Explanations:The Doctrine of Lapse was a significant policy introduced by Lord Dalhousie, the British Governor-General of India, in the mid-19th century. This policy allowed the British to annex any princely state or territory whose ruler died without a male heir, thereby preventing the state from passing to a collateral line or adopted heir. The primary purpose of this policy was to expand British control over India by annexing territories that would otherwise have passed to a new ruler who might not be as compliant with British interests.
Several princely states were annexed under the Doctrine of Lapse, including Satara, Jhansi, Nagpur, and Sambalpur. However, not all princely states were annexed under this policy. Some states, like Hyderabad, were not affected by the Doctrine of Lapse and remained independent until after Indian independence in 1947.
Hyderabad, ruled by the Nizam, was one such state. The Nizam of Hyderabad was a powerful ruler who maintained a degree of autonomy and was not annexed under the Doctrine of Lapse. The Nizam's state was one of the largest and most prosperous princely states in India, and it retained its independence until the integration of princely states into the Indian Union after independence.
It is important to understand that the Doctrine of Lapse was not the only means by which the British expanded their control over India. Other methods included direct military conquest, subsidiary alliances, and the use of diplomacy and coercion. The Doctrine of Lapse was particularly controversial because it was seen as a violation of the traditional rights of Indian rulers to choose their own heirs.
In summary, the Doctrine of Lapse was a policy that allowed the British to annex princely states under specific conditions. However, not all states were affected by this policy, and Hyderabad was one such state that remained independent and was not annexed under the Doctrine of Lapse.