The Doctrine of Lapse

Introduction

In the 1600s, the East India Company, a trading organization, of Britain came to India. At first, EIC’s primary goal was to purchase raw materials from India at the lowest possible cost, sell them to other countries, and reap the maximum financial benefits. in 1707. After the death of Aurangzeb, the last powerful emperor of the Mughal empire, the EIC stopped paying taxes to Indian monarchs. They viewed it as a chance to increase their earnings. Bengal was where the British established their first factory, and after victories at Plassey and Buxar, they gained complete dominance over the region. As a result of these two conflicts, EIC’s stance changed; they now desired to rule and control India because doing so would increase their profits. British officials appointed residents in Indian states had begun meddling in internal affairs as well. They implemented the subsidiary alliance doctrine, which forbade the partner state from maintaining its own armed forces and instead stationed the British army there. The king of that state paid the full cost of this arrangement. Because of this strategy, the British gained supremacy in India. The Doctrine of Lapse was the final annexation strategy the EIC used before achieving complete control over India. This policy was first presented by Lord Dalhousie, Governor General, in 1848.

The Doctrine of Lapse

• In 1848, Lord Dalhousie, the Governor General, instituted this strategy.
• According to the Doctrine, if a king died without a masculine heir, that country would inevitably fall under British control.
• Dalhousie opposed the king’s prerogative to adopt an heir because he wanted to fully destroy the Mughal empire. He only granted the king’s true-born son the right to property.
• The British claimed that the Doctrine was necessary to protect the people from Nawab’s despotic rule and abuse.
• Dalhousie argued that the old system of government was making life miserable for the population.
• Dalhousie made such as policy because he aspired to overthrow the monarchs who claimed to be descended from the Mughals and who asserted their right to hold power.
• With the help of this tactic, the EIC conquered India by claiming the country’s principal states.
• This tactic led to the annexation of several states, including Satara, Udaipur, Sambalpur, Jhansi, Awadh, and Nagpur.

Below given are the states which were annexed by the East India Company due to The Doctrine of Lapse.

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Satara

During the third Anglo-Maratha War in 1818, the Indian kingdom of Satara was founded. In the year 1848, the British annexed it. Because Appa Sahib, the monarch of Satara, passed away in 1848 without leaving a son to take his place, Lord Dalhousie decided to acquire the state of Satara.

Sambalpur

Up until 1817, the Marathas invaded and governed Sambalpur. Following the third Anglo-Maratha war, the British crowned Raja Narayan Singh as the monarch of Sambalpur. When Raja Narayan Singh passed away in 1849, the British conquered the kingdom because he had no masculine heir.

Udaipur

In 1852, Udaipur was annexed. The annexation of Udaipur was eventually overturned by Lord Canning because the board of directors designated it as a protected ally.

Nagpur

Following the Third Anglo-Maratha War, the British formed a subsidiary alliance with the Maratha state. British citizens acknowledged a Child as the state’s ruler. Up until 1830, a British resident presided over the court; the monarch received the power in 1830.The ruler died in 1853 without any heir and that is why the Britishers annexed the kingdom and ignored the adopted son.

Jhansi

Gangadhar Rao was the raja of the Jhansi kingdom. After the king’s death in 1853, the rani adopted Damodar Rao, a son. Damodar Rao’s claim was rejected by the British, who thereafter acquired the state of Jhansi. Rani Laxmi Bai and British soldiers engaged in the renowned battle of Jhansi, which served as the foundation for the Indian revolution of 1857.

Awadh

One of the most significant states that the British seized in 1856 was Awadh. The British insisted that annexing the kingdom of Awadh was their responsibility in order to protect the population from the Nawab’s corrupt rule. British officials deposed Nawan Wajid Ali Shah due to his despotic

The effect of the Doctrine of Lapse

There were various effects of this doctrine which are given below-

• The Indian Rajas were deeply unsatisfied with the British.
• The revolt of the Indian Rajas and nobilities, which assumed a large form as the revolt of 1857, was the most obvious result of Dalhousie’s Doctrine of Lapse.
• The monarch of Nagpur’s adoptive son, Nana Sahib, and the Rani of Jhansi rebelled against the British.
• Lord Dalhousie was held responsible for the revolt of 1857.
• Following the removal of the Doctrine of Lapse in 1857, Queen Elizabeth assumed the title of empress of India.

Summary

The British arrived in India with the intention of trading. They arrived as the East India Company, a trading firm. British people gradually established their monopoly in trade and took control of it. When the Mughal empire collapsed in 1707, India was split up into numerous small kingdoms, and no major power existed. The British viewed the possibility as an opportunity to colonize and annex India. British soldiers fought in numerous battles and won all of them to gain control over India They introduced a number of policies that made sure that they controlled India completely. The Doctrine of Lapse was one such policy wherein the kingdom that did not have any male heir was taken under British rule compulsory and an adopted son was not considered the legal heir of the kingdom.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What justifications did the British use to annex Awadh?
Ans: The British asserted that Wajid Ali Shah, the monarch of Awadh, was an unfit ruler.

2. Britishers traveled to India when and why?
Ans: British traders from the East India Company first arrived in India around 1600. In order to do business with India. They wanted to buy the raw materials which were abundantly present in India.

3. What measures did the British take to annex Indian princely states?
Ans: The British followed the subsidiary alliance doctrine, which disregarded the kingdom’s own army and forced deploying British troops in their replacement. According to the Doctrine of Lapse only the true son of the king can rule the kingdom and if not, the Britishers gained control.