Which one of the following territorial mergers is not generally credited as a policy measure of Lord Dalhousie during British rule in India?

Introduction / Context:
Lord Dalhousie served as the Governor General of India in the mid nineteenth century and became known for an aggressive policy of annexation. He used war, treaties, and the Doctrine of Lapse to bring many Indian territories under British rule. This question asks which listed territorial change is not correctly associated with Dalhousie, so it checks understanding of his major annexations.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- The question is about political territorial mergers during the tenure of Lord Dalhousie.
- Options refer to Punjab, Bengal, Mysore, Satara, and general annexations under the Doctrine of Lapse.
- Only one option should represent a merger that is not credited to Dalhousie.

Concept / Approach:
Dalhousie is remembered for annexing Punjab after the second Anglo Sikh war and for using the Doctrine of Lapse to annex Satara, Jhansi, Nagpur, and other states. The famous Partition of Bengal occurred later under Lord Curzon in the early twentieth century, and Mysore had a different historical trajectory. The correct method is to recall the timeline and identify which territory was not brought under British control by Dalhousie in the way described.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Remember that Punjab was annexed by the British in 1849 after the defeat of the Sikh kingdom and this is directly associated with Dalhousie.
Step 2: Recall that Satara was annexed under the Doctrine of Lapse, a policy particularly associated with Dalhousie.
Step 3: Note that he used the Doctrine of Lapse and other means to annex several princely states, so a general reference to states annexed by this doctrine fits his record.
Step 4: Understand that Mysore had already come under strong British influence much earlier, and its later arrangements did not involve a fresh merger executed specifically as a policy measure by Dalhousie.
Step 5: Therefore the described merger of Mysore into direct British rule under Dalhousie is not a standard historical attribution and is the best choice for the incorrect association.

Verification / Alternative check:
Standard history texts identify Dalhousie with Punjab annexation and with the Doctrine of Lapse that consumed Satara and other states. Mysore is not mentioned among Dalhousie specific conquests in this manner. The Bengal option in the question simply states merger as a single province, which is not the same as the later partition controversy, so it is less clearly wrong than the Mysore claim. This strengthens the selection of the Mysore option as the incorrect one.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option a is wrong as Punjab was indeed annexed during Dalhousies time after the Anglo Sikh conflict.
Option b is wrong because Bengal was an important British province and its administrative shaping developed over time; the option does not contradict standard attributions as clearly as the Mysore statement.
Option d is wrong since Satara is a textbook example of a state annexed under the Doctrine of Lapse used by Dalhousie.
Option e is wrong because Dalhousie is closely associated with annexing several states under that doctrine.

Common Pitfalls:
Learners sometimes confuse different British officials and mix up Dalhousie with later Governor Generals such as Curzon. Another error is to assume that any well known Indian state must have been annexed by Dalhousie if British rule existed there, without checking the timeline. Keeping a mental map of which governor general annexed which region helps avoid this confusion.

Final Answer:
The work not correctly credited to Dalhousie is Merger of Mysore into direct British rule under Dalhousie.