Topic summary
Paramountcy
Extracted from the Wikipedia article Suzerainty.
British paramountcy
The British East India Company conquered Bengal in 1757, and gradually extended its control over the whole of India. It annexed many of the erstwhile Indian kingdoms ("states", in British terminology) but entered into alliances with others. Some states were created by the East India Company itself through the grant of jagirs to influential allies. The states varied enormously in size and influence, with Hyderabad at the upper end with 16.5 million people and an annual revenue of 100 million rupees and states like Bilbari at the lower end with a population of 27 people and annual revenue of 80 rupees.