What was the "doctrine of lapse"?

States were allowed to adopt son as an heir

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States were not allowed to adopt son as an heir

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According to this system, every ruler in India had to accept to pay a subsidy to the British for the maintenance of British army

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None of these

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Solution

The correct option is B States were not allowed to adopt son as an heir
"Doctrine of lapse" was States were not allowed to adopt son as an heir. It was customary for a ruler without a natural heir to ask the British government whether he could adopt a son to succeed him. Dalhousie concluded that if such permission were refused, the state would “lapse” and thereby become part of the British possessions.

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