Junagadh State

Coordinates: 21°31′N 70°28′E / 21.52°N 70.47°E / 21.52; 70.47
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

State of Junagadh
1730–1948
Flag of Junagadh State
Flag
Coat of arms of Junagadh State
Coat of arms
Princely State of the British Raj (1857–1947)
State of the Dominion of India (1947–1948)
Nawab 
• 1730– 1758 (first)
Mohammad Bahadur Khanji I
• 1911–1948 (last)
Muhammad Mahabat Khan III
History 
• founded
1730
• 
Annexation of Junagarh
1948
Area
19218,643 km2 (3,337 sq mi)
Population
• 1921
465,493
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Mughal Empire
State of Saurashtra
Today part ofGujarat, India
Modern state of Gujarat, shown within modern borders of India

Junagarh or Junagadh was a

plebiscite held the same year.[3][4]

Pakistan claims sovereignty over the erstwhile princely state to this day.[5][6]

Two magnifiecent monuments in Janugadh

History

Janugadh Musuem

Muhammad Sher Khan Babai was the founder of the Babi Pashtun dynasty of Junagarh in 1654. His descendants, the Babi Nawabs of Junagarh, conquered large territories in southern Saurashtra.

However, during the collapse of the Mughal Empire, the Babis became involved in a struggle with the Gaekwad dynasty of the Maratha Empire over control of Gujarat during the reign of the local Mohammad Mahabat Khanji I. Mohammad Khan Bahadur Khanji I declared independence from the Mughal governor of Gujarat subah, and founded the state of Junagarh in 1730. This allowed the Babi to retain sovereignty of Junagarh and other princely states. During the reign of his heir Junagarh was a tributary to the Maratha Empire,[7] until it came under British suzerainty in 1807 under Mohammad Hamid Khanji I,[1] following the Second Anglo-Maratha War.

In 1807, Junagarh became a British protectorate and the

British India
.

In 1947, during the

Junagarh was annexed
by India which was followed by a plebiscite in which the locals voted to stay with India.

Rulers

Tomb of Mahabat Khan

The Nawabs of Junagarh belonged to Pathan Babi or Babai (Pashtun tribe). They were granted a 13 gun salute by the British authorities:[8]

  • 1730–1758 : Mohammad Bahadur Khanji I or Mohammad Sher Khan Babai[9]
  • 1758–1774: Mohammad Mahabat Khan I
  • 1774–1811: Mohammad Hamid Khan I
  • 1811–1840: Mohammad Bahadur Khan II
  • 1840–1851: Mohammad Hamid Khan II
  • 1851–1882: Mohammad Mahabat Khan II
  • 1882–1892: Mohammad Bahadur Khan III
  • 1892–1911: Mohammad Rasul Khan
  • 1911–1948: Mohammad Mahabat Khan III (last ruler before the integration of Junagarh into India)
  • Junagarh Nawabs and state officials, 19th century
    Junagarh Nawabs and state officials, 19th century
  • Mohammad Mahabat Khanji II, the Nawab of Junagarh, with young, Mohammad Bahadur Khanji III, 1870s
    Mohammad Mahabat Khanji II, the Nawab of Junagarh, with young, Mohammad Bahadur Khanji III, 1870s
  • Bahadur Khanji II (r. 1882–1892), Nawab of Junagarh, and state officials, 1880s
    Bahadur Khanji II (r. 1882–1892), Nawab of Junagarh, and state officials, 1880s
  • Mohammad Rasul Khanji, Nawab of Junagarh, Bahaduddinbhai Hasainbhai, Wazier, Junagarh, 1890s
    Mohammad Rasul Khanji, Nawab of Junagarh, Bahaduddinbhai Hasainbhai, Wazier, Junagarh, 1890s

Koli Rebellion

A coat of arms was granted to Muhammed Mahabat Khanji II at the Durbar in Delhi of 1877, used until 1947.

There was a Koli rebellion in Junagarh by Mansa Khant during the reign of Nawab Sher Khan the first ruler of Junagarh. He was against Mughal Rule. Uparkot Fort was his centre. He made a series of raids into the surrounding villages and cities. Nawab Sher Khan was unsuccessful in suppressing the rebellion. Mansa Khant occupied Uparkot for 13 months and continued to carry out numerous raids mostly in the countryside. Nawab was assisted by the King of Gondal State Thakur Sahib Haloji Jadeja and Arab Jamadar Sheikh Abdullah Zubeidi in his campaign against the rebellion. The combined forces defeated the Khant and captured Uparkot and burnt down the rebellion.[10][11]

Annexation by India

In 1947, Shah Nawaz Bhutto joined the council of ministers of Nawab Muhammad Mahabat Khan III, and in May became his dewan or prime minister.

With the partition of India in 1947, the princely states were left by the British to decide whether to accede to one of the newly independent Union of India or Dominion of Pakistan, or become a separate country.[12]

The Constitutional Advisor to the Nawab, Nabi Baksh, indicated to

Lord Mountbatten that he was recommending that Junagarh should join India. However, upon the advice of Dewan Bhutto, on 15 August 1947, the Nawab announced that Junagarh had acceded to Pakistan. On 16 September, the Government of Pakistan accepted the accession.[2]

India sent its military into Junagarh while the Nawab of Junagarh was in Pakistan and captured the State of Junagarh. The

Annexation of Junagarh by India led the[13] Nawab Muhammad Mahabat Khan III of Junagarh (of the erstwhile Babi Nawab dynasty of Junagarh) to continue to live in Sindh, Pakistan.[14]

Pakistan's claim

Pakistan's government has maintained its territorial claim on Junagadh, along with Manavadar and Sir Creek in Gujarat, on its official political maps.[15][5][6]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Junagarh" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 15 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 554–555.
  2. ^ a b Menon, V. P. (1956). The Story of Integration of the Indian States (PDF). Orient Longman. pp. 85–87.
  3. .
  4. ^ "Explained: When Junagadh voted to join India, and Pakistan got just 91 votes". The Indian Express. 5 August 2020. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  5. ^ a b Philip Jagessar, Pakistan, India and mapping the contested accession of South Asia’s princely states, University of Nottingham, 3 October 2019.
  6. ^ a b "After Nepal, Pakistan unveils new political map; Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh claimed, India retorts". The Himalayan Times. 4 August 2020. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  7. ^ Soszynski, Henry. "JUNAGADH". Archived from the original on 20 May 2017. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
  8. ^ Nawabs of Junagarh Archived 9 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine British Library.
  9. .
  10. ^ "KOLIS: A FRINGE CATEGORY" (PDF). shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in. Retrieved 1 January 2019.
  11. JSTOR 40106322
    .
  12. ^ Gandhi, Rajmohan (1991). Patel: A Life. India: Navajivan. p. 292.
  13. ^ "Welcome to Junagadh Municipal Corporation". Archived from the original on 25 February 2013. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
  14. ^ Devirupa Mitra, Pakistan Objects to India's Map Bill But its Own 2014 Law Regulates Geospatial Data Too, The Wire, 18 May 2016.

External links

21°31′N 70°28′E / 21.52°N 70.47°E / 21.52; 70.47