Princely state

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
This article is about the British-Indian usage. For the global concept, see Principality.
Colonial India
British Indian Empire
Imperial entities of India
Austrian India
 1778–1785
Swedish India 1731–1813
Dutch India 1605–1825
Danish India 1620–1869
French India 1668–1954
Portuguese India
(1505–1961)
Casa da Índia 1434–1833
Portuguese East India Company 1628–1633
British India
(1600–1947)
EIC in India 1600–1757
Company rule in India 1757–1858
British rule in Portuguese India 1797–1813
British Raj 1858–1947
British rule in Burma 1824–1948
Princely states 1721–1949
Partition of India 1947
Princely state
Individual residencies
Agencies
Lists

A princely state (also called native state or Indian state) was a nominally sovereign[1] entity of the British Indian Empire that was not directly governed by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule,[2] subject to a subsidiary alliance and the suzerainty or paramountcy of the British crown.

At the time of the British withdrawal, 565 princely states were officially recognized in the Indian subcontinent,

Travancore in the South, Jammu and Kashmir, and Indore in Central India. The most prominent among those – roughly a quarter of the total – had the status of a salute state, one whose ruler was entitled to a set number of gun salutes
on ceremonial occasions.

The princely states varied greatly in status, size, and wealth; the premier 21-gun salute states of Hyderabad and Jammu and Kashmir were each over 200,000 km2 (77,000 sq mi) in size. In 1941, Hyderabad had a population of over 16 million, while Jammu and Kashmir had a population of slightly over 4 million. At the other end of the scale, the non-salute principality of Lawa covered an area of 49 km2 (19 sq mi), with a population of just below 3,000. Some two hundred of the lesser states even had an area of less than 25 km2 (10 sq mi).[5][6]

History

1765-1805 map of India, shown with a territorial division between Hindus, Muslims and the British.
Political subdivisions of the Indian Empire in 1909 with British India (pink) and the princely states (yellow)

The Princely states at the time of Indian independence were mostly formed after the disintegration of the Mughal empire. Many Princely states had a foreign origin due to the long period of external migration to India. Some of these were the rulers of Hyderabad (Turks), Bhopal (Afghans), Rampur (Pashtun) and Janjira (Abyssinian). The Hindu states which predated the Mughals were ruled by Kshatriyas and included the Rajputs and the South Indian kingdoms. The exception being the Raja of Pudukkottai, who was supposedly of a lower origin.[7]

British relationship with the princely states

British India and the native states or princely states. In its Interpretation Act 1889, the British Parliament
adopted the following definitions:

(4.) The expression "British India" shall mean all territories and places within Her Majesty's dominions which are for the time being governed by Her Majesty through the Governor-General of India or through any governor or other officer subordinate to the Governor-General of India.
(5.) The expression "India" shall mean British India together with any territories of any native prince or chief under the suzerainty of Her Majesty exercised through the Governor-General of India, or through any governor or other officer subordinate to the Governor-General of India.[8]

In general the term "

British India" had been used (and is still used) also to refer to the regions under the rule of the East India Company in India from 1774 to 1858.[9][10]

The

British Crown's suzerainty over 175 princely states, generally the largest and most important, was exercised in the name of the British Crown by the central government of British India under the Viceroy; the remaining approximately 400 states were influenced by Agents answerable to the provincial governments of British India under a governor, lieutenant-governor, or chief commissioner.[11] A clear distinction between "dominion" and "suzerainty" was supplied by the jurisdiction of the courts of law: the law of British India rested upon the legislation enacted by the British Parliament, and the legislative powers those laws vested in the various governments of British India, both central and local; in contrast, the courts of the princely states existed under the authority of the respective rulers of those states.[11]

Princely status and titles

Sayajirao Gaekwad III, the maharaja of Baroda State.

The Indian rulers bore various titles – including

Inamdar,[12] Saranjamdar[13]
and many others. Whatever the literal meaning and traditional prestige of the ruler's actual title, the British government translated them all as "prince", to avoid the implication that the native rulers could be "kings" with status equal to that of the British monarch.

Quilon, Kerala

More prestigious Hindu rulers (mostly existing before the Mughal Empire, or having split from such old states) often used the title "

Thakurs or Thai ores and a few particular titles, such as Sardar, Mankari (or Mānkari/Maankari), Deshmukh, Sar Desai, Istamuradar, Saranjamdar
, Raja Inamdar etc.

The most prestigious Hindu rulers usually had the prefix "maha" ("great", compare for example Grand Duke) in their titles, as in Maharaja, Maharana, Maharao, etc. This was used in many princely states including

Maharani
, applied only to sister of king in Kerala.

There were also compound titles, such as (Maha)rajadhiraj, Raj-i-rajgan, often relics from an elaborate system of hierarchical titles under the Mughal emperors. For example, the addition of the adjective Bahadur raised the status of the titleholder one level.

Furthermore, most dynasties used a variety of additional titles such as

Varma in South India. This should not be confused with various titles and suffixes not specific to princes but used by entire (sub)castes. This is almost analogous to Singh
title in North India.

The

Punjab usually adopted Hindu-type titles when attaining princely rank; at a lower level Sardar
was used.

