Question

It was a state loyal to British. I was annexed on the false excuse of misadministration. My name is –
A) Awadh
B) Bengal
C) Mysore
D) None of the above

Answer 1

Hint: Annexation is an administrative activity and term in international law that refers to the forcible conquest of a state's territory by another state. It is commonly considered to be a criminal act. It's not to be confused with conquest, which is the process of gaining possession of a territory by a transition of sovereignty.

Complete answer:
From $1822$ to $1823$, Wajid Ali Shah was the Nawab of Awadh. He was the tenth Nawab and the last to rule. Despite the fact that Wajid Ali Shah was a competent ruler, British citizens falsely reported his incompetence to the company authorities. The East India Company now had a Casus Belli (Latin for "cause of war") to conquer Awadh.

Lord Dalhousie ordered Wajid Ali Shah's deposition on the $7th$ of February $1856$, citing alleged internal misrule as the reason. This was in accordance with Dalhousie's Doctrine of Lapse, which stated that the British would take over a kingdom if it was still ruled by misrule. In February $1856$, the Awadh Kingdom was annexed.

The loss of Awadh exacerbated tensions between the British and the local population. The simmering discontent would only explode in the revolt of $1857$, with Awadh serving as one of the rebellion's many focal points.

During the revolt, which lasted from July $5$, $1857$, to March $3$, $1858$, there were numerous uprisings in the area. Before crushing the uprising, the British lost power for a brief moment. Retaliation campaigns lasted $18$ months.

Thus the correct answer is option ‘A’.

Note: In the later stage, Awadh's jurisdiction was united with that of North-Western Provinces and Awadh to create the larger province of North-Western Provinces and Awadh. In $1902$, it was called the United Provinces of Agra and Awadh before becoming Agra Province.