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<li style=”margin-right:101px; margin-left:103px”><span style=”font-size:11pt”><span style=”line-height:115%”><span style=”tab-stops:107.0pt 107.05pt”><span style=”font-family:Cambria,serif”>Warren Hastings took charge as the governor-general at a critical period of British rule when the British were to encounter the powerful combination of the Marathas, Mysore and Hyderabad.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li style=”margin-right:140px; margin-left:103px”><span style=”font-size:11pt”><span style=”line-height:115%”><span style=”tab-stops:107.0pt 107.05pt”><span style=”font-family:Cambria,serif”>He followed a policy of ring-fence which aimed at creating buffer zones to defend the Company’s frontiers.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li style=”margin-right:95px; margin-left:103px”><span style=”font-size:11pt”><span style=”line-height:115%”><span style=”tab-stops:107.0pt 107.05pt”><span style=”font-family:Cambria,serif”>Broadly speaking, it was the policy of defence of their neighbours’ frontiers for safeguarding their own territories.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li style=”margin-right:112px; margin-left:103px”><span style=”font-size:11pt”><span style=”line-height:115%”><span style=”tab-stops:107.0pt 107.05pt”><span style=”font-family:Cambria,serif”>This policy of Warren Hastings was reflected in his war against the Marathas and Mysore. The chief danger to the Company’s territories was from the Afghan invaders and the Marathas. To safeguard against these dangers, the Company undertook to organise the defence of the frontiers of Awadh on the condition <span style=”letter-spacing:-.15pt”>that </span>the Nawab would defray the expenses of the defending army. The defence of Awadh constituted the defence of Bengal during that time.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li style=”margin-right:118px; margin-left:103px”><span style=”font-size:11pt”><span style=”line-height:115%”><span style=”tab-stops:107.0pt 107.05pt”><span style=”font-family:Cambria,serif”>Thus the states brought under the ring-fence system were assured of military assistance against external aggression—but <span style=”letter-spacing:-.2pt”>at </span>their own expense. In other words, these allies were required to maintain subsidiary forces which were to be organised, equipped and commanded by the officers of the Company who, in turn, were to be paid by the rulers of these states.</span></span></span></span></li>
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