Kalat and the Wāli of Swat
. Other less usual titles included Darbar Sahib, Dewan, Jam, Mehtar (unique to Chitral) and Mir (from Emir).

Precedence and prestige

However, the actual importance of a princely state cannot be read from the title of its ruler, which was usually granted (or at least recognized) as a favor, often in recognition for loyalty and services rendered to the British Raj. Although some titles were raised once or even repeatedly, there was no automatic updating when a state gained or lost real power. In fact, princely titles were even awarded to holders of domains (mainly jagirs) and even taluqdars and zamindars, which were not states at all. Most of the zamindar who hold the princely titles were in fact erstwhile princely and royal states reduced to zamindari by the British EIC. Various sources give significantly different numbers of states and domains of the various types. Even in general, the definition of titles and domains are clearly not well-established.

Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV, ruler of the princely state of Mysore in South India, with his brothers and sisters. In 1799, his grandfather, then aged five, had been granted dominion of Mysore by the British and forced into a subsidiary alliance
. The British later directly governed the state between 1831 and 1881.
The Govindgarh Palace of the Maharaja of Rewa. The palace which was built as a hunting lodge later became famous for the first white tigers that were found in the adjacent jungle and raised in the palace zoo.
The Nawab of Junagarh Bahadur Khan III (seated centre in an ornate chair) shown in an 1885 photograph with state officials and family.
Photograph (1900) of the Maharani of Sikkim. Sikkim was under the suzerainty of the Provincial government of Bengal; its ruler received a 15-gun salute.

In addition to their titles all princely rulers were eligible to be appointed to certain British orders of chivalry associated with India, the Most Exalted Order of the Star of India and the Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire. Women could be appointed as "Knights" (instead of Dames) of these orders. Rulers entitled to 21-gun and 19-gun salutes were normally appointed to the highest rank, Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India.

Many Indian princes served in the

active service
, both on the subcontinent and on other fronts, during both World Wars.

Apart from those members of the princely houses who entered military service and who distinguished themselves, a good number of princes received honorary ranks as officers in the British and Indian Armed Forces. Those ranks were conferred based on several factors, including their heritage, lineage, gun-salute (or lack of one) as well as personal character or martial traditions. After the First and Second World Wars, the princely rulers of several of the major states, including

Jammu and Kashmir
and Hyderabad, were given honorary general officer ranks as a result of their states' contributions to the war effort.

  • Lieutenant/Captain/Flight Lieutenant or Lieutenant-Commander/Major/Squadron Leader (for junior members of princely houses or for minor princes)
  • Commander/Lieutenant-Colonel/Wing Commander or Captain/Colonel/Group Captain (granted to princes of salute states, often to those entitled to 15-guns or more)
  • Commodore/Brigadier/Air Commodore (conferred upon princes of salute states entitled to gun salutes of 15-guns or more)
  • Major-General/Air Vice-Marshal (conferred upon princes of salute states entitled to 15-guns or more; conferred upon rulers of the major princely states, including Baroda,
    Mysore
    )
  • Lieutenant-General (conferred upon the rulers of the largest and most prominent princely houses after the First and Second World Wars for their states' contributions to the war effort.)
  • General (very rarely awarded; the Maharajas of Gwalior and Jammu & Kashmir were created honorary Generals in the British Army in 1877, the Maharaja of Bikaner was made one in 1937, and the Nizam of Hyderabad in 1941)[citation needed]

It was also not unusual for members of princely houses to be appointed to various colonial offices, often far from their native state, or to enter the diplomatic corps.

Salute states

Main article: Salute state
Holkar State
, c. 1879.

The

salute states
.

After

Nizam of Hyderabad as the most senior prince in India, because Hyderabad State had not acceded to the new Dominion of India, and the style Highness was extended to all rulers entitled to 9-gun salutes. When the princely states had been integrated into the Indian Union their rulers were promised continued privileges and an income (known as the Privy Purse
) for their upkeep. Subsequently, when the Indian government abolished the Privy Purse in 1971, the whole princely order ceased to be recognised under Indian law, although many families continue to retain their social prestige informally; some descendants of the rulers are still prominent in regional or national politics, diplomacy, business and high society.

At the time of Indian independence, only five rulers – the

Exalted Highness and 21-gun salute.[14]
Other princely rulers entitled to salutes of 11 guns (soon 9 guns too) or more were entitled to the style Highness. No special style was used by rulers entitled to lesser gun salutes.

As paramount ruler, and successor to the Mughals, the British King-Emperor of India, for whom the style of Majesty was reserved, was entitled to an 'imperial' 101-gun salute—in the European tradition also the number of guns fired to announce the birth of an heir (male) to the throne.

Non-salute states

Coinage of king Manak Pal (1772-1804), Princely State of Karauli. Karauli mint. Struck in the name of the Mughal emperor Shah Alam II. Dated 1784-5 CE

There was no strict correlation between the levels of the titles and the classes of gun salutes, the real measure of precedence, but merely a growing percentage of higher titles in classes with more guns. As a rule the majority of gun-salute princes had at least nine, with numbers below that usually the prerogative of Arab Sheikhs of the

Aden protectorate
, also under British protection.

