UPSC Prelims PYQ 1999: Governor‑General who kept British flag flying during Napoleonic...
At a time when empires in Europe were crumbling before the might of Napoleon, which one of the following Governors-General kept the British flag flying high in India?
- Warren Hastings
- Lord Cornwallis
- Lord Wellesley
- Lord Hastings
Explanation
Option (c) is correct
- Lord Wellesley (1798–1805) pursued an aggressive forward policy through subsidiary alliances, expanding British control despite Britain’s struggle with France. His annexations and diplomacy secured British supremacy in India, earning him credit for “keeping the flag flying” during the Napoleonic era.
Answer: (c) Lord Wellesley
