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History Optional PYQ Master Pack · Model answer

The British policy towards Indian States in 1818-1858 was one of “isolation and noninterference tempered by annexation.” Comment.

  • UPSC 1996
  • British Expansion in India

By 1818, with Maratha power broken, the British stood as the paramount force in India and faced a new question — not how to defeat remaining rivals, but how to govern the princely order that survived alongside Company territory.

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What the full answer covers

  • The "Isolation and Noninterference" Element
  • The "Tempered by Annexation" Element
  • Assessing the Formula

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