There were many so-called non-salute states of lower prestige. Since the total of salute states was 117 and there were more than 500 princely states, most rulers were not entitled to any gun salute. Not all of these were minor rulers – Surguja State, for example, was both larger and more populous than Karauli State, but the Maharaja of Karauli was entitled to a 17-gun salute and the Maharaja of Surguja was not entitled to any gun salute at all.

A number of princes, in the broadest sense of the term, were not even acknowledged as such.[

political saranjams, having equal princely status.[15] Though none of these princes were awarded gun salutes, princely titles in this category were recognised as a form of vassals
of salute states, and were not even in direct relation with the paramount power.

Largest princely states by area

Eleven largest princely states in terms of area
Name of princely state Area in square miles Population in 1941 Present State Title, ethnicity, and religion of ruler Gun-salute for ruler
Jammu and Kashmir 84,471 4,021,616 including Gilgit, Baltistan (Skardu), Ladakh, and Punch (mostly Muslim, with sizeable Hindu and Buddhist populations) Jammu and Kashmir Maharaja, Dogra, Hindu 21
 Hyderabad State 82,698 16,338,534 (mostly Hindu with a sizeable Muslim minority) Telangana, Maharashtra, Karnataka
Nizam, Turkic
, Sunni Muslim 		21
Kalat 73,278 250,211 (chiefly Sunni Muslim) Balochistan, Pakistan Khan or Wali, Baloch, Sunni Muslim 19
Jodhpur State
 36,071 2,125,000 (mostly Hindu with a sizeable Muslim minority) Rajasthan Maharaja, Rathore, Hindu 17
 Kingdom of Mysore 29,458 7,328,896 (Chiefly Hindu, with pockets of Muslim populations) Karnataka
Kshattriya
(Urs/Arasu in Kannada) 		21
 Gwalior State 26,397 4,006,159 (chiefly Hindu, with a sizeable Muslim population) Madhya Pradesh
Hindu
 		21
Bikaner State 23,317 936,218 (chiefly Hindu, with a low Muslim minority) Rajasthan Maharaja, Rathore, Hindu 17
Bahawalpur State 17,726 1,341,209 (Chiefly Muslim, with a sizeable Hindu, Sikh population) Punjab (Pakistan) Nawab Amir, Abbasid, Muslim 17
Jaisalmer State 16,100 76,255 (Chiefly Hindu with a sizeable Muslim minority) Rajasthan Maharaja, Bhati, Hindu 15
Jaipur State
 15,601 2,631,775 (Chiefly Hindu, with a sizeable Muslim minority) Rajasthan Maharaja, Kachhwaha, Hindu 17
Bastar State 13,062 306,501 (Chiefly Hindu, with a low Muslim minority) Chhattisgarh Maharaja,
Bhanj
, Hindu 		-

Doctrine of lapse

Main article: Doctrine of lapse

A controversial aspect of East India Company rule was the doctrine of lapse, a policy under which lands whose feudal ruler died (or otherwise became unfit to rule) without a male biological heir (as opposed to an adopted son) would become directly controlled by the company and an adopted son would not become the ruler of the princely state. This policy went counter to Indian tradition where, unlike Europe, it was far more the accepted norm for a ruler to appoint his own heir.

The doctrine of lapse was pursued most vigorously by the Governor-General

Indian mutiny of 1857
. The last Mughal Badshah (emperor), whom many of the mutineers saw as a figurehead to rally around, was deposed following its suppression.

In response to the unpopularity of the doctrine, it was discontinued with the end of Company rule and the British Parliament's assumption of direct power over India.

Imperial governance

Main articles: Agencies of British India and Residencies of British India
Kolhapur
visiting the British resident and his staff at the Residency

By treaty, the British controlled the external affairs of the princely states absolutely. As the states were not British possessions, they retained control over their own internal affairs, subject to a degree of British influence which in many states was substantial.

By the beginning of the 20th century, relations between the British and the four largest states –

Punjab, fifteen under the Central Provinces and Berar and two under the United Provinces
.

Chamber of Princes meeting in March 1941

The

King-Emperor to provide a forum in which the rulers could voice their needs and aspirations to the government. It survived until the end of the British Raj in 1947.[16]

By the early 1930s, most of the princely states whose agencies were under the authority of India's provinces were organised into new Agencies, answerable directly to the governor-general, on the model of the Central India and Rajputana agencies: the

Banganapalle
in Mysore Presidency were transferred to the agency of the Mysore Resident in 1939.

Principal princely states in 1947

The native states in 1947 included five large states that were in "direct political relations" with the Government of India. For the complete list of princely states in 1947, see Lists of princely states of India.

In direct relations with the central government

Five large princely states in direct political relations with the Central Government in India[17][18][19][20]
Name of princely state Area in square miles Population in 1941 Approximate revenue of the state (in hundred thousand
Rupees
)		 Title, ethnicity, and religion of ruler Gun-salute for ruler Designation of local political officer
 Baroda State 13,866 3,343,477 (chiefly Hindu, with a sizeable Muslim population) 323.26 Maharaja,
Maratha
, Hindu		 21 Resident at Baroda
 Hyderabad State 82,698 16,338,534 (mostly Hindu with a sizeable Muslim minority) 1582.43
Nizam, Turkic
, Sunni Muslim		 21 Resident in Hyderabad
Jammu and Kashmir 84,471 4,021,616 including Gilgit, Baltistan (Skardu), Ladakh, and Punch (mostly Muslim, with sizeable Hindu and Buddhist populations) 463.95 Maharaja, Dogra, Hindu 21 Resident in Jammu & Kashmir
 Kingdom of Mysore 29,458 7,328,896 (Chiefly Hindu, with sizeable Muslim populations) 1001.38 Wodeyar (means Owner in
Kannadiga
, Hindu		 21 Resident in Mysore
 Gwalior State 26,397 4,006,159 (chiefly Hindu, with a sizeable Muslim population) 356.75
Hindu
 21
Resident
at Gwalior
Total 236,890 35,038,682 3727.77

