Question

Describe the doctrine of lapse

Answer 1

it is a policy introduced by Lord Dalhousie which said that if any king is died without any male heir his kingdom would be annexed.

Answer 2

Answer

The Doctrine of Lapse

The final wave of annexations occurred

under Lord Dalhousie who was the

Governor-General from 1848 to 1856.

He devised a policy that came to be

known as the Doctrine of Lapse. The

doctrine declared that if an Indian ruler

died without a male heir his kingdom

would "lapse" that is become part of

Company territory. One kingdom after

another was annexed simply by

applying this doctrine: Satara (1848). Sambalpur (1850).

Udaipur (1852). Nagpur (1853) and Jhansi (1854).

Finally, in 1856, the Company also took over Awadh.

This time the British had an added argument - they

said they were "obliged by duty" to take over Awadh in

order to free the people from the "misgovernment of

the Nawab! Enraged by the humiliating way in which

the Nawab was deposed, the people of Awadh joined

The great revolt that broke out in 1857.