Question

The Doctrine of Lapse was a policy of annexation introduced by Lord Dalhousie. The doctrine declared that if any Indian ruler died without leaving behind a natural heir to the throne, his kingdom automatically became a part of the British territory. Several kingdoms like Satara, Sambalpur, Udaipur, Nagpur, Jhansi and Awadh were annexed by applying this doctrine. This doctrine created fear and resentment among the Indian kings.