Princely state: Difference between revisions

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At the time of the British withdrawal, 565 princely states were officially recognized in the Indian subcontinent,<ref>{{citation |last=Bhargava |first=R. P. |title=The Chamber of Princes |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BAQgNE1uSEgC&pg=PA313 |year=1991 |publisher=Northern Book Centre |isbn=978-81-7211-005-5 |pages=312–323}}</ref> apart from thousands of [[zamindar|zamindari estates]] and [[jagir]]s. In 1947, princely states covered 40% of the area of pre-independence India and constituted 23% 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?|newspaper=The Hindu|last1=Datar|first1=Arvind P.}}</ref> The most important states had their own British political residencies: [[Hyderabad State|Hyderabad]] of the [[Nizam]]s, [[Kingdom of Mysore|Mysore]] and [[Travancore State|Travancore]] in the South, [[Jammu and Kashmir (princely state)|Jammu and Kashmir]],  [[Kingdom of Sikkim|Sikkim]] in the [[Himalayas]], and [[Indore State|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 salute]]s on ceremonial occasions.

The era of the princely states effectively ended with Indian independence in 1947; by 1950, almost all of the principalities had [[Instrument of Accession|acceded]] to either India or Pakistan.<ref>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</ref> In July 1946, [[Jawaharlal Nehru]] pointedly observed that no princely state could prevail militarily against the army of independent India.<ref name="books.google.co.in">{{Cite book|last1=Menon|first=Shivshankar|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eaWWDwAAQBAJ|title=India and Asian Geopolitics: The Past, Present|isbn=978-0-670-09129-4|publisher=Brookings Institution Press|pages=34}}</ref> In January 1947, Nehru said that independent India would not accept the [[divine right of kings]].<ref>Lumby, E. W. R. 1954. ''The Transfer of Power in India, 1945–1947''. London: [[George Allen and Unwin|George Allen & Unwin]]. p. 228</ref> In May 1947, he declared that any princely state which refused to join the [[Constituent Assembly of India|Constituent Assembly]] would be treated as an enemy state.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://pib.gov.in/newsite/printrelease.aspx?relid=172053|title=Sardar Patel – Man who United India|first=Aaditya|last=Tiwari|website=pib.gov.in}}</ref>  

The accession process was largely peaceful, except in the cases of [[Jammu and Kashmir (princely state)|Jammu and Kashmir]] (whose ruler decided to accede to India following an [[First Kashmir War|invasion]] by Pakistan-based forces, resulting in a long-standing [[Kashmir dispute|dispute]] between the two countries),<ref>{{cite book|last=Bajwa|first=Kuldip Singh|title=Jammu and Kashmir War, 1947–1948: Political and Military Perspectiv|year=2003|publisher=Hari-Anand Publications Limited|location=New Delhi|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7bREjE5yXNMC&q=dogra+1948+tribal+pakistan+invasion&pg=PA21|isbn=9788124109236}}</ref> [[Hyderabad State]] (whose ruler opted for independence in 1947, followed a year later by [[Operation Polo|the invasion and annexation]] of the state by India), [[Junagarh (state)|Junagarh]] and its vassal [[Bantva Manavadar]] (whose rulers acceded to Pakistan, but were [[Annexation of Junagadh|annexed]] by India),<ref name="Pande2011">{{cite book|author=Aparna Pande|title=Explaining Pakistan's Foreign Policy: Escaping India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HPWrAgAAQBAJ&pg=PT31|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-1-136-81893-6|pages=31–}}</ref> and [[Khanate of Kalat|Kalat]] (whose ruler declared independence in 1947, followed in 1948 by the state's accession to Pakistan).<ref>{{citation |last=Jalal |first=Ayesha |author-link=Ayesha Jalal |title=The Struggle for Pakistan: A Muslim Homeland and Global Politics |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=87VnBAAAQBAJ |year=2014 |publisher=Harvard University Press |isbn=978-0-674-74499-8 |ref={{sfnref|Jalal, Struggle for Pakistan|2014}} |page=72}}: "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."</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Samad |first1=Yunas |author-link=Yunas Samad |title=Understanding the insurgency in Balochistan |journal=Commonwealth & Comparative Politics |volume=52 |issue=2 |year=2014 |pages=293–320 |doi=10.1080/14662043.2014.894280 |s2cid=144156399 |ref={{sfnref|Samad, Understanding the insurgency in Balochistan|2014}}}}: "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."</ref><ref>{{citation |last=Harrison |first=Selig S. |author-link=Selig S. Harrison |title=In Afghanistan's Shadow: Baluch Nationalism and Soviet Temptations |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LLnCAAAAIAAJ |year=1981 |publisher=Carnegie Endowment for International Peace |isbn=978-0-87003-029-1 |ref={{sfnref|Selig Harrison, In Afghanistan's Shadow|1981}} |page=24}}: "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."</ref>

