According to this, any princely state under the direct or indirect (as a vassal) control of the East India Company where the ruler did not have a legal male heir would be annexed by the company.

This was not introduced by Lord Dalhousie even though it was he who documented it, and used it widely to acquire territories for the British.

As per this, any adopted son of the Indian ruler could not be proclaimed as heir to the kingdom. The adopted son would only inherit his foster father’s personal property and estates.

The adopted son would also not be entitled to any pension that his father had been receiving or to any of his father’s titles.

This challenged the Indian ruler’s long-held authority to appoint an heir of their choice.

After Dalhousie became the Governor-General, in 1848, Satara was acquired as per this doctrine.

Other major states annexed by the British as per the Doctrine of Lapse:

Jaipur – 1849

Sambhalpur – 1849

Udaipur – 1852

Jhansi – 1853

Nagpur – 1854