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{{Short description|Government payments to the ruling families of former Princely States (1947–71)}}
{{for|the British Sovereign’s personal income|Privy Purse}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2016}}
{{Princely States topics}}
In [[India]], a '''privy purse''' was a payment made to the ruling families of erstwhile [[princely states]] as part of their agreements to first integrate with India in 1947 after the independence of India, and later to [[Political integration of India|merge their states]] in 1949, thereby ending their ruling rights.

The privy purses continued to be paid to the royal families until the [[Twenty-sixth Amendment of the Constitution of India|26th Amendment]] in 1971, by which all their privileges and allowances from the central government ceased to exist, which was implemented after a two-year legal battle.<ref name="Twenty Sixth Amendment">{{cite web|url=http://indiacode.nic.in/coiweb/amend/amend26.htm |title=Twenty Sixth Amendment |publisher=Indiacode.nic.in |date=28 December 1971 |access-date=19 November 2011}}</ref>

In some individual cases, privy purses were continued for life for individuals who had held ruling powers before 1947; for instance, HH Maharani [[Sethu Lakshmi Bayi]]'s allowance was reinstated after a prolonged legal battle, and lasted until she died in 1985.

== History ==
When the British Crown [[Partition of India|partitioned]] [[British India]] and granted independence to the new [[Dominion]]s of [[Dominion of India|India]] and [[Dominion of Pakistan|Pakistan]], more than a third of the subcontinent was still covered by [[princely state]]s, with rulers whose position and status within the [[British Raj|Indian Empire]] had varied. In 1947, there were more than 560 such princely states in India, over which the [[the Crown|British Crown]] had [[suzerainty]], but not [[sovereignty]]. In 1947, [[princely state]]s, numbering 555, covered 48% area of pre-independent India and constituted 28% of its population.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/who-betrayed-sardar-patel/article5366083.ece|title=Who betrayed Sardar Patel?|website=[[The Hindu]]|date=19 November 2013|last1=Datar|first1=Arvind P.}}</ref> Relations with them were determined by [[subsidiary alliance]]s and other treaties, establishing [[indirect rule]]. A protocollary system of [[gun salute]]s also determined the ranking of about 120 major states, including the [[princely states of Pakistan]]; most, however, were minor/petty 'non-salute states'. By the [[Indian Independence Act 1947]], the Crown abandoned its suzerainty, leaving the rulers of the states free to choose to [[Instrument of Accession|accede]] either to India or to Pakistan or to remain fully independent.<ref>{{cite book |author=Ishtiaq Ahmed |author-link=Ishtiaq Ahmed (political scientist) |title=State, Nation and Ethnicity in Contemporary South Asia |location=London & New York |year=1998 |page=99}}</ref> Most had been so dependent on the Government of India that they had little choice but accession. By the eve of independence, most of the princely states had signed instruments of accession to [[India]], and only one to [[Pakistan]]. Only a few states held out for complete independence after the British left India. Due to the diplomacy of [[Vallabhbhai Patel]] and [[V. P. Menon]], [[Travancore]], [[Bhopal State|Bhopal]] and [[Jodhpur State|Jodhpur]] signed the instruments of accession before 15 August 1947. After independence, many states vacillated, including [[Jammu and Kashmir (princely state)|Jammu and Kashmir]], [[Junagadh State|Junagadh]] and [[Hyderabad State|Hyderabad]], which were integrated later.

The instruments of accession only required the states to cede defence, communications, and foreign relations to [[India]]. Democratic institutions were introduced in these states, and it was only in 1949 that they were fully merged with [[India]] to form new states. Thus, [[Travancore]], and [[Kingdom of Cochin|Cochin]] merged into India and formed the new state of [[Travancore-Cochin]]. Although the royal families had been allowed to retain large sums of money as their privy purse in 1947; in 1949, with the states and its revenues being entirely taken over by the [[Government of India]], it was the Indian Government that provided the rulers and their families with privy purses that were determined by several factors such as the state's revenue, whether the state had been ranked as a [[salute state]] under the [[British Raj]] or not, antiquity of the dynasty, and so on.<ref>{{cite book |title=Maharaja |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.202181 |author=Jarmani Dass}}</ref> Dewan Jarmani Dass of [[Kapurthala]] says:
{{cquote|Thus the rulers surrendered their sovereignty and as a quid pro quo they were granted handsome Privy Purses and other privileges.}}

