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. According to this Doctrine, if an Indian ruler died without a male heir, then his kingdom would 'lapse', that is, become a part of the Company's territory.
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. According to this Doctrine, if an Indian ruler died without a male heir, then his kingdom would 'lapse', that is, become a part of the Company's territory.
Source: Wikipedia "Doctrine of lapse" · CC BY-SA 4.0
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