States and union territories of India: Difference between revisions

{{Distinguish|Administrative divisions of India}}

{{Short description|Indian national administrative subdivisions}}

|area_range        = '''States''': {{Convert|3702|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} [[Goa]]&nbsp;– {{Convert|342269|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} [[Rajasthan]]<br />

'''Union territories''': {{Convert|32|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} [[Lakshadweep]]&nbsp;– {{Convert|59146|km2|sqmi||abbr=on}} [[Ladakh]]

|government        = [[State government]]s, [[Government of India|Union government]] (Union territories)

|subdivision        = [[List of districts in India|Districts]], [[Administrative divisions of India#Divisions|Divisions]]

The [[Indian subcontinent]] has been ruled by many different [[South Asian ethnic groups|ethnic groups]] throughout its history, each instituting their own policies of administrative division in the region.<ref name="Krishna Reddy 2003 A107">{{cite book | author= Krishna Reddy | title = Indian History | year = 2003 | publisher = Tata McGraw Hill | location = New Delhi | isbn = 978-0-07-048369-9}}</ref><ref name="Ramesh Chandra Majumdar (1977)">{{cite book | title=Ancient India | publisher=Motilal Banarsidass Publishers | author=Ramesh Chandra Majumdar | year=1977 | isbn=978-81-208-0436-4}}</ref><ref name="Romila Thapar">{{cite book | title=A History of India: Part 1 | year=1966 | url=https://archive.org/details/historyofindia01thap | url-access=registration | author=Romila Thapar}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=History of medieval India|year=2007|publisher=S Chand|location=New Delhi|isbn=978-8121903646|pages=121, 122|author=V.D. Mahajan|edition=10th}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=A History of India Volume 1|year=1979|publisher=Progress Publishers|location=Moscow, USSR|first1=K.A.|last1=Antonova|author-link1=Koka Antonova|first2=G.|last2=Bongard-Levin|first3= G.|last3=Kotovsky}}</ref><ref>{{cite encyclopedia|title=Gupta Dynasty – MSN Encarta |url=http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761571624/gupta_dynasty.html |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/5kwqOxl5F?url=http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761571624/gupta_dynasty.html |archive-date= 1 November 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://historymedren.about.com/library/text/bltxtindia7.htm |title=India – Historical Setting – The Classical Age – Gupta and Harsha |publisher=Historymedren.about.com |date=2 November 2009 |access-date=16 May 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last= Nilakanta Sastri|first= K.A.|title=   A history of South India from prehistoric times to the fall of Vijayanagar|orig-year=1955|year=2002|publisher= Indian Branch, Oxford University Press|location= New Delhi|page=239|isbn= 978-0-19-560686-7}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Chandra|first=Satish|title=Medieval India: From Sultanate to the Mughals| page=202}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/285248/India/46984/Political-and-economic-decentralization-during-the-Mughal-decline#toc46986 |title=Regional states, c. 1700–1850 |publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.}}</ref><ref name="Grewal">{{cite book|last=Grewal|first=J. S.|title=The Sikh empire (1799–1849) |publisher=Cambridge University Press|year=1990|series=The New Cambridge History of India|volume=The Sikhs of the Punjab|chapter=Chapter 6: The Sikh empire (1799–1849)|chapter-url=http://histories.cambridge.org/extract?id=chol9780521268844_CHOL9780521268844A008}}</ref>{{overcite|date=July 2018}} During the [[British Raj]], the preceding [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] administrative structure was mostly kept. India was divided into provinces (also called Presidencies) that were directly governed by the British and princely states which were nominally controlled by a local prince or raja loyal to the British Empire, which held ''[[de facto]]'' sovereignty ([[suzerainty]]) over the princely states.

Between 1947 and 1950 the territories of the princely states were politically integrated into the Indian Union. Most were merged into existing provinces; others were organised into new provinces, such as [[Rajasthan]], [[Himachal Pradesh]], [[Madhya Bharat]], and [[Vindhya Pradesh]], made up of multiple princely states; a few, including [[Mysore State|Mysore]], [[Hyderabad State (1948–56)|Hyderabad]], [[Bhopal State (1949–56)|Bhopal]], and [[Bilaspur State (1950–54)|Bilaspur]], became separate provinces. The new [[Constitution of India]], which came into force on 26 January 1950, made India a sovereign democratic republic. The new republic was also declared to be a "Union of States".<ref>{{cite book|title=Constitution of India|chapter=Article 1|chapter-url=http://lawmin.nic.in/olwing/coi/coi-english/coi-indexenglish.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402064301/http://lawmin.nic.in/olwing/coi/coi-english/coi-indexenglish.htm|archive-date=2 April 2012}}</ref> The constitution of 1950 distinguished between three main types of states:{{citation needed|date=March 2018}}

