Who among the following devised a policy that came to be known as the Doctrine of Lapse?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Explanation
The correct answer is option 3 i.e. Lord Dalhousie.
The Doctrine of Lapse was formulated by Lord Dalhousie, who was the British Governor-General of India from 1848 to 1856.
This policy was used by the British East India Company to annex Indian princely states where the ruler did not have a direct male heir or where the ruler was deemed incompetent. Under this doctrine, if a ruler of a princely state died without a male heir, the state would lapse to the British Crown.