Doctrine of Lapse

Who was Lord Dalhousie and what was the Doctrine of Lapse? Which states were annexed using the Doctrine Of Lapse? Read the article to learn more about the Doctrine Of Lapse.

The British East India Company used the doctrine of lapse, which was regarded as an expropriation and annexation tactic, to enlarge the British Empire’s borders on the Indian subcontinent.

During the years 1848 to 1856, Lord Dalhousie, the then-Governor General of India, mostly implemented this annexation/expropriation program.

Who was Lord Dalhousie?

Known as Lord Dalhousie, James Andrew Broun Ramsay served as both the Governor General of India from 1848 to 1856 and as the 1st Marquess of Dalhousie.

The Doctrine of Lapse is not really credited to Lord Dalhousie, despite the fact that he is widely regarded as having developed it. The British East India Company created the doctrine of lapse immediately before Lord Dalhousie came to power in 1847, or in the year 1847.

What was the Doctrine of Lapse?

The doctrine was rooted in the British belief that they had a moral and legal obligation to modernize and stabilize Indian states, which they considered to be mismanaged by native rulers. By annexing states without a male heir, the British claimed they were preventing chaos and ensuring good governance.

• If the prince of a princely state passed away without a natural or biological male successor, the doctrine of lapse said that the kingdom would be put under the control of the British East India Company
• The British East India Company actively applied the Doctrine of Lapse until 1859. The policy was viewed as illegal since it was believed to have been used to fraudulently acquire princely states. This approach was also thought to be one of the driving forces behind the 1857 uprising.

What characteristics do the Doctrine of Lapse and earlier methods of adopting an heir share?

Long before the Doctrine of Lapse came into effect, a ritualised procedure of choosing an heir from a group of candidates was used to determine who would succeed the prince if his natural or biological male heir could not be produced.

In any case, if the prince passed away prior to choosing the heir or candidate for the throne, one of his widows would be qualified to choose the heir from the group as the successor to the kingdom and was subject to release all of his natural relatives.

Features of the Policy

• According to the doctrine, if a princely state’s prince died without a natural or biological heir, the state would be subjected to British East India Company authority.
• Although Lord Dalhousie did not create this idea, he was the one who recorded it and got it widely recognised in order to extend the British East India Company’s sway.
• Before Lord Dalhousie declared the Doctrine a national policy, it had already been developed and stated by the Court of Directors of the British East India Company in early 1847. A few small princely states had been acquired or seized as a result of this approach.
• According to the theory, an adopted heir would only be eligible to inherit the prince’s personal possessions and properties rather than the kingdom.
• According to the concept, the Prince of the princely state’s adopted son would not be qualified to receive any of the pensions that his father had been getting.
• The policy had opposed the Indian princes’ customs of adopting an heir to the throne of their choosing.
• One of the primary drivers of the Revolt of 1857 is thought to have been this philosophy.
• The British East India Company annexed the princely kingdom of Kittur in 1824 under the terms of the Doctrine of Lapse, which was established well before the Governance of Lord Dalhousie.

Read: India’s Struggle for Independence: Indian Freedom Movement – ClearIAS

The Doctrine of Lapse: States Annexed

According to the concept, Kittur was acquired by the East India Company in 1824 before Dalhousie.

The titles and pension were denied to Nana Sahib, Maratha Peshwa Baji Rao II’s adopted son.

Awadh was annexed to the English East India Company on February 7, 1856 CE due to internal misrule, under the rules and conditions of the Doctrine of Lapse. This annexation was one of the main causes of the Revolt of 1857.

Consequences of the Doctrine of Lapse

• Due to the lack of a biological heir to the throne, several of the Indian princely states lost their lands to the British East India Company under the Doctrine of Lapse.
• After the policy’s empowerment, a large number of Indian princes lived unhappy lives, which ultimately contributed to the Revolt of 1857.
• Nana Sahib and the Rani of Jhansi had issues since the pensions for the heirs were restricted and treated disrespectfully. The introduction of the policy prevented the Rani of Jhansi’s adoptive son from succeeding to the throne.
• After Lord Dalhousie, the Governor General left for Britain in 1856, there was the revolt of 1857, which led to harsh criticism of Lord Dalhousie’s lead.

After Dalhousie’s tenure, the Doctrine of Lapse was abandoned by his successors. The new policy was to recognize adopted heirs, and the British became more accommodating in their approach to princely states.

The Doctrine of Lapse left a legacy of distrust between the British and Indian rulers. It contributed to the Indian Rebellion of 1857 (also known as the Indian Mutiny or Sepoy Mutiny), as many Indian states saw the British as untrustworthy and encroaching on their rights.

The Doctrine of Lapse represents one of the many policies and actions taken by the British East India Company and the British Crown during their rule over India. It remains a historical point of contention and a symbol of colonial overreach in Indian history.

Article Written By: Atheena Fathima Riyas