Princely state

Quick Facts: Who was Princely state?

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Princely state

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Nominally sovereign entities under the British Raj, governed by indigenous rulers.

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Origins & Early Life

A princely state (also called native state) was a nominally sovereign entity of the British Indian Empire that was not directly governed by the British Indian government, but rather by an indigenous ruler under a form of indirect rule, subject to a subsidiary alliance and the suzerainty or paramountcy of the British Crown. The rulers of the princely states were very largely allowed to govern their own territories, but were not allowed relations with states outside the Indian Empire, and were not allowed to fight wars against other princely states. British pressure on the rulers to modernize their domains increased over the period. In 1920, the Indian National Congress party under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi declared swaraj (self-rule) for Indians as its goal and asked the princes of India to establish responsible government. Jawaharlal Nehru played a major role in pushing Congress to confront the princely states and declared in 1929 that "the only people who have the right to determine the future of the Princely States must be the people of these States".

Career & Major Achievements

In the 1937 Indian provincial elections, the Congress won in most parts of India, excluding the princely states, where there were no elections, as they were not provinces; it started to seek to intervene in