Central India Agency, Gwalior Residency, Baluchistan Agency, Rajputana Agency, Eastern States Agency

88 princely states forming the Central India Agency[21][22]
Name of princely state Area in square miles Population in 1941 Approximate revenue of the state (in hundred thousand
Rupees
)		 Title, ethnicity, and religion of ruler Gun-salute for ruler Designation of local political officer
Indore State 9,341 1,513,966 (chiefly Hindu, with a sizeable Muslim population) 304.9
Hindu
 19 (plus 2 local) Resident at Indore
Bhopal
 6,924 785,322 (chiefly Hindu, with a sizeable Muslim population) 119.82
Muslim
 19 (plus 2 local) Political Agent in Bhopal
Rewah 13,000 1,820,445 (chiefly Hindu, with a sizeable Muslim population) 65
Hindu
 17 Second largest state in Baghelkhand
85 smaller and minor states (1941) 22,995 (1901) 2.74 million (Chiefly Hindu, 1901) 129 (1901)
Total 77,395 (1901) 8.51 million (1901) 421 (1901)
42 princely states forming the Eastern States Agency[21][23]
Name of princely state Area in square miles Population in 1941 Approximate revenue of the state (in hundred thousand
Rupees
)		 Title, ethnicity, and religion of ruler Gun-salute for ruler Designation of local political officer
Cooch Behar 1,318 639,898 (chiefly Hindu and Muslim) 91 Maharaja,
Koch
(Kshattriya), Brahmo		 13 Resident for the Eastern States
Tripura State
 4,116 513,010 (chiefly Vaishnavite, with a sizeable Sanamahi minority) 54 Maharaja, Tripuri, Vaishnavite (Kshattriya) 13 Resident for the Eastern States
Mayurbhanj State 4,243 990,977 (chiefly Hindu) 49 Maharaja, Kshattriya, Hindu 9 Resident for the Eastern States
39 smaller and minor states (1941) 56,253 6,641,991 241.31
Total 65,930 8,785,876 435.31

Gwalior Residency (two states)

Two states under the suzerainty of the Resident at Gwalior, Gwalior having direct relations with the central government.[17][24]
Name of princely state Area in square miles Population in 1941 Approximate revenue of the state (in hundred thousand
Rupees
)		 Title, ethnicity, and religion of ruler Gun-salute for ruler Designation of local political officer
Rampur 893 464,919 (chiefly
Muslim
, in 1931)		 51
Pathan
, Muslim		 15 Political Agent at Rampur
Benares State 875 391,165 (chiefly Hindu, 1931) 19 Maharaja, Bhumihar, Hindu 13 (plus 2 local) Political Agent at Benares
Total 1,768 856,084 (1941, approx.) 70
23 princely states forming the Rajputana Agency, with the Resident for Rajputana at Abu[25][26]
Name of princely state Area in square miles Population in 1941 Approximate revenue of the state (in hundred thousand
Rupees
)		 Title, ethnicity, and religion of ruler Gun-salute for ruler Designation of local political officer
Udaipur (Mewar)
 13,170 1,926,698 (chiefly
Hindu and Bhil
)		 107
Sisodia Rajput
, Hindu		 19 (plus 2 personal) Political Agent for the Mewar and Southern Rajputana States
Jaipur
 15,610 3,040,876 (chiefly Hindu) 188.6
Kachwaha Rajput
, Hindu		 17 (plus 2 personal) Political Agent at Jaipur
Jodhpur (Marwar)
 36,120 2,555,904 (chiefly Hindu) 208.65 Maharaja, Rathor Rajput, Hindu 17 Political Agent for the Western States of Rajputana
Bikaner
 23,181 1,292,938 (chiefly Hindu) 185.5 Maharaja, Rathor Rajput, Hindu 17 Political agent for the Western States of Rajputana
17 salute states, 1 chiefship, 1 zamindari 42,374 3.64 million (chiefly Hindu, 1901) 155 (1901)
Total 128,918 (1901) 9.84 million (1901) 320 (1901)
Three princely states forming the Baluchistan Agency[27][28]
Name of princely state Area in square miles Population in 1941 Approximate revenue of the state (in hundred thousand
Rupees
)		 Title, ethnicity, and religion of ruler Gun-salute for ruler Designation of local political officer
Kalat 73,278 250,211 (chiefly Sunni Muslim) 21.3 Khan or Wali, Baloch, Sunni Muslim 19 Political Agent in Kalat
Las Bela 7,132 68,972 (chiefly Sunni Muslim) 6.1 Jam, Baloch, Sunni Muslim Political Agent in Kalat
Kharan 14,210 33,763 (chiefly Sunni Muslim) 2 Nawab, Baloch, Sunni Muslim Political Agent in Kalat
Total 94,620 352,946 29.4

