Which of the following was first victim of Lord Dalhousie’s policy of doctrine of lapse’?

The answer is B) Satara. Under the doctrine of lapse, a princely state without a natural heir lost its right to adopt a successor, and the British annexed it. Satara was annexed in 1848, the first state taken under this policy by Dalhousie. Chhatrapati Pratap Singh was deposed on charges of disloyalty, and the state was absorbed into British India.

• Sambalpur (D) lapsed in 1850, after Satara.
• Jhansi (A) lapsed in 1853 when Damodar Rao's adoption was refused. It is the best-known case, which is why aspirants often pick it.
• Karauli (C) was never annexed under the doctrine. It remained a princely state under British paramountcy.

The core concept is the doctrine of lapse, which Dalhousie used alongside the Subsidiary Alliance and the Doctrine of Escheat to expand British territory between 1848 and 1856. For Mains (GS-I, modern Indian history), link it to the 1857 revolt, since resentment over these annexations, including the denial of adoption rights, was a major cause.

Trap: Choosing Jhansi because it is the most famous case. Chronology decides this question, so check the years.