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Q33 (NDA-I/2014) History & Culture › Modern India (Pre-1857) › British annexation policies Answer Verified

The 'Doctrine of Lapse' was a policy that aimed to

Result
Your answer: —  Â·  Correct: D
Explanation

The 'Doctrine of Lapse' was a significant annexation policy primarily associated with Lord Dalhousie, the Governor-General of India from 1848 to 1856 [2]. The policy stipulated that if a ruler of an Indian princely state died without a natural male heir, the state would 'lapse' and be annexed by the British East India Company [1]. This mechanism allowed the Company to systematically expand its territorial boundaries and consolidate direct British authority over vast regions without the need for military conquest [4]. Major states annexed under this doctrine included Satara (1848), Sambalpur (1849), Jhansi (1853), and Nagpur (1854) [6]. By the end of Dalhousie's tenure, he had annexed approximately a quarter million square miles of territory, effectively completing the process of British territorial expansion in India [1]. This aggressive expansionism caused widespread resentment among Indian rulers and was a major factor contributing to the Rebellion of 1857 [5].

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. [2] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 5: Expansion and Consolidation of British Power in India > Doctrine of Lapse > p. 124
  3. [4] Exploring Society:India and Beyond ,Social Science, Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 4: The Colonial Era in India > DON'T MISS OUT > p. 94
  4. [3] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 17: Effects of British Rule > Doctrine of Lapse > p. 268
  5. [6] https://www.britannica.com/topic/doctrine-of-lapse
  6. [5] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 18: Early Resistance to British Rule > Territorial Aggrandisement > p. 293
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SIMILAR QUESTIONS

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