Type 1: EVIDENCE INFERENCE

In the context of how diplomatic agreements slowly eroded indigenous sovereignty, evaluate the following evidence and subsequent inferences:

Evidence: Under the strict terms of the Treaty of Bassein signed in December 1802, Peshwa Bajirao II agreed to permanently receive and station a massive British native infantry force within his own borders.

Inference 1: This agreement effectively transformed the Maratha heartland into an occupied territory, permanently handcuffing the military independence of the Peshwa.

Inference 2: This agreement forced the British to immediately surrender all of their naval ports and withdraw from the western coast of India.

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Detailed Solution & Context

The correct answer is A.

Core Idea

  • Treaty of Bassein was signed in 1802 by Peshwa Bajirao II.
  • It required English troops to be kept permanently in the Maratha territory.
  • This severely restricted Maratha independence.

Detailed Solution:

Inference 1 captures the brutal reality of the Treaty of Bassein. By inviting a minimum of 6,000 British-controlled soldiers into his lands permanently, the Peshwa essentially signed away his freedom. It was a classic colonial trap: accepting foreign troops for 'protection' resulted in total subjugation.

Distractor & Trap:

Inference 2 is the exact opposite of historical reality. The British did not surrender anything. In fact, this treaty gave them an iron grip on western India, allowing them to project power directly from the Maratha capital. The British expanded; they did not retreat.
Type 2: ASSERTION REASON

Regarding the internal civil wars that fractured regional empires, analyze the following assertions related to the Treaty of Surat:

Assertion (A): To secure his own position in a bitter family power struggle, Raghunathrao willingly handed over valuable coastal territories to the East India Company.

Reason (R): By signing the Treaty of Surat in 1775, he ceded the rich areas of Salsette and Bassein purely in exchange for receiving a few thousand British soldiers to fight his rivals.

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Detailed Solution & Context

The correct answer is A.

Core Idea

  • Raghunathrao sought help from the English by signing the Treaty of Surat in 1775.
  • He ceded the territories of Salsette and Bassein to the English.
  • In return, he received British soldiers to fight his internal rivals.

Detailed Solution:

The assertion correctly describes the treacherous internal politics of the Maratha court. The reason perfectly explains the desperate transaction. Raghunathrao was losing a power struggle against Nana Phadnavis. He was so desperate to win that he committed treason, selling off prime real estate like Salsette just to borrow 2,500 British guns.

Distractor & Trap:

There are no fake statements here, but students often incorrectly believe the British gave land to the Marathas in this treaty. The flow of land was entirely outward; the Maratha prince gave away the kingdom's wealth to buy foreign mercenaries.
Type 3: SCENARIO

Assume you are Warren Hastings' lead diplomat in 1782, desperate to end the exhausting First Anglo-Maratha War. You are drafting the Treaty of Salbai. To secure a 20-year peace, which of the following Actions must you include in the contract?

Action 1: Demanding that the Peshwa permanently ban all other European nations, like the French, from receiving Maratha support.

Action 2: Refusing to return any captured land and demanding the permanent annexation of Bassein into the British Empire.

Action 3: Forcing the Peshwa to station 6,000 British infantrymen inside his capital city immediately.

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Detailed Solution & Context

The correct answer is A.

Core Idea

  • Treaty of Salbai banned the Peshwa from supporting any other European nation.
  • Under Salbai, Bassein was restored to the Marathas (NOT kept by the British).
  • Stationing English troops permanently was part of the Treaty of Bassein (1802), NOT Salbai (1782).

Detailed Solution:

Action 1 is a verified historical demand of the 1782 treaty. The British were always paranoid about the French. To guarantee their own security during the 20-year truce, they forced the Peshwa to promise he would never ally with any other European power.

Distractor & Trap:

Action 2 is a failure of diplomacy; the British actually compromised in 1782 and returned Bassein to the Marathas to secure the peace. Action 3 is the famous trap of the Treaty of Bassein, which didn't happen until twenty years later in 1802. Mixing up the terms of Salbai and Bassein is fatal.
Type 4: HOW MANY

Consider the following pairings related to the diplomatic agreements that dismantled the Maratha power structure. How many of the following pairs accurately describe the treaty's provisions?

Statement 1: Treaty of Bassein : Forced English troops to be permanently stationed in Maratha territory

Statement 2: Treaty of Salbai : Demanded the Peshwa refuse support to any other European nation

Statement 3: Treaty of Surat : The British graciously ceded the territories of Salsette and Bassein to the Marathas

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Detailed Solution & Context

The correct answer is B.

Core Idea

  • Treaty of Bassein required permanent stationing of English troops.
  • Treaty of Salbai banned support for other Europeans.
  • In the Treaty of Surat, Raghunathrao ceded Salsette and Bassein TO the British, not the reverse.

Detailed Solution:

Statements 1 and 2 are historically flawless. Bassein was the military trap that stationed foreign troops inside the empire. Salbai was the diplomatic trap that legally shut the French out of western India for twenty years.

Distractor & Trap:

Statement 3 contains a massive, deliberate reversal of facts. The British did not cede land to the Marathas in the Treaty of Surat. The traitorous Maratha prince, Raghunathrao, gave the highly valuable lands of Salsette and Bassein TO the British to buy their military help.

🚨 The Examiner's Trap (Entity Swap)

The Bait: Reversing the direction of land transfers in the Treaty of Surat (claiming British gave land to Marathas instead of the other way around) or mixing the terms of Salbai and Bassein.

The Reality: In Surat, Raghunathrao gave land to the British. Salbai banned other Europeans. Bassein forced British troops into Maratha land.

⚡ Deck Revision (1/3)

Concept Flow Mapping

Raghunathrao
signed
Treaty of Surat
Treaty of Salbai
guaranteed
peace for twenty years
Treaty of Bassein
stationed
British troops permanently

Logic Quest

"What was the most debilitating military condition imposed by the Treaty of Bassein?"

The Peshwa was legally forced to permanently station and pay for a massive British infantry force inside his own territories.

Topic Clusters

Treaty of SalbaiTreaty of Bassein

Not practicing core concepts like Legal and Military Subjugation via Unequal Treaties using the latest UPSC exam pattern is a serious miss-out that can drastically reduce your chances of clearing Prelims. This interactive engine is specifically designed to help you master highly probable Modern Indian History questions across all emerging analytical formats: Type 1 (Evidence-Inference), Type 2 (Assertion-Reason), Type 3 (Scenario-Based), and the dreaded Type 4 (Multi-Statement "How Many").