Other states under provincial governments

Madras (5 states)

5 states under the suzerainty of the Provincial Government of Madras[27]
Name of princely state Area in square miles Population in 1901 Approximate revenue of the state (in hundred thousand)
Rupees
 Title, ethnicity, and religion of ruler Gun-salute for ruler Designation of local political officer
Travancore 7,091 2,952,157 (chiefly Hindu and Christian) 100 Maharaja, Kshatriya-Samanthan, Hindu 21 (including two guns personal to the then ruler) Resident in Travancore and Cochin
Cochin 1,362 812,025 (chiefly Hindu and Christian) 27 Raja, Samanta-Kshatriya, Hindu 17 Resident in Travancore and Cochin
Pudukkottai
 1,100 380,440 (chiefly Hindu) 11 Raja, Kallar, Hindu 11 Collector of Trichinopoly (ex officio Political Agent)
2 minor states (Banganapalle and Sandur) 416 43,464 3
Total 9,969 4,188,086 141

Bombay (354 states)

354 states under the suzerainty of the Provincial Government of Bombay[29]
Name of princely state Area in square miles Population in 1901 Approximate revenue of the state (in hundred thousand
Rupees
)		 Title, ethnicity, and religion of ruler Gun-salute for ruler Designation of local political officer
Kolhapur 2,855 910,011 (chiefly Hindus) 48
Maratha
, Hindu		 19 Political Agent for Kolhapur
Cutch 7,616 488,022 (chiefly Hindu) 20 Maharao, Jadeja Rajput, Hindu 17 Political Agent in Cutch
Junagarh
 3,284 395,428 (chiefly Hindu) 27
Pathan
, Muslim		 11 Agent to the Governor in Kathiawar
Navanagar 3,791 336,779 (chiefly Hindu) 31 Jam Sahib, Jadeja Rajput, Hindu 11 Agent to the Governor in Kathiawar
349 other states 42,165 4,579,095 281
Total 65,761 6,908,648 420

Central Provinces (15 states)

15 states under the suzerainty of the Provincial Government of the Central Provinces[30]
Name of princely state Area in square miles Population in 1901 Approximate revenue of the state (in hundred thousand
Rupees
)		 Title, ethnicity, and religion of ruler Gun-salute for ruler Designation of local political officer
Kalahandi 3,745 284,465 (chiefly Hindu) 4
Hindu
 9 Political Agent for the
Feudatories
Bastar
 13,062 306,501 (chiefly Animist) 3 Raja, Kshatriya, Hindu Political Agent for the
Feudatories
13 other states 12,628 1,339,353 (chiefly Hindu) 16 11
Total 29,435 1,996,383 21

Punjab
(45 states)

45 states under the suzerainty of the Provincial Government of the
Punjab[31][32]
Name of princely state Area in square miles Population in 1941 Approximate revenue of the state (in hundred thousand
Rupees
)		 Title, ethnicity, and religion of ruler Gun-salute for ruler Designation of local political officer
Bahawalpur State 16,434 1,341,209 (chiefly Muslim) 335 Nawab, Daudputra, Muslim 17 Political Agent for
Phulkian
States and Bahawalpur
Patiala State 5,942 1,936,259 (chiefly Sikh) 302.6 Maharaja, Sikh 17 (and 2 personal) Political Agent for Phulkian States and Bahawalpur
Nabha State 947 340,044 (chiefly Sikh) 38.7 Maharaja, Sikh 13 (and 2 local) Political Agent for Phulkian States and Bahawalpur
Jind State 1,299 361,812 (chiefly Sikh) 37.4 Maharaja, Sikh 13 (and 2 personal) Political Agent for Phulkian States and Bahawalpur
Kapurthala State 645 378,380 (chiefly Sikh) 40.5 Maharaja, Ahuluwalia, Sikh 13 (and 2 personal) Commissioner of the
Jullundur
Division (ex officio Political Agent)
Faridkot State 638 199,283 (chiefly Sikh) 22.7 Raja, Sikh 11 Commissioner of the Jullundur Division (ex officio Political Agent)
Garhwal State 4,500 397,369 (chiefly Hindu) 26.9 Maharaja, Rajput Hindu 11 Commissioner of Kumaun (ex officio Political Agent)
Khayrpur State
 6,050 305,387 (chiefly Muslim) 15 (plus 2 local) Mir, Talpur Baloch, Muslim 37.8 Political Agent for Khairpur
25 other states 12,661 (in 1901) 1,087,614 (in 1901) 30 (in 1901)
Total 36,532 (in 1901) 4,424,398 (in 1901) 155 (in 1901)

Assam (26 states)

26 states under the suzerainty of the Provincial Government of Assam[33][34]
Name of princely state Area in square miles Population in 1941 Approximate revenue of the state (in hundred thousand
Rupees
)		 Title, ethnicity, and religion of ruler Gun-salute for ruler Designation of local political officer
Manipur 270.3 512,069 (chiefly Hindu and Animist) 19 Raja, Kshatriya, Hindu 11 Political Agent in Manipur
25 Khasi States
 3,778 213,586 (Khasi and Christian) ~1 (1941, approx.) Deputy Commissioner, Khasi and Jaintia Hills
Total 12,416 725,655 20 (1941; approx.)

