AThe British East India Company
BMughal Empire
CMaratha Confederacy
DSikh Empire
Answer:
A. The British East India Company
Read Explanation:
Monopolizing Trade & Acquisition of power
The European countries competed for monopolizing trade with India.
The Portuguese and the Dutch were defeated at the very beginning.
The French and the English became locked in intense rivalry and the conflict between these forces lasted long.
The series of conflicts between the French and the English in South India was known as "Carnatic Wars". Ultimately, the French were defeated.
After gaining the monopoly of trade, the English focused on the acquisition of power in India.
The Company rule in India had its inception in Bengal.
Agricultural prosperity and the convenient trade facilities prompted the Company to capture power in Bengal.
The British defeated Siraj-Ud-Daulah, the Nawab of Bengal, in the Battle of Plassey in 1757.
The entire Bengal came under the Company rule with its success in the Battle of Buxar in 1764.
The British could succeed the Battle of Plassey through the secret alliance in which Robert Clive, the commander-inchief of the British army forged with Mir Jafer, the commander-in-chief of Siraj Ud-Daulah. However the success in Buxar was solely due to the superior British military power. They defeated the combined force of Sha Alam (the Mughal Emperor), Shuja - Ud Daulah (the Nawab of Audh) and Mir Kasim (the former Nawab of Bengal)
Mysore was another region that was subjugated by the British.
Mysore, a powerful kingdom in South India, became a dominant power under Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan.
Their domination extended to the areas like Malabar, interrupting the trade of the British in Malabar.
The friendly relation between Tipu Sultan and the French also angered British. This made them conquer Mysore.
Tipu fought bravely with the British and died in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore war.
The British won the Mysore wars and Malabar and Coorg came under them.
The British annexed Malabar as per the Sreerangapattanam treaty signed between Tipu and the British after the third Anglo- Mysore war.
Subsequently the company conquered the Marathas who were a threat to the cotton trade of the British
They conquered the princely states of Sindh, Punjab and Awadh.
British conquered the powerful princely states using military force and affiliated others through treaties and legislations.
The 'Subsidiary Alliance' introduced by Lord Wellesley and the 'Doctrine of Lapse' executed by Lord Dalhousie had important roles in these acquisitions.
The rulers who signed "the subsidiary alliance' were assured protection by the Company against invasions and internal revolts. However, the actual administrative power of the states, were with the representatives of the Company. The princely states like Hyderabad, Thanjavore and Indore entered into the 'Subsidiary Alliance'
As per 'Doctrine of Lapse' policy, when the ruler of a princely state died without a male heir, the British could annex the state with British India. The British annexed Sambalpur, Sathara, Udaipur, Jhansi and Nagpur through the "Doctrine of Lapse".