The Treaty of Bassein was a subsidiary alliance signed by Peshwa Bajirao II with the British to regain his throne. By doing so, the head of the Maratha state officially surrendered his sovereignty and accepted British military protection. This gave the British a permanent legal and military foothold in the heart of the Maratha administration, leading directly to the loss of independence. ANSWER: (B) Invited British interference
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By signing the Treaty of Bassein, Bajirao II traded the empire’s independence for his personal survival. The treaty allowed the British East India Company to station a permanent subsidiary force in Pune, paid for by Maratha revenues. This move was viewed as a humilitating betrayal by other Maratha sardars like Scindia and Bhonsle, as it effectively turned the Peshwa into a British puppet. It destroyed the internal balance of the confederacy and served as the immediate catalyst for the Second Anglo-Maratha War, ultimately paving the way for the total British conquest of Western India.