short note doctrine of lapse
Doctrine of Lapse
The Doctrine of Lapse was introduced by Lord Dalhousie. According to this doctrine, if any Indian ruler dies without leaving a male heir, his kingdom would automatically pass over to the British. Satara, Sambhalpur, Udaipur, Nagpur and Jhansi were some states which were annexed by the Company under this doctrine. The state of Awadh was annexed by the Company in 1856 on the charges of misgovernment by the Nawab of Awadh.