Which of the following pairs correctly matches a British annexation policy with its primary characteristic?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
Solution: The correct answer is Doctrine of Lapse: Annexation of states if a ruler died without a natural male heir.
Explanation:
☛ The Doctrine of Lapse was an annexation policy extensively used by Lord Dalhousie (Governor-General of India from 1848 to 1856).
☛ Under this policy, if an Indian ruler of a protected state died without a natural male heir, their territory was annexed by the British East India Company rather than passing to an adopted heir.
☛ Satara (1848) was the very first state to be annexed under this doctrine, followed by Jaitpur and Sambalpur (1849), Baghat (1850), Udaipur (1852), Jhansi (1853), and Nagpur (1854).
Extra Exam-Relevant Facts:
☛ Subsidiary Alliance: Devised by Lord Wellesley in 1798, it required Indian rulers to disband their own armed forces and maintain British troops at their own cost, along with accepting a British Resident.
☛ Policy of Paramountcy: Initiated under Lord Hastings (Governor-General from 1813 to 1823), declaring that the Company's authority was supreme or paramount, justifying the annexation or threat of annexation of any Indian state.
☛ Ring-Fence Policy: Introduced by Warren Hastings to create buffer zones defending the borders of the Company's territories against external threats like the Marathas and Afghans.
☛ Annexation of Awadh (1856): Awadh was annexed by Lord Dalhousie on the grounds of misgovernance (maladministration), not under the Doctrine of Lapse.
Important One-Liners for Upcoming Exams:
☛ Which state was the first to accept the Subsidiary Alliance system in 1798? → Hyderabad (the Nizam of Hyderabad)
☛ Who was the Nawab of Awadh when it was annexed by the British in 1856? → Wajid Ali Shah
☛ Which Mughal Emperor granted the Diwani rights of Bengal to the East India Company in 1765? → Shah Alam II
☛ Under whose governor-generalship was the Dual System of government abolished in Bengal? → Warren Hastings (1772)
☛ Which Queen fought bravely against the British during the 1857 revolt following the annexation under the Doctrine of Lapse? → Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi