Question

What is doctrine of lapse?

Answer 1

The doctrine of lapse was an annexation policy purportedly devised by Lord Dalhousie, who was the Governor General for the East India Company in India between 1848 and 1856.The doctrine of lapse was a policy of the British East India Company under which if the ruler of a princely state or territory under the paramountcy of the Company died without a natural heir, the state/territory would automatically be annexed to the British empire.

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.