* 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}}

At the time of Indian independence, only five rulers – the [[Nizam]] of [[Hyderabad State|Hyderabad]], the Maharaja of [[Kingdom of Mysore|Mysore]], the Maharaja of [[Kashmir and Jammu (princely state)|Jammu and Kashmir state]], the Maharaja [[Gaekwad]] of [[Baroda State|Baroda]] and the Maharaja [[Scindia]] of [[Gwalior State|Gwalior]] – were entitled to a 21-gun salute. Six more{{citation needed}} – the Nawab of [[Bhopal State|Bhopal]], the [[Holkar|Maharaja Holkar]] of [[Indore State|Indore]], the Maharaja of [[Bharatpur State|Bharatpur]]{{citation needed}}, the Maharana of [[Udaipur State|Udaipur]], the Maharaja of [[Kolhapur State|Kolhapur]], the [[Maharaja]] of [[Patiala State|Patiala]]{{citation needed}} and the Maharaja of [[Travancore]] – were entitled to 19-gun salutes. The most senior princely ruler was the [[Nizam of Hyderabad]], who was entitled to the unique style ''[[Exalted Highness]]'' and [[21-gun salute]].<ref>{{cite web |title=King of all rewinds |url=https://www.theweek.in/theweek/cover/king-of-all-rewinds.html}}</ref> 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.

A number of princes, in the broadest sense of the term, were not even acknowledged as such.{{example needed|?}} On the other hand, the dynasties of certain defunct states were allowed to keep their princely status – they were known as [[political pensioner]]s, such as the Nawab of [[Oudh]]. There were also certain estates of British India which were rendered as [[political saranjam]]s, having equal princely status.<ref name="Patel1957">{{cite book|author=Govindlal Dalsukhbhai Patel|title=The land problem of reorganized Bombay state|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XvQCAAAAMAAJ|access-date=9 June 2012|year=1957|publisher=N. M. Tripathi}}</ref> Though none of these princes were awarded gun salutes, princely titles in this category were recognised as a form of [[vassal state|vassals]] of salute states, and were not even in direct relation with the paramount power.

During the period of the [[British Raj]], there were four princely states in Balochistan: [[Makran (princely state)|Makran]], [[Kharan (princely state)|Kharan]], [[Las Bela (princely state)|Las Bela]] and [[Kalat (princely state)|Kalat]]. The first three acceded to Pakistan.<ref name="CheemaRiemer1990">{{cite book|author1=Pervaiz I Cheema|author2=Manuel Riemer|title=Pakistan's Defence Policy 1947–58|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CX6xCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA60|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan UK|isbn=978-1-349-20942-2|pages=60–}}</ref><ref name="Siddiqi2012">{{cite book|author=Farhan Hanif Siddiqi|title=The Politics of Ethnicity in Pakistan: The Baloch, Sindhi and Mohajir Ethnic Movements|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tDb6i9x1FKgC&pg=PA71|year=2012|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-0-415-68614-3|pages=71–}}</ref><ref name="Paul2014">{{cite book|author=T.V. Paul|title=The Warrior State: Pakistan in the Contemporary World|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IYBeAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA133|publisher=OUP USA|isbn=978-0-19-932223-7|pages=133–}}</ref><ref name="LongSingh2015">{{citation |last=Bangash |first=Y. K. |chapter=Constructing the state: Constitutional integration of the princely states of Pakistan |editor1=Roger D. Long |editor2=Gurharpal Singh |editor3=Yunas Samad |editor4=Ian Talbot |title=State and Nation-Building in Pakistan: Beyond Islam and Security |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nzivCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA81 |year=2015 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-317-44820-4 |pages=82–}}</ref> However, the ruler of the fourth princely state, the [[Khan of Kalat]] [[Ahmad Yar Khan]], declared Kalat's independence as this was one of the options given to all princely states.<ref name="Schmidle2010">{{cite book|author=Nicholas Schmidle|title=To Live or to Perish Forever: Two Tumultuous Years in Pakistan|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LayUUE4KNtwC&pg=PA86|publisher=Henry Holt and Company|isbn=978-1-4299-8590-1|pages=86–}}</ref> The state remained independent until it was acceded on 27 March 1948. The signing of the Instrument of Accession by Ahmad Yar Khan, led his brother, [[Prince Abdul Karim]], to revolt against his brother's decision in July 1948, causing an [[Balochistan conflict|ongoing and still unresolved insurgency]].<ref name="Hasnat2011">{{cite book|author=Syed Farooq Hasnat|title=Global Security Watch—Pakistan|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KiELa2EoA04C&pg=PA94|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-0-313-34698-9|pages=94–}}</ref>

[[Bahawalpur (princely state)|Bahawalpur]] from the Punjab Agency joined Pakistan on 5 October 1947. The princely states of the [[North-West Frontier States Agency|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}}