* Part A states, which were the former governors' provinces of British India, were ruled by an elected governor and state legislature. The nine Part A states were [[Assam]] (formerly [[Assam Province]]), [[Bihar]] (formerly [[Bihar Province]]), [[Bombay State|Bombay]] (formerly [[Bombay Presidency|Bombay Province]]), [[East Punjab]] (formerly [[Punjab Province (British India)|Punjab Province]]), [[Madhya Pradesh]] (formerly the [[Central Provinces and Berar]]), [[Madras State|Madras]] (formerly [[Madras Presidency|Madras Province]]), [[Odisha|Orissa]] (formerly [[Orissa Province]]), [[Uttar Pradesh]] (formerly the [[United Provinces (1937–1950)|United Provinces]]), and [[West Bengal]] (formerly [[Bengal Presidency|Bengal Province]]).

* The eight Part B states were former princely states or groups of princely states, governed by a [[rajpramukh]], who was usually the ruler of a constituent state, and an elected legislature. The rajpramukh was appointed by the [[President of India]]. The Part B states were [[Hyderabad State (1948–56)|Hyderabad]] (formerly [[Hyderabad State|Hyderabad Princely State]]), [[Jammu and Kashmir (state)|Jammu and Kashmir]] (formerly [[Jammu and Kashmir (princely state)|Jammu and Kashmir Princely State]]), [[Madhya Bharat]] (formerly [[Central India Agency]]), [[Mysore State|Mysore]] (formerly [[Kingdom of Mysore|Mysore Princely State]]), [[Patiala and East Punjab States Union]] (PEPSU), [[Rajasthan]] (formerly [[Rajputana Agency]]), [[Saurashtra (state)|Saurashtra]] (formerly [[Baroda, Western India and Gujarat States Agency]]), and [[Travancore-Cochin]] (formerly [[Travancore|Travancore Princely State]] and [[Kingdom of Cochin|Cochin Princely State]]).

* The ten Part C states included both the former chief commissioners' provinces and some princely states, and each was governed by a chief commissioner appointed by the President of India. The Part C states were [[Ajmer State|Ajmer]] (formerly [[Ajmer-Merwara|Ajmer-Merwara Province]]), [[Bhopal State (1949–56)|Bhopal]] (formerly [[Bhopal State|Bhopal Princely State]]), [[Bilaspur State (1950–54)|Bilaspur]] (formerly [[Bilaspur State (princely state)|Bilaspur Princely State]]), [[Coorg State]] (formerly [[Coorg Province]]), [[Delhi]], [[Himachal Pradesh]], [[Kutch State|Kutch]] (formerly [[Cutch State|Cutch Princely State]]), [[Manipur]] (formerly [[Manipur (princely state)|Manipur Princely State]]), [[Tripura]] (formerly [[Tripura (princely state)|Tripura Princely State]]), and [[Vindhya Pradesh]] (formerly [[Central India Agency]]).

Also in 1954, pro-India forces liberated the [[Portuguese India|Portuguese-held enclaves]] of [[Dadra, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu|Dadrá]] and [[Nagar Haveli|Nagar Aveli]], declaring the short-lived ''[[de facto]]'' state [[Free Dadra and Nagar Haveli]]. In 1961, it was annexed by India as the Union Territory of [[Dadra and Nagar Haveli]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.jagranjosh.com/current-affairs/dadra-and-nagar-haveli-celebrated-its-60th-liberation-day-1375437166-1 |title=Dadra and Nagar Haveli Celebrated Its 60th Liberation Day |publisher=Jagranjosh.com |date=2 August 2013 |access-date=2 March 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/dadra-and-nagar-haveli-when-an-ias-officer-became-the-instrument-of-accession/articleshow/70611496.cms?from=mdr |title=Dadra and Nagar Haveli: When an IAS officer became the instrument of accession - The Economic Times |publisher=Economictimes.indiatimes.com |access-date=2 March 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thebetterindia.com/135865/ias-badlani-prime-minister-dadra-nagar-haveli-history-india/ |title=When an IAS Officer Was The Prime Minister of Dadra & Nagar Haveli |publisher=Thebetterindia.com |date=28 March 2018 |access-date=2 March 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.archive.india.gov.in/govt/documents/amendment/amend10.htm |title=The Constitution (Amendment) |publisher=Archive.india.gov.in |access-date=2 March 2020}}</ref>

