Consider the following Indian states:

I. Awadh

II. Jhansi

III. Satara

IV. Nagpur

V. Sindh

Which of the above states were annexed by the British due to the policy of Doctrine of Lapse?

Key Points

• The Doctrine of Lapse was a policy introduced by Lord Dalhousie, the then Governor-General of India, in the mid-19th century.
• According to this policy, any princely state or territory under the direct influence (paramountcy) of the British East India Company would automatically be annexed if the ruler was either ""manifestly incompetent or died without a direct male heir"".
• Jhansi, Satara, and Nagpur were among the states annexed by the British due to the Doctrine of Lapse.
• Awadh and Sindh were not annexed by this policy; Awadh was annexed on the pretext of misgovernance while Sindh was annexed after the battle of Miani.

Additional Information

• Doctrine of Lapse:
  • The Doctrine of Lapse was an annexation policy purportedly devised by Lord Dalhousie, who was the Governor-General of India from 1848 to 1856.
  • According to this doctrine, if an Indian ruler died without a male heir, his kingdom would ""lapse"" and become part of British India.
  • This policy was used to annex several states such as Satara (1848), Sambalpur (1850), Jhansi (1853), Nagpur (1854), and others.
• Annexation of Awadh:
  • Awadh was annexed in 1856, citing misgovernance and administrative incompetence as the reasons.
  • It was not annexed under the Doctrine of Lapse but through the application of the policy of ""good governance"".
• Annexation of Sindh:
  • Sindh was annexed in 1843 after the Battle of Miani where the British defeated the Talpur Amirs.
  • The annexation was a result of military conquest rather than the Doctrine of Lapse.