Burma

See also: Shan States and Wa States
Burma
(52 states)
52 states in
Kantarawadi, one of the Karenni States, were included in British India until 1937[35]
Name of princely state Area in square miles Population in 1901 Approximate revenue of the state (in hundred thousand
Rupees
)		 Title, ethnicity, and religion of ruler Gun-salute for ruler Designation of local political officer
Hsipaw (Thibaw) 5,086 105,000 (
Buddhist
)		 3 Sawbwa, Shan, Buddhist 9 Superintendent, Northern Shan States
Kengtung 12,000 190,000 (Buddhist) 1 Sawbwa, Shan, Buddhist 9 Superintendent Southern Shan States
Yawnghwe 865 95,339 (Buddhist) 2.13 Sawbwa, Shan, Buddhist 9 Superintendent Southern Shan States
Mongnai 2,717 44,000 (Buddhist) 0.5 Sawbwa, Shan, Buddhist Superintendent Southern Shan States
5 Karenni States 3,130 45,795 (Buddhist and Animist) 0.035 Sawbwa, Karenni, Buddhist Superintendent Southern Shan States
44 other states 42,198 792,152 (Buddhist and Animist) 8.5
Total 67,011 1,177,987 13.5

State military forces

Main article:
Indian State Forces

The armies of the Native States were bound by many restrictions that were imposed by subsidiary alliances. They existed mainly for ceremonial use and for internal policing, although certain units designated as Imperial Service Troops, were available for service alongside the regular Indian Army upon request by the British government.[36]

According to the

British India, but of all the possessions under the suzerainty of the King-Emperor.[37]

In addition, other restrictions were imposed:

The treaties with most of the larger States are clear on this point. Posts in the interior must not be fortified, factories for the production of guns and ammunition must not be constructed, nor may the subject of other States be enlisted in the local forces. ... They must allow the forces that defend them to obtain local supplies, to occupy cantonments or positions, and to arrest deserters; and in addition to these services they must recognise the Imperial control of the railways, telegraphs, and postal communications as essential not only to the common welfare but to the common defence.[38]

The Imperial Service Troops were routinely inspected by British army officers and had the same equipment as soldiers in the

Second World War .[39]

Political integration of princely states

In 1920, Congress declared that attainment of swaraj for Indians was its goal. It asked "all the sovereign princes of India to establish full responsible government in their states". Mahatma Gandhi assured the princes that Congress will not intervene in internal affairs of the princely states.[40]

In his presidential address at Lahore session in 1929, Jawaharlal Nehru declared: "The Indian states cannot live apart from the rest of the (sic) India".[41]

In 1937, Gandhi played a major role in formation of federation involving a union between British India and the princely states with an Indian central government.[42]

In July 1946, Nehru pointedly observed that no princely state could prevail militarily against the army of independent India.[43]


The era of the princely states effectively ended with Indian independence in 1947; by 1950, almost all of the principalities had

Junagarh and its vassal Bantva Manavadar (whose rulers acceded to Pakistan, but were annexed by India),[46] and Kalat (whose ruler declared independence in 1947, followed in 1948 by the state's accession to Pakistan).[47][48][49]

India

Main article: Political integration of India

At the time of

British India", which were under the direct control of the India Office in London and the governor-general of India, and the second being the "princely states", the territories over which the Crown had suzerainty, but which were under the control of their hereditary rulers. In addition, there were several colonial enclaves controlled by France and Portugal. The integration of these territories into Dominion of India, that had been created by the Indian Independence Act 1947 by the British Parliament, was a declared objective of the Indian National Congress, which the Government of India pursued over the years 1947 to 1949. Through a combination of tactics, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and V. P. Menon
in the months immediately preceding and following the independence convinced the rulers of almost all of the hundreds of princely states to accede to India. In a speech in January 1948, Vallabhbhai Patel said:

As you are all aware, on the lapse of Paramountcy every Indian State became a separate independent entity and our first task of consolidating about 550 States was on the basis of accession to the Indian Dominion on three subjects. Barring Hyderabad and Junagadh all the states which are contiguous to India acceded to Indian Dominion. Subsequently, Kashmir also came in... Some Rulers who were quick to read the writing on the wall, gave responsible government to their people; Cochin being the most illustrious example. In Travancore, there was a short struggle, but there, too, the Ruler soon recognised the aspiration of his people and agreed to introduce a constitution in which all powers would be transferred to the people and he would function as a constitutional Ruler.[50]

Although this process successfully integrated the vast majority of princely states into India, it was not as successful in relation to a few states, notably the former princely state of

Operation Polo
invasion.

Having secured their accession, Sardar Patel and V. P. Menon then proceeded, in a step-by-step process, to secure and extend the central government's authority over these states and to transform their administrations until, by 1956, there was little difference between the territories that had formerly been part of British India and those that had been princely states. Simultaneously, the Government of India, through a combination of diplomatic and economic pressure, acquired control over most of the remaining European colonial exclaves on the subcontinent. Fed up with the protracted and stubborn resistance of the Portuguese government; in 1961 the Indian Army invaded and annexed Portuguese India.[51] These territories, like the princely states, were also integrated into the Republic of India.

