Who among the following British officials is credited with introducing the Subsidiary Alliance system in India?

Introduction / Context:
This question belongs to the political and administrative history of British India. The Subsidiary Alliance system was a major diplomatic instrument used by the British East India Company to extend its control over Indian princely states without direct annexation at first. Understanding who introduced this system helps you trace how British dominance spread through alliances, treaties and indirect control rather than only through open warfare.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The question asks which British official introduced the Subsidiary Alliance system in India.
• Options include Lord Cunningham, Lord Clive, Lord Wellesley and Lord Canning.
• We assume standard textbook chronology of British Governors-General.
• The focus is on formal introduction as a system, not on isolated earlier treaties.

Concept / Approach:
Lord Wellesley served as Governor-General of India from 1798 to 1805. During his tenure, he aggressively expanded British influence through the Subsidiary Alliance system. Under this system, Indian rulers who entered alliances had to accept a British contingent in their territory, pay for its maintenance and agree not to have independent foreign relations, effectively reducing them to subordinate allies. While Lord Clive laid early foundations for British power after Plassey, it was Wellesley who institutionalised this specific alliance system as a deliberate policy tool.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that Lord Wellesley is widely associated with expansionist policies and the Subsidiary Alliance system around the turn of the 19th century.Step 2: Note that Lord Clive belongs to an earlier phase, known for the Battle of Plassey and the dual system of administration in Bengal, not for Subsidiary Alliances as a system.Step 3: Lord Canning served much later and is mainly associated with the Revolt of 1857 and the transfer of power from the Company to the Crown.Step 4: Lord Cunningham is not listed among the key Governors-General in standard textbooks and is not associated with this policy.Step 5: Given this, the only historically correct choice for introducing the Subsidiary Alliance system is Lord Wellesley.

Verification / Alternative check:
Most modern Indian history textbooks explicitly state that the Subsidiary Alliance system was introduced by Lord Wellesley and provide examples of states like Hyderabad, Awadh and Mysore entering into such alliances. Competitive exam question banks repeat this fact, often in exactly the same wording as the present question, and the official answer key consistently is Lord Wellesley. This cross-checking confirms our selection.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Lord Cunningham: Not a major Governor-General of India in standard histories and not connected with Subsidiary Alliances.Lord Clive: Key architect of early British rule in Bengal but did not formulate the Subsidiary Alliance system as a systematic policy.Lord Canning: Governor-General and first Viceroy in the mid-19th century, associated with the Revolt of 1857, not with this alliance system.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes pick Lord Clive simply because they know his name from the early expansion of the Company. Others may be confused by the similar-sounding names and not recall Wellesley's specific role. To avoid such errors, memorise the association: Subsidiary Alliance system – Lord Wellesley; Doctrine of Lapse – Lord Dalhousie. These two policies together shaped much of the British territorial expansion in India.

Final Answer:
The Subsidiary Alliance system in India was introduced by Lord Wellesley.