The [[States Reorganisation Act, 1956]] reorganised the states based on linguistic lines resulting in the creation of the new states.<ref>{{cite book|title=Constitution of India|chapter=Article 1|chapter-url=http://lawmin.nic.in/olwing/coi/coi-english/coi-indexenglish.htm|publisher=Law Ministry, GOI|access-date=31 December 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402064301/http://lawmin.nic.in/olwing/coi/coi-english/coi-indexenglish.htm|archive-date=2 April 2012}}</ref> As a result of this act, [[Madras State]] retained its name with [[Kanyakumari district]] added to form [[Travancore-Cochin]]. [[Andhra Pradesh]] was created with the merger of [[Andhra State]] with the Telugu-speaking districts of [[Hyderabad State]] in 1956. [[Kerala]] was created with the merger of [[Malabar district]] and the [[Kasaragod taluk]] of [[South Canara]] districts of [[Madras State]] with [[Travancore-Cochin]]. [[Mysore State]] was re-organized with the addition of districts of [[Bellary district|Bellary]] and [[South Canara]] (excluding [[Kasaragod taluk]]) and the [[Kollegal|Kollegal taluk]] of [[Coimbatore district]] from the Madras State, the districts of [[Belgaum district|Belgaum]], [[Bijapur district, Karnataka|Bijapur]], [[North Canara]] and [[Dharwad district|Dharwad]] from [[Bombay State]], the [[Kannada]]-majority districts of [[Bidar district|Bidar]], [[Raichur district|Raichur]] and [[Gulbarga district|Gulbarga]] from [[Hyderabad State (1948–56)|Hyderabad State]] and the [[Coorg State]]. The [[Laccadive Islands]], [[Aminidivi|Aminidivi Islands]] and [[Minicoy|Minicoy Island]] which were divided between South Canara and Malabar districts of Madras State were united and organised into the union territory of [[Lakshadweep]].

[[Bombay State]] was enlarged by the addition of [[Saurashtra (state)|Saurashtra State]] and [[Kutch State]], the [[Marathi language|Marathi]]-speaking districts of [[Nagpur Division]] of [[Madhya Pradesh]] and [[Marathwada]] region of [[Hyderabad State (1948–56)|Hyderabad State]]. [[Rajasthan]] and [[Punjab]] gained territories from [[Ajmer State]] and [[Patiala and East Punjab States Union]] respectively and certain territories of [[Bihar]] was transferred to [[West Bengal]].

{{main|Mahagujarat movement|Punjabi Suba movement|Annexation of Goa|Goa Opinion Poll|1975 Sikkimese monarchy referendum|Uttarakhand movement|Telangana movement}}

Bombay State was split into the linguistic states of [[Gujarat]] and [[Maharashtra]] on 1 May 1960 by the Bombay Reorganisation Act.<ref>{{Cite book|author=J.C. Aggarwal, S.P. Agrawal|title=Uttarakhand: Past, Present, and Future|publisher=Concept Publishing|place=New DElhi|year=1995|pages=89–90}}</ref> Former Union Territory of [[Nagaland]] achieved statehood on 1 December 1963.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://india.gov.in/knowindia/st_nagaland.php|title=Nagaland History & Geography-Source|publisher=india.gov.in |access-date=17 June 2013}}</ref> The [[Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966]] resulted in the creation of [[Haryana]] on 1 November and the transfer of the northern districts of Punjab to [[Himachal Pradesh]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hpplanning.nic.in/mid%20term%20review%2010th%20five%20year%20plan.pdf |title=Himachal Pradesh Tenth Five Year Plan |access-date=17 June 2013}}</ref> The act also designated [[Chandigarh]] as a union territory and the shared capital of Punjab and Haryana.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://india.gov.in/allimpfrms/allacts/474.pdf|title=The Punjab Reorganisation Act 1966|publisher=india.gov.in |access-date=17 June 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.travelindia-guide.com/maps/state_map.php |title=State map of India |publisher=Travel India guide |access-date=17 June 2013}}</ref>

Madras State was renamed [[Tamil Nadu]] in 1969. North-eastern states of [[Manipur]], [[Meghalaya]] and [[Tripura]] were formed on 21 January 1972.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thaibicindia.org.in/study/north_east/Snapshot.pdf|title=Snapshot of North Eastern States|publisher=thaibicindia.in|access-date=17 February 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091222052303/http://www.thaibicindia.org.in/study/north_east/Snapshot.pdf|archive-date=22 December 2009}}</ref> Mysore State was renamed as [[Karnataka]] in 1973. On 16 May 1975, [[Sikkim]] became the 22nd state of the Indian Union and the [[Kingdom of Sikkim|state's monarchy]] was abolished.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://sikkim.gov.in/ASP/Miscc/aboutsikkim.htm|title=About Sikkim|publisher=Official website of the Government of Sikkim|access-date=15 June 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090525171423/http://www.sikkim.gov.in/asp/Miscc/aboutsikkim.htm|archive-date=25 May 2009}}</ref> In 1987, [[Arunachal Pradesh]] and [[Mizoram]] became states on 20 February, followed by [[Goa]] on 30 May, while erstwhile union territory of [[Goa, Daman and Diu]]'s northern [[exclave]]s [[Daman district, India|Damão]] and [[Diu district|Diu]] became separate union territory as [[Daman and Diu]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.goaonline.in/Profile/History/milestone.asp|title=Goa Chronology|publisher=goaonline.in|access-date=17 February 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721155540/http://www.goaonline.in/Profile/History/milestone.asp|archive-date=21 July 2011}}</ref>

