Question

The main political cause for the great revolt of 1857 was ____?
A) Heavy Taxes
B) Dual government
C) Doctrine of Lapse
D) None of these

Answer 1

Hint:This law was started by Lord Dalhousie which stated that if any Indian ruler died without leaving any male heir then the kingdom would be automatically passed over to the British.

Complete answer:
The major cause of the great revolt of 1857 was the Doctrine of Lapse which many kingdoms of India opposed. Due to this law many states were captured By the company. This law was also designed to take away the titles or the grants of the Indian rulers. Religious reasons also played their party in inciting revolution among the locals.Now let's see the options:-

Heavy Taxes- Britishers levied taxes but it was not the immediate reason or a political cause of the mutiny.The British levied heavy taxes on salt to syndicate the manufacture of the salt which ultimately led to the Dandi March in 1930 much after the revolt , hence this the incorrect option.
Dual Government- This practice was followed back by Lord Clive in 1765 long before the sepoy mutiny, therefore it can't be the correct option.
Doctrine of Lapse- The main reason for this revolt was Doctrine of Lapse as by this many rulers were losing their kingdom and some of them had to give away their positions like Rani Lakshmi Bai , Nana Saheb etc. Hence it is the correct option.
None of These- The reason for the revolt was Doctrine of Lapse , therefore it is the incorrect option.

Therefore, the correct answer is option C) Doctrine of Lapse.

Note:Soon after the revolt, the Doctrine Of Lapse was withdrawn by Lord Canning in 1859 after the Charter Act of 1858 transferred power to the crown in England.The revolt of 1857 shook the foundation of British East India Company and disclosed their inefficiency in handling the Indian administration.