As defined from 1949 under Article 291 of the Indian Constitution, a privy purse would be a fixed, tax-free sum guaranteed to the former princely rulers and their successors. The sum was intended to cover all expenses of the former ruling families, including those incurred for religious and other ceremonies, and would be charged on the [[Consolidated Fund of India]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Privy Purses to Rulers – Reduction Effected in Certain Cases|url=http://pib.nic.in/archive/docs/DVD_41/ACC%20NO%20823-BR/HOM-1961-10-31-4901.pdf|website=Press Information Bureau, Government of India – Archive}}</ref> With India remaining a member of the [[sterling area]] post-independence, and with the Indian rupee remaining pegged to the British [[pound sterling]], the privy-purse payments constituted a significant outlay of government funds.

== Recipients and amounts ==
The privy purses were determined by several factors. Minor feudatories of the erstwhile princely states received whatever little allowances the princely governments had been providing them. For the 565 princely states, privy purses ranged from {{INR}} 5,000 per annum to amounts in millions. About 102 privy purses were of more than a {{INR}} 100,000 with an upper ceiling of {{INR}} 200,000 for all except 11 states. These eleven princely states in India were provided with privy purses of {{INR}} 1,000,000 and above (worth 8,898 oz of gold): [[Hyderabad State|Hyderabad]], [[Kingdom of Mysore|Mysore]], [[Travancore]], [[Baroda State|Baroda]], [[Jaipur State|Jaipur]], [[Patiala State|Patiala]], [[Nawanagar State|Nawanagar]], [[Bhavnagar State]], [[Rewa district]], [[Bhopal]] and [[Kolhapur]]. While certain amounts were guaranteed for the time being, it was liable to be reduced soon after due to deflation crisis in 1960s. Thus, Hyderabad, which received initially a privy purse of {{INR}} 4,285,714, was, a few years later, guaranteed {{INR}} 2,000,000 purse. Other titular rulers of princely states, such as those of the [[Rampur State|Royal House of Rampur]], among others, received a privy purse as well.<ref name="Khan2022">{{cite book |last1=Khan |first1=Tarana Husain |title=Degh to Dastarkhwan: Qissas and Recipes from Rampur Cuisine |date=17 October 2022 |publisher=Penguin Random House India Private Limited |isbn=978-93-5492-761-4 |language=en|quote=Ashiq khansama continued to work for Nawab Sayed Murtaza Ali Khan. The privy purse given to the Nawabs after the merger of Rampur into the Indian Union was barely enough to maintain the vast palaces and kitchens.}}</ref> The Government of India also, generally, reduced the allowances with every succession in the family.<ref>"Maharaja" by Jarmani Dass, page 424-435</ref>

== Abolition ==

A motion to abolish the privy purses, and the official recognition of the titles, was originally brought before the [[Parliament of India|Parliament]] in 1970 and passed in the [[Lok Sabha]], but failed by one vote to reach the required two-thirds majority in the [[Rajya Sabha]], with 149 voting for and 75 against.<ref name="H. H. Maharajadhiraja Madhav Rao v Union of India on 15 December 1970">{{cite web|title=''H. H. Maharajadhiraja Madhav Rao vs Union of India'' on 15 December 1970 |url=http://indiankanoon.org/doc/660275/|publisher=Indian Kanoon|access-date=16 October 2012|page=See para 44|quote=The Bill was voted upon in the Lok Sabha on September 2, 1970. 332 votes for and 154 votes against it, were cast. It was considered in the Rajya Sabha, on September 5, 1970, and was defeated, 149 voting for and 75 against it. It failed in the Rajya Sabha to reach the requisite majority of not less than two-thirds of the members present and voting.}}</ref>