As the final step, in 1971, the 26th amendment[52] to the Constitution of India withdrew recognition of the princes as rulers, took away their remaining privileges, and abolished the remuneration granted to them by privy purses.


As per the terms of accession, the erstwhile Indian princes received privy purses (government allowances), and initially retained their statuses, privileges, and autonomy in internal matters during a transitional period which lasted until 1956. During this time, the former princely states were merged into unions, each of which was headed by a former ruling prince with the title of Rajpramukh (ruling chief), equivalent to a state governor.[53] In 1956, the position of Rajpramukh was abolished and the federations dissolved, the former principalities becoming part of Indian states. The states which acceded to Pakistan retained their status until the promulgation of a new constitution in 1956, when most became part of the province of West Pakistan; a few of the former states retained their autonomy until 1969 when they were fully integrated into Pakistan. The Indian government abolished the privy purses in 1971, followed by the government of Pakistan in 1972.[citation needed]

In July 1946, Jawaharlal Nehru pointedly observed that no princely state could prevail militarily against the army of independent India.[43] In January 1947, Nehru said that independent India would not accept the divine right of kings.[54] In May, 1947, he declared that any princely state which refused to join the Constituent Assembly would be treated as an enemy state.[55] There were officially 565 princely states when India and Pakistan became independent in 1947, but the great majority had contracted with the British viceroy to provide public services and tax collection. Only 21 had actual state governments, and only four were large (

acceded to one of the two new independent countries between 1947 and 1949. All the princes were eventually pensioned off.[56]

Pakistan

Main article: Princely states of Pakistan

During the period of the

ongoing and still unresolved insurgency.[62]

Bahawalpur from the Punjab Agency joined Pakistan on 5 October 1947. The princely states of the North-West Frontier States Agencies. included the Dir Swat and Chitral Agency and the Deputy Commissioner of Hazara acting as the Political Agent for Amb and Phulra. These states joined Pakistan on independence from the British.[citation needed]

