderabad was among the first states to accept a Subsidiary Alliance, in 1798, and a British Resident was posted at its court. In Awadh, after the treaty of 1801, the Nawab had to act on the advice of the Resident at Lucknow. This took away much of his freedom long before Awadh was annexed in 1856.
Don't confuse with
- Governor-General: he was the head of the Company's government in India. The Resident was his representative at one ruler's court.
Related concepts
- Divide and rule
- Dastak
- Black Hole of Calcutta
- Siraj-ud-daulah
- Robert Clive
- Battle of Plassey
- Mir Jafar
- Mir Qasim
- Battle of Buxar 1764
- Treaty of Allahabad 1765