Who among the following British officials introduced the 'Doctrine of Lapse', through which the princely states without a natural male heir were annexed by the East India Company?

💡 Solution & Explanation

Lord Dalhousie applied the Doctrine of Lapse aggressively during his tenure as Governor-General from 1848 to 1856, annexing states such as Satara, Nagpur, and Jhansi. Lord Wellesley expanded British hegemony through the Subsidiary Alliance system, whereas Lord Curzon carried out the controversial Partition of Bengal in 1905. Lord Canning served as Governor-General during the Revolt of 1857 and became the first Viceroy of India. The annexation of Awadh was executed on grounds of alleged misgovernance rather than the Doctrine of Lapse.