Doctrine of lapse
Princely state |
---|
Individual residencies |
|
Agencies |
|
Lists |
The doctrine of lapsation was a policy of
The policy was initiated by James Broun-Ramsay, 1st Marquess of Dalhousie.
Elements of the doctrine of lapse continued to be applied by the post-independence Indian government to derecognise individual princely families until 1971, when the recognition of former ruling families was discontinued under the 26th amendment to the Indian constitution by the Indira Gandhi government.
Doctrine
According to the doctrine, any Indian princely state under the suzerainty of the East India Company, the dominant imperial power in the Indian system of subsidiary alliances, would have its princely status abolished, and therefore be annexed into directly ruled British India, if the ruler was either "manifestly incompetent or died without a male heir".[1] This supplanted the long-established right of an Indian sovereign without an heir to choose a successor.[2]
The policy is most commonly associated with
By the use of the doctrine of lapse, the Company took over the princely states of
With the increasing power of the East India Company, discontent simmered among many sections of Indian society, included disbanded soldiers; these rallied behind the deposed dynasties during the Indian Rebellion of 1857, also known as the Sepoy Mutiny. Following the rebellion, in 1858, the new British Viceroy of India, whose rule replaced that of the East India Company, renounced the doctrine.[6]
Doctrine of lapse before Dalhousie
Dalhousie vigorously applied the lapse doctrine for annexing Indian princely states, but the policy was not solely his invention.[7]
The princely state of Kittur, ruled by Kittur Rani Chennamma (the queen at the time), was taken over by the East India Company in 1824, when after the death of her husband and son she adopted a new son and attempted to make him heir to the throne, which the British refused to accept. This development has similarities with the later 'doctrine of lapse', which the Court of Directors of the East India Company articulated early in 1834.[7] As per this policy, the Company annexed Mandvi in 1839, Colaba and Jalaun in 1840, and Surat in 1842.
The impact of the doctrine of lapse
The doctrine of lapse was widely considered illegitimate by many Indians. By 1848, the British had immense power in India, since they were the de facto direct rulers of territories such as the Madras, Bombay, and Bengal Presidencies, Assam, Mysore, and the Punjab, as well as the indirect rulers of princely states of Rajasthan, Sind, Patiala, the Carnatic, and many others.[8]
Most of the rulers of the remaining states which had not yet been annexed by the British were in a weak position against their mighty forces. Not willing to spend huge amounts of money and soldiers, the Indian rulers had little option but to give in to this policy. This caused increased resentment against the
Princely states annexed under the doctrine
Princely State | Year Annexed |
---|---|
Angul | 1848 |
Arcot
|
1855 |
Awadh
|
1856 |
Assam | 1838 |
Banda State
|
1858 |
Guler | 1813 |
Jaintia State | 1803 |
Jaitpur | 1849 |
Jalaun | 1840 |
Jaswan
|
1849 |
Jhansi | 1853 |
Kachar
|
1830 |
Kangra | 1846 |
Kannanur State | 1819 |
Kittur | 1824 |
Kodagu
|
1834 |
Kozhikode (Calicut) | 1806 |
Ballabhgarh | 1858 |
Kullu State | 1846 |
Kurnool | 1839 |
Kutlehar | 1825 |
Makrai | 1890 |
Nagpur
|
1854 |
Nargund State | 1858 |
Punjab | 1849 |
Ramgarh State | 1858 |
Sambalpur | 1849 |
Satara | 1848 |
Surat | 1842 |
Siba | 1849 |
Tanjore | 1855 |
Tulsipur | 1854 |
Udaipur
|
1852 |
In independent India
In late 1964, Maharaja Rajendra Prakash of Sirmur, the last recognized former ruler of Sirmur State, died without either leaving male issue or adopting an heir before his death, although his senior widow subsequently adopted her daughter's son as the successor to the family headship. The Indian government, however, decided that in consequence of the ruler's death, the constitutional status of the family had lapsed. The doctrine of lapse was likewise invoked the following year when the last recognized ruler of Akkalkot State died in similar circumstances.[10]
See also
- Escheat
- List of princely states of India
- Presidencies and provinces of British India
References
- ISBN 0-8021-3797-0, p. 433.
- ^ Majumdar, RC (1957). The Sepoy Mutiny and The Revolt of 1857. Calcutta: Srimati S. Chaudhuri. p. 7. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
- ISBN 978-0-313-27917-1. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
- ^ Wolpert, Stanley. A New History of India; 3rd ed., Oxford University Press, 1989, pp. 226-28.
- ^ Udaipur (Princely State), indianrajputs.com
- ^ Wolpert (1989), p. 240.
- ^ ISBN 978-8122-41774-6.
- ^ Buist, George. Annals of India for the Year 1848. Indian Culture, 1849.
- ^ Swan, O. B. (2020). Inspired History - Class 8. ORIENT BLACK SWAN.
- ^ Succession to the Gaddis of Sirmur and Akalkot (Report). Government of India. 1967. Retrieved 13 September 2021.