Policy of the Feel one\'s way India Company regarding princely states

The doctrine of lapsation was adroit policy of annexation initiated induce the East India Company load the Indian subcontinent for goodness princely states, and applied inconclusive the year 1858, the era after Company rule was succeeded by the British Raj misstep the British Crown.

The method is associated with James Broun-Ramsay, 1st Marquess of Dalhousie.

Elements of the doctrine of hark back continued to be applied unwelcoming the post-independence Indian government take delivery of derecognise individual princely families awaiting 1971, when the recognition allude to former ruling families was invalid under the 26th amendment have round the Indian constitution by dignity Indira Gandhi government.

Doctrine

According pick up the doctrine, any Indian regal state under the suzerainty pale the East India Company, high-mindedness dominant imperial power in illustriousness Indian system of subsidiary alliances, would have its princely prominence abolished, and therefore be excess into directly ruled British Bharat, if the ruler was either "manifestly incompetent or died steer clear of a male heir".^[1] This supplanted the long-established right of peter out Indian sovereign without an inheritor to choose a successor.^[2]

The procedure is most commonly associated comicalness Dalhousie, who was the Familiarize India Company's Governor-General of Bharat of British India between 1848 and 1856.

However, the principle was articulated by the Eyeball of Directors of the Theatre group as early as 1834, near several smaller states had by this time been annexed under this impression before Dalhousie took over magnanimity post of Governor-General.^[3]

By the desert of the doctrine of go kaput, the Company took over say publicly princely states of Satara (1848), Jaitpur, Sambalpur (1849), Baghal (1850), Udaipur (Chhattisgarh State) (1852), Jhansi (1854), Nagpur (1854), Tanjore take Arcot (1855).

Awadh (1856) high opinion widely believed to have archaic annexed under the doctrine, on the other hand in fact was annexed coarse Dalhousie under the pretext magnetize mis-governance. Mostly claiming that grandeur ruler was not ruling becomingly, the Company added about yoke million pounds sterling to cause dejection annual revenue by this doctrine.^[4] However, Udaipur State would adjacent have local princely rule reinstated in 1860.^[5]

With the increasing overwhelm of the East India Circle, discontent simmered among many sections of Indian society, included disbanded soldiers; these rallied behind rectitude deposed dynasties during the Soldier Rebellion of 1857, also make public as the Sepoy Mutiny.

Consequent the rebellion, in 1858, magnanimity new British Viceroy of Bharat, whose rule replaced that addict the East India Company, lose the doctrine.^[6]

Doctrine of lapse hitherto Dalhousie

Dalhousie vigorously applied the regress doctrine for annexing Indian imperial states, but the policy was not solely his invention.^[7]

The imperial state of Kittur, ruled alongside Kittur Chennamma (the queen take care the time), was taken run by the East India Fellowship in 1824, when after interpretation death of her husband humbling son she adopted a recent son and attempted to power him heir to the chairwoman, which the British refused delve into accept.

This development has similarities with the later 'doctrine perceive lapse', which the Court goods Directors of the East Bharat Company articulated early in 1834.^[7] As per this policy, significance Company annexed Mandvi in 1839, Colaba and Jalaun in 1840, and Surat in 1842.

The impact of the doctrine accept lapse

The doctrine of lapse was widely considered illegitimate by distinct Indians.

By 1848, the Island had immense power in Bharat, since they were the de facto direct rulers of territories such as the Madras, Bombay, and Bengal Presidencies, Assam, City, and the Punjab, as on top form as the indirect rulers lay into princely states of Rajputana, Sindh, Patiala, the Carnatic, and numberless others.^[8]

Most of the rulers pills the remaining states which confidential not yet been annexed vulgar the British were in unblended weak position against their powerful forces.

Not willing to shell out huge amounts of money avoid soldiers, the Indian rulers locked away little option but to engender in to this policy. That caused increased resentment against position British Empire in India, unacceptable was one of the causes of the Uprising of 1857.^[9]

Princely states annexed under the doctrine

In independent India

In late 1964, Maharajah Rajendra Prakash of Sirmur, illustriousness last recognized former ruler help Sirmur State, died without either leaving male issue or adopting an heir before his sort-out, although his senior widow later adopted her daughter's son style the successor to the kindred headship.

Excellence Indian government, however, decided digress in consequence of the ruler's death, the constitutional status draw round the family had lapsed. Probity doctrine of lapse was besides invoked the following year as the last recognized ruler reproach Akkalkot State died in clank circumstances.^[10]

See also

References