In November 2000, three new states were created; namely, [[Chhattisgarh]] from eastern [[Madhya Pradesh]], Uttaranchal from northwest [[Uttar Pradesh]] (renamed [[Uttarakhand]] in 2007) and [[Jharkhand]] from southern districts of Bihar with the enforcement of [[Madhya Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2000]], [[Uttar Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2000]] and [[Bihar Reorganisation Act, 2000]] respectively.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jharkhand.gov.in/AboutState_fr.html |title=Official Website of Government of Jharkhand |publisher=Jharkhand.gov.in |access-date=17 June 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130621084121/http://www.jharkhand.gov.in/AboutState_fr.html |archive-date=21 June 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://cg.gov.in/profile/corigin.htm |title=Chhattisgarh state – History |publisher=Cg.gov.in |access-date=17 June 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100704202817/http://cg.gov.in/profile/corigin.htm |archive-date= 4 July 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2007-01-02/india/27880083_1_bjp-cries-uttaranchal-assembly-polls |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130510141050/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2007-01-02/india/27880083_1_bjp-cries-uttaranchal-assembly-polls |url-status=dead |archive-date=10 May 2013 |title=Uttaranchal is Uttarakhand, BJP cries foul |last=Chopra |first=Jasi Kiran|date=2 January 2007|work=[[The Times of India]] |access-date=22 January 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://uk.gov.in/pages/display/115-about-us |title=About Us: Uttarakhand Government Portal, India |publisher=Uk.gov.in |date=9 November 2000 |access-date=17 June 2013}}</ref> Pondicherry was renamed as [[Puducherry (union territory)|Puducherry]] in 2007 and Orissa was renamed as [[Odisha]] in 2011. [[Telangana]] was created on 2 June 2014 as ten former districts of north-western [[Andhra Pradesh]].<ref>{{cite web|title=The Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014|url=http://www.mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/APRegACT2014_0.pdf|publisher=Ministry of law and justice, Government of India|access-date=3 March 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160108223043/http://www.mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/APRegACT2014_0.pdf|archive-date=8 January 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Telangana bill passed by upper house|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/telangana-bill-in-rajya-sabha/liveblog/30712218.cms|work=The Times of India|access-date=20 February 2014}}</ref>

| [[Naya Raipur|Nava Raipur]]

|-

| [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]]<ref>{{cite news|title=Haryana grants second language status to Punjabi|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/haryana-grants-second-language-status-to-punjabi/article1-502720.aspx|work=Hindustan Times|date=28 January 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Punjabi gets second language status in Haryana|url=http://zeenews.india.com/news/haryana/punjabi-gets-second-language-status-in-haryana_599789.html|work=Zee news|date=28 January 2010}}</ref>

| [[Shimla]] <small>(Summer)</small><br />[[Dharamshala]] <small>(Winter)</small><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.hillpost.in/2017/01/dharamshala-declared-second-capital-of-himachal/107991/|title=Dharamshala Declared Second Capital of Himachal|website=www.hillpost.in|language=en-US|access-date=21 January 2017}}</ref>

| [[Thiruvananthapuram]]

| [[Thiruvananthapuram]]

| [[Mumbai]] <small>(Summer)</small><br />[[Nagpur]] <small>(Winter)</small><ref>{{cite news |last1=Raghunatha |first1=TN |title=Monsoon session to start in Maha's winter Capital Nagpur from July 4 |url=https://www.dailypioneer.com/nation/monsoon-session--to-start-in-mahas-winter-capital-nagpur-from-july-4.html |access-date=20 April 2021 |work=Pioneer |date=2 June 2018}}</ref>

<!-- NOTE: All figures and facts for the newly formed Telangana state should be supported by verifiable and reliable sources per WP:VERIFY and WP:RELIABLE. Failure to do so, the unsourced information being removed to ensure neutrality. Also necessary changes may be made accordingly to Andhra Pradesh also conforming to guidelines-->

| [[Gairsain]] <small>(Summer)</small><br />[[Dehradun]] <small>(Winter)</small><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/dehradun/gairsain-named-uttarakhands-new-summer-capital/articleshow/74485869.cms/|title=Gairsain Named Uttarakhand's New Summer Capital|website=The Times of India|language=en|access-date=5 March 2020}}</ref>

|[[Mysore]]