Doctrine of Lapse – Definition, History, Objective, Impacts

Doctrine of Lapse: Doctrine of Lapse refers to the annexation policy which was adopted by Lord Dalhousie; when he became the Governor-General of India from 1848 to 1856. The Doctrine of Lapse was used as an administrative policy for the extension of the paramountcy of the British. Doctrine of Lapse was declared as early as 1847 in the Court of Directors of East India Company and several other smaller countries have already been purchased by this idea by Lord Dalhousie and used this strategy quite actively and widely.

Doctrine of Lapse

Who was Lord Dalhousie and What is the Doctrine of Lapse?

The doctrine of Lapse is often associated with James Andrew Broun-Ramsay, 1st Marquess of Dalhousie, known famously as Lord Dalhousie. However, the policy was devised by the Court of Directors of the East India Company as early as 1847 and many small states of India were annexed and brought under control through this policy before Lord Dalhousie became the Governor General of India. However, the policy came to be used more extensively by him to expand the territorial reaches of the East India Company.

The Doctrine of Lapse was a policy of annexation that was extensively applied by the Company in India until 1859. The doctrine annexed all the princely states that could not have a male heir to the throne or in the presence of succession disputes.

Doctrine of Lapse

Features of Doctrine of Lapse

Before the incorporation of the Doctrine of Lapse, there was no ritualized method for the adoption practiced for centuries. However, with the policy certain changes could be seen:

1. According to the rules of the doctrine, any of the princely states which are under the direct or indirect control of the East India Company, if did not produce a legal heir; could be annexed by the company.
2. The documentation and use of the policy were done widely by Lord Dalhousie, even though it wasn’t introduced by him.
3. According to the policy, any of the adopted sons of the Indian ruler, couldn’t be stated as the heir of the kingdom and the adopted son could only inherit the personal property and estates of the foster father.
4. According to the policy, the adopted sons won’t be eligible to receive any form of pension that his foster father was getting.
5. The age-old system of power of appointing an heir of their choice was taken away from the native rulers.
6. The approach had been designed to go against the traditions of the Indian princes, who traditionally choose an heir to the throne to succeed them.

The Doctrine of Lapse and States Annexed

The states that were annexed under the policy of the Doctrine of Lapse are as follows:

States Annexed by Doctrine of Lapse	Year of Annexation
Satara	1848
Jaitpur	1849
Sambalpur	1849
Baghat	1850
Udaipur	1852
Jhansi	1853
Nagpur	1854

1. The princely state of Kittur was acquired by East India Company by the doctrine in the year 1824, before the time and coming of Dalhousie.
2. As per this policy, Nana Sahib came to be the adopted son of Peshwa Baji Rao II and was denied his titles as well as a pension.
3. The final revelation came when Awadh came to be annexed to that of the English East India Company by the terms of Doctrine of Lapse on 7th February of 1856 and was one of the ardent reasons for the Revolt of 1857.

Opposition to Doctrine of Lapse

Not everyone was in favour of doctrine of lapse and there were oppositions. Many Indians saw it as a way for East India Company to gain more territory and were not willing to give up their power without fight. The 1857 Sepoy Mutiny was unsuccessful, but it did lead to an end to doctrine of lapse. British government took over rule of India from East India Company and after 2 years doctrine of lapse was officially abolished.

Causes of Doctrine of Lapse

The Doctrine of Lapse was caused by many factors and East India Company was trying to expand its territory and also increase its revenue. There was a notion among the britishers that they were destined to rule to world and hence this led to desire for expansion and annex any territory which seemed weak or unstable.

Also, East India Company was facing certain financial issues and this led to increase in its revenue for paying its debts and also funds. Doctrine of Lapse was seen as a way to achieve this goal.

Effects of Doctrine of Lapse

The effects of the Doctrine of Lapse are as follows:

1. Many Indian states lost their sovereignty and came under the British territories. This led to a huge number of unrest among the princes in India.
2.  Many people were very unhappy with the illegal nature of the Doctrine of Lapse which became one of the major causes for the Revolt of 1857.
3. Rani of Jhansi and Nana Sahib had certain issues against the British, as their pensions of them were stopped by the British because their foster father died and the Rani came to adopt a son, who came to be denied the thrown under the doctrine of Lapse.
4. Dalhousie went back to Britain in 1856 and an Indian revolt had broken out in 1857, his governance came to be criticized widely as one of the major causes of rebellion.

Independent India

The doctrine of lapse was far-fetched and also led to annexation of numerous princely states like Jhansi, Satara, Jhansi and Nagpur, which led to increase in power and size of East India Company and also increase in the revenue for the company. But, the policy was also highly controversial and many Indians saw it as a part of imperialism and was opposed by British officials. The unrest led to repeal of policy in 1859. The doctrine of lapse had left an impact which can be felt even today.

Conclusion

Doctrine of Lapse was seen as an policy of annexation by British Empire and stated that any territory which was not under direct control of the British rule would come automatically under the annexation of the empire and led to annexation by British, which included Hyderabad and also Junagadh. The policy was eventually abandoned in 1948, but remained pivotal for Indian history.

FAQs on Doctrine of Lapse

Who started the Doctrine of Lapse?

The Doctrine of Lase refers to an annexation policy that came to be followed widely by Lord Dalhousie when he was the Governor- General from 1848 to 1856.

What is the Doctrine of Lapse?

 According to the Doctrine of Lapse, if a certain king did not have any natural-born son then the kingdom would be lapse to the British or would be occupied as well as administered by the British.

What are the main features of the Doctrine of Lapse?

The Doctrine of Lapse was introduced by Lord Dalhousie and according to the doctrine, if any of the Indian rulers dies without the presence of a male heir, the kingdom would be automatically passed over to the British.

Who abolished the Doctrine of Lapse?

The Doctrine of Lapse came to be withdrawn by Lord Canning from 1857 to 1861.

What was the first Doctrine of Lapse?

The Doctrine of Lapse was first applied in the year 1848, in state of Satara.

What were some of the princely states that were annexed under the doctrine of lapse?

The princely states which were annexed under doctrine of lapse included Jhansi, Nagpur, Satara and Sambalpur.