In 1856 Awadh would not have been annexed with the British^ Empire if the Nawab of Awadh had

The annexation of Awadh in 1856 was unique because it was not based on the Doctrine of Lapse, as Nawab Wajid Ali Shah had heirs [1]. Instead, Lord Dalhousie annexed the territory on the grounds of 'misgovernment' and 'maladministration' [4]. The British had long pressured the Nawabs to introduce administrative reforms to align with Western bureaucratic norms [t1][t6]. Reports by Residents Sleeman and Outram highlighted anarchical conditions, which the British used as a pretext to claim the Nawab had failed his obligations under the Subsidiary Alliance [c2][t1]. Dalhousie initially preferred a permanent British administration while letting the Nawab retain his title, but the Court of Directors insisted on full annexation [c2]. Had the Nawab implemented the specific administrative reforms demanded by the British, the primary legal and moral justification for the 1856 annexation—the 'plea of misgovernment'—would have been removed [c4][t1].

Sources

1. [1] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 5: Expansion and Consolidation of British Power in India > Annexed Lapsed States > p. 125
2. [4] http://indianculture.gov.in/digital-district-repository/district-repository/awadh-and-subsidiary-alliance-wellesley-and