What was the reason or ground for the British Empire to annex Sambalpur in 1850?

The British Empire annexed Sambalpur in 1849-1850 primarily due to the death of its ruler without a natural male heir, a condition central to the 'Doctrine of Lapse' [2]. This policy, aggressively implemented by Governor-General Lord Dalhousie between 1848 and 1856, asserted that any dependent princely state where the ruler died without a direct biological heir would 'lapse' and be annexed by the British East India Company [t1][t2]. Sambalpur was one of several states, including Satara, Jaitpur, and Jhansi, that fell under British control through this mechanism [c1][c4]. While Awadh was annexed on grounds of misgovernment, Sambalpur's annexation was strictly a matter of succession failure [c1][t2]. The ruler, Raja Narayan Singh, died in 1849 without an heir, leading to the state's formal incorporation into British territory by 1850 [t1][t2].

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 39: After Nehru... > 14. Lord Dalhousie 1848-1856 > p. 818