Question

What were the effects of the Doctrine of Lapse policy?

• A. Many Indian states lost their sovereignty and became British territories.
• B. This policy favoured the Peshwa Kings.
• C. This led to unrest among the Indian rulers.
• D. Sepoy Mutiny broke out only in South India.

Answer 1

Answer: (A), (C)

The correct options are
A Many Indian states lost their sovereignty and became British territories.
C This led to unrest among the Indian rulers.

• The Doctrine of Lapse was a political weapon used by Lord Dalhousie to expand British Empire.
• Many Indian states lost their sovereignty and became British territories.
• This led to a lot of unrest among the Indian princes.
• A lot of people were unhappy with the ‘illegal’ nature of this doctrine and this was one of the causes of the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857.