Which was the first State to be merged under Dalhousie's "Doctrine of lapse"?

Question

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Correct — D, Satara. Governor-General Lord Dalhousie applied the Doctrine of Lapse — under which a princely state without a natural (biological) heir was annexed to British India, adopted heirs being refused recognition — for the first time to Satara in 1848, after its ruler died without a natural heir.

Why the other options are wrong — (a) Also annexed under the Doctrine of Lapse, but after Satara, not first.  (b) Annexed under the doctrine in 1849 — after Satara.  (c) One of the most famous annexations under the doctrine (1854), which helped provoke Rani Lakshmibai's revolt in 1857 — but it came well after Satara, not first.

Concept: The Doctrine of Lapse, formulated and applied by Governor-General Lord Dalhousie (1848-56), held that if a princely ruler died without a natural-born male heir, the state would 'lapse' and be annexed by the British — denying the traditional right to adopt an heir. It was used to annex a string of states through the late 1840s and early 1850s, fuelling resentment that contributed to the Revolt of 1857.

State PCS 2021 Q55 — History PYQ with Answer

State PCS 2021 Q55 — History PYQ with Answer