Doctrine of lapse: The Doctrine of Lapse was

The Doctrine of Lapse was a policy devised by Lord Dalhousie, who served as Governor-General of India from 1848 to 1856. Under this policy, if a ruler of a princely state died without a natural male heir, his kingdom would “ lapse ” and be annexed by the British East India Company. The doctrine of lapse was a policy of annexation initiated by the East India Company in the Indian subcontinent for the princely states , and applied until the year 1858, the year after Company rule was succeeded by the British Raj under the British Crown. The Doctrine of Lapse refers to a British colonial policy introduced by Lord Dalhousie . The Doctrine of Lapse was an annexation policy put forth by the British to expand their empire in India until 1859. It deals with the rules related to questions on the succession of the Indian princely states. Doctrine of Lapse is a crucial event in the history of law, economics, and international relations. These are the effects of this doctrine on the countries that adopted it.