The Residency system has its origins in the system of
subsidiary alliances devised by the British after the
Battle of Plassey in 1757, to secure
Bengal from attack by deploying
East India Company troops of the
Bengal Army within friendly Native States. Through this system, the Indian Princes of these Native States were assured of protection from internal or external aggression, through deployment of company troops. In return they had to pay for the maintenance of those troops and also accept a British Resident in their court. The Resident was a senior British official posted in the capital of these Princely States, technically a diplomat but also responsible for keeping the ruler to his alliance. This was seen as a system of
indirect rule that was carefully controlled by the British Resident. His role (and all were men) included advising in governance, intervening in succession disputes, and ensuring that the States did not maintain military forces other than for internal policing or else form diplomatic alliances with other States. The Residents attempted to modernize these Native States through promotion of European notions of progressive government. After the establishment of Crown rule of British India in 1858, the indigenous States ruled by the Indian princes retained their internal autonomy in terms of political and administrative control, while their external relations and defence became the responsibility of the Crown. An area over two-fifths of the
Indian subcontinent was administered by native princes, although nothing like such a high proportion in terms of population. in
Kollam city, built by
Col. John Munro The continuation of Princely rule allowed the British to concentrate their resources on the more economically significant
areas under their direct control and also obscured the effective loss of independence of these States in their external relations. In many instances, the local prince even paid for the erection of these Residencies, as a gesture of his support for and allegiance to the British. The Nawab of
Oudh, one of the richest native princes, paid for and erected a splendid Residency in
Lucknow as a part of a wider programme of civic improvements. ==List of Residencies==