See also


References

  1. ^ Ramusack 2004, pp. 85 Quote: "The British did not create the Indian princes. Before and during the European penetration of India, indigenous rulers achieved dominance through the military protection they provided to dependents and their skill in acquiring revenues to maintain their military and administrative organizations. Major Indian rulers exercised varying degrees and types of sovereign powers before they entered treaty relations with the British. What changed during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries is that the British increasingly restricted the sovereignty of Indian rulers. The Company set boundaries; it extracted resources in the form of military personnel, subsidies or tribute payments, and the purchase of commercial goods at favorable prices, and limited opportunities for other alliances. From the 1810s onwards as the British expanded and consolidated their power, their centralized military despotism dramatically reduced the political options of Indian rulers." (p. 85)
  2. ^ Ramusack 2004, p. 87 Quote: "The British system of indirect rule over Indian states ... provided a model for the efficient use of scarce monetary and personnel resources that could be adopted to imperial acquisitions in Malaya and Africa. (p. 87)"
  3. ISBN 978-81-7211-005-5
  4. ^ Datar, Arvind P. (18 November 2013). "Who betrayed Sardar Patel?". The Hindu.
  5. ISBN 9781843310044
    .
  6. ^ The India Office and Burma Office List: 1945. Harrison & Sons, Ltd. 1945. pp. 33–37.
  7. ISBN 978-1-80526-053-0
    . Princely States at the time of Indian independence owed their existence to the slow collapse of the Mughal Empire following the death of Aurangzeb in 1707. Centuries of foreign domination meant that many of the rulers who carved out their own states were outsiders. The Nizams of Hyderabad were of Turkoman stock. Bhopal was established by one of Aurangzeb's Afghan generals. Rampurs first ruler, Nawab Faizullah Khan, was a Pashtun. Tonk in present day Rajasthan was founded by Pindari freebooters. The seaboard state of Janjira was the creation of an Abysinnian pirate. Among the Hindu kingdoms, most of the rulers were Kshatriya, but there were notable exceptions, such as the robber caste rajas of the south Indian state of Puddukotai. Only the Rajput states and a scattering of South Indian kingdoms could trace their lineage to the pre-Mughal period.
  8. ^ Interpretation Act 1889 (52 & 53 Vict. c. 63), s. 18
  9. ISBN 0-7007-0425-6
    .
  10. ^ Imperial Gazetteer of India vol. II 1908, pp. 463, 470 Quote1: "Before passing on to the political history of British India, which properly begins with the Anglo-French Wars in the Carnatic, ... (p. 463)" Quote2: "The political history of the British in India begins in the eighteenth century with the French Wars in the Carnatic. (p.471)"
  11. ^ a b Imperial Gazetteer of India vol. IV 1907, p. 60
  12. ^ Great Britain. Indian Statutory Commission; Viscount John Allsebrook Simon Simon (1930). Report of the Indian Statutory Commission ... H.M. Stationery Office. Retrieved 9 June 2012.
  13. ^ All India reporter. D.V. Chitaley. 1938. Retrieved 9 June 2012.
  14. ^ "King of all rewinds". The Week.
  15. ^ Govindlal Dalsukhbhai Patel (1957). The land problem of reorganized Bombay state. N. M. Tripathi. Retrieved 9 June 2012.
  16. ^ Vapal Pangunni Menon (1956) The Story of the Integration of the Indian States, Macmillan Co., pp. 17–19
  17. ^ a b Imperial Gazetteer of India vol. IV 1907, p. 92
  18. ^ "Mysore", Indian States and Agencies, The Statesman's Year Book 1947, pg 173, Macmillan & Co.
  19. ^ "Jammu and Kashmir", Indian States and Agencies, The Statesman's Year Book 1947, pg 171, Macmillan & Co.
  20. ^ "Hyderabad", Indian States and Agencies, The Statesman's Year Book 1947, pg 170, Macmillan & Co.
  21. ^ a b Imperial Gazetteer of India vol. IV 1907, p. 93
  22. ^ "Central India Agency", Indian States and Agencies, The Statesman's Year Book 1947, pg 168, Macmillan & Co.
  23. ^ "Eastern States", Indian States and Agencies, The Statesman's Year Book 1947, pg 168, Macmillan & Co.
  24. ^ "Gwalior Residency", Indian States and Agencies, The Statesman's Year Book 1947, pg 170, Macmillan & Co.
  25. ^ Imperial Gazetteer of India vol. IV 1907, pp. 94–95
  26. ^ "Rajputana", Indian States and Agencies, The Statesman's Year Book 1947, pg 175, Macmillan & Co.
  27. ^ a b Imperial Gazetteer of India vol. IV 1907, p. 96
  28. ^ "Baluchistan States", Indian States and Agencies, The Statesman's Year Book 1947, pg 160, Macmillan & Co.
  29. ^ Imperial Gazetteer of India vol. IV 1907, p. 97
  30. ^ Imperial Gazetteer of India vol. IV 1907, p. 102
  31. ^ Imperial Gazetteer of India vol. IV 1907, p. 100
  32. ^ "Punjab States", Indian States and Agencies, The Statesman's Year Book 1947, pg 174, Macmillan & Co.
  33. ^ Imperial Gazetteer of India vol. IV 1907, p. 103
  34. ^ "Assam States", Indian States and Agencies, The Statesman's Year Book 1947, pg 160, Macmillan & Co.
  35. ^ Imperial Gazetteer of India vol. IV 1907, p. 101
  36. ISBN 0-947554-02-5
  37. ^ Imperial Gazetteer of India vol. IV 1907, p. 85
  38. ^ Imperial Gazetteer of India vol. IV 1907, pp. 85–86
  39. ^ a b Imperial Gazetteer of India vol. IV 1907, p. 87
  40. ISBN 978-0-520-30163-4
    . Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  41. ISBN 978-0-210-31180-6
    . Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  42. ISBN 978-1-351-03612-2
    . Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  43. ^
    ISBN 978-0-670-09129-4
    .
  44. ^ Ravi Kumar Pillai of Kandamath in the Journal of the Royal Society for Asian Affairs, pages 316–319 https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03068374.2016.1171621
  45. ISBN 9788124109236
    .
  46. ISBN 978-1-136-81893-6
    .
  47. ISBN 978-0-674-74499-8
    : "Equally notorious was his high-handed treatment of the state of Kalat, whose ruler was made to accede to Pakistan on threat of punitive military action."
  48. S2CID 144156399
    .: "When Mir Ahmed Yar Khan dithered over acceding the Baloch-Brauhi confederacy to Pakistan in 1947 the centre's response was to initiate processes that would coerce the state joining Pakistan. By recognising the feudatory states of Las Bela, Kharan and the district of Mekran as independent states, which promptly merged with Pakistan, the State of Kalat became land locked and reduced to a fraction of its size. Thus Ahmed Yar Khan was forced to sign the instrument of accession on 27 March 1948, which immediately led to the brother of the Khan, Prince Abdul Karim raising the banner of revolt in July 1948, starting the first of the Baloch insurgencies."
  49. ISBN 978-0-87003-029-1
    : "Pakistani leaders summarily rejected this declaration, touching off a nine-month diplomatic tug of war that came to a climax in the forcible annexation of Kalat.... it is clear that Baluch leaders, including the Khan, were bitterly opposed to what happened."
  50. ^ R. P. Bhargava (1992) The Chamber of Princes, p. 313
  51. ISBN 978-1-935501-10-7
    .
  52. ^ "The Constitution (26 Amendment) Act, 1971", indiacode.nic.in, Government of India, 1971, archived from the original on 6 December 2011, retrieved 9 November 2011
  53. ^ Wilhelm von Pochhammer, India's road to nationhood: a political history of the subcontinent (1982) ch 57
  54. George Allen & Unwin
    . p. 228
  55. ^ Tiwari, Aaditya (30 October 2017). "Sardar Patel – Man who United India". Press Information Bureau.
  56. ^ Wilhelm von Pochhammer, India's road to nationhood: a political history of the subcontinent (1981) ch 57
  57. ISBN 978-1-349-20942-2
    .
  58. ISBN 978-0-415-68614-3
    .
  59. ISBN 978-0-19-932223-7
    .
  60. ISBN 978-1-317-44820-4
  61. ISBN 978-1-4299-8590-1
    .
  62. ISBN 978-0-313-34698-9
    .

Bibliography

Gazetteers

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Princely states of India.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Princely_state&oldid=1214354235"