The ruler of which one of the following States was removed from power by the British on the pretext of misgovernance?
✓ Correct answer: a) Awadh
ExplanationLord Dalhousie is considered “the creator of the map of India”.Doctrine of Lapse was introduced by Lord Dalhousie.This policy allowed the British to annex any Indian princely state if the ruler died without a natural heir or was deemed incompetent.The doctrine was based on the idea that the British, as the paramount power, had the right to decide the succession of Indian states.States annexed under this policy:Satara (1848): The first state to be annexed under the Doctrine of Lapse.Jhansi (1853): Annexed after the death of Raja Gangadhar Rao without a male heir.Nagpur (1854): Annexed after the death of Raghoji III without a natural heir.Annexation of Awadh (1856): Awadh (or Oudh) was a wealthy and strategically important state in northern India, ruled by the Nawabs of Awadh.Unlike the states annexed under the Doctrine of Lapse, Awadh had a legitimate ruler, Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, who had a natural heir.Therefore, the Doctrine of Lapse could not be applied here.To justify the annexation, the British accused Nawab Wajid Ali Shah of misgovernance and claimed that the peo
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