On 6 September 1970, the President of India passed a laconic order in respect of each of the rulers of former Indian states. In exercise of the power vested in him under Article 366(22) of the constitution, the President directed that with effect from the date of his order, all rulers ceased to be recognised as rulers. That resulted in the immediate termination of the privy purses received by the rulers, and the discontinuance of their personal privileges. Writ petitions under Article 32 of the constitution were filed by some of the rulers as test cases to question the orders. The Supreme Court ruled in favour of the rulers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://indiankanoon.org/doc/660275/|title=''H. H. Maharajadhiraja Madhav Rao ... vs Union of India'' on 15 December 1970|website=indiankanoon.org|access-date=2019-03-04}}</ref>

It was again proposed before [[Parliament of India|Parliament]] in 1971, and was successfully passed as the [[List of amendments of the Constitution of India|26th Amendment to the Constitution of India]] in 1971.<ref name="Twenty Sixth Amendment" /> The then [[Prime Minister of India|Prime Minister]] [[Indira Gandhi]] argued for the abolition based on equal rights for all citizens and the need to reduce the government's revenue deficit.

The amendment effectively derecognized the existing titles:<ref>{{cite web |url=https://archive.org/stream/E13841971009161722/E-1384-1971-0091-61722_djvu.txt |title=The Constitution of India (26th Amendment) Act 1971 |work=The Gazette of India |date=29 December 1971}}</ref>
{{blockquote|the Prince, Chief or other person who, at any time before the commencement of the Constitution (Twenty-sixth Amendment) Act, 1971, was recognised by the President as the Ruler of an Indian State or any person who, at any time before such commencement, was recognised by the President as the successor of such Ruler shall, on and from such commencement, cease to be recognised as such Ruler or the successor of such Ruler.}}

== Aftermath ==
The end of privy purse finally ended all the entitlements and special status of former rulers.

Many of the former royalty tried to protest against the abolition of the privy purses, primarily through campaigns to contest seats in the [[Lok Sabha]] elections of 1971. This included [[Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi]], the last and former Nawab of [[Pataudi State|Pataudi]], who contested from [[Gurgaon]]. Mansoor contested as a candidate for the [[Vishal Haryana Party]], but received barely 5% of the vote in a two-way contest.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hinduonnet.com/2001/10/14/stories/1314128g.htm|title=Cricketers in Politics|access-date=23 March 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090609084807/http://www.hinduonnet.com/2001/10/14/stories/1314128g.htm|archive-date=9 June 2009|url-status=usurped}}</ref> [[Vijaya Raje Scindia]] and her son, [[Madhav Rao Scindia]], however, won in the 1971 Lok Sabha polls.

Despite the attempts by the former royals to use the titles such as maharaja (king) or prince, etc. over the years, the courts in India have ''"repeatedly held that usage of royal titles violates the Constitution, specifically Articles 14, 18, and 363A, which guarantee equality, abolish titles, and end recognition of princely privileges."''<ref>[https://theprint.in/judiciary/no-maharaja-princess-in-court-orders-rajasthan-hc-what-constitution-says-about-royal-titles/2759459/ No ‘maharaja, princess’ in court, orders Rajasthan HC. What Constitution says about royal titles], The Print, Oct 2025.</ref>

==See also==
* [[Political integration of India]]
* [[Custodian for Enemy Property for India]], for the government takeover of property of rulers who migrated to Pakistan
* [[Enemy Property Act, 1968]], basis of Custodian for Enemy Property for India
* [[Central Waqf Council]], in India for Muslim properties
* [[Evacuee Trust Property Board]], in Pakistan for Hindu and Sikh properties

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080728193104/http://www.uq.net.au/~zzhsoszy/ips/ Indian Princely States, on www.uq.net.au (as archived on web.archive.org), listing where known the historical privy purse in rupees]

[[Category:Political integration of India]]
[[Category:Indira Gandhi administration]]

Privy purse in India - Revision history

AngelesEller0: created the info w/ refs...