Doctrine of laps was introduced by?

The correct answer is Lord Dalhousie.

The Doctrine of Lapse was a sophisticated and highly controversial annexation policy applied by the British East India Company in India until 1858. While the seeds of such policies had existed in minor forms before, it was James Andrew Broun-Ramsay, better known as Lord Dalhousie, the Governor-General of India from 1848 to 1856, who standardized and aggressively implemented it as a tool of imperial expansion.

The Mechanics of the Policy

Under the Doctrine of Lapse, any princely state under the direct or indirect (suzerainty) control of the East India Company where the ruler did not have a legal male heir would be "lapsed" into British India. Crucially, the policy denied Indian rulers the long-standing traditional right to adopt an heir to succeed them to the throne. According to Dalhousie’s interpretation, while an adopted son could inherit the ruler's private property, he had no claim to the state’s throne or title without the explicit consent of the British authorities—consent that was almost never granted.

Dalhousie based this on the concept of "paramountcy," arguing that as the supreme power in the subcontinent, the British had the right to oversee the succession of subordinate states. This was a radical departure from established Indian customs, where adoption was a religiously and legally sanctified method of ensuring continuity in a royal bloodline.

Major Annexations (1848–1856)

The implementation of the Doctrine began almost immediately after Dalhousie’s arrival. The state of Satara was the first to fall in 1848. This was followed by a string of significant annexations:

• Jaitpur and Sambalpur in 1849.


• Baghat in 1850.


• Udaipur in 1852.


• Jhansi in 1853.


• Nagpur in 1854.

The annexation of Jhansi is perhaps the most famous historical example. After the death of Maharaja Gangadhar Rao, the British refused to recognize his adopted son, Damodar Rao. This led the Rani of Jhansi, Lakshmi Bai, to become one of the most prominent leaders of the armed resistance against the British.

Geopolitical and Social Impact

Lord Dalhousie’s primary motive was "administrative efficiency" and the consolidation of British power. He believed that direct British rule would bring better governance and higher revenue to the Company. However, the social and political cost was immense. By stripping traditional ruling families of their status and pensions, the British created a class of displaced and angry nobility.

Furthermore, the annexations often led to the unemployment of thousands of soldiers and officials who had served the local monarchs. This widespread resentment acted as a catalyst for the Great Revolt of 1857 (often called the Sepoy Mutiny). Many of the leaders of the 1857 uprising were those directly affected by the Doctrine of Lapse, including the Rani of Jhansi and Nana Sahib.

The Abolition of the Doctrine

Following the chaos of the 1857 rebellion, the British Crown took direct control of India from the East India Company. Recognizing that the Doctrine of Lapse had been a primary cause of the uprising, the policy was officially withdrawn. In the Queen’s Proclamation of 1858, Lord Canning, Dalhousie's successor, announced that the British government would henceforth respect the rights and dignity of Indian princes, and the right of adoption was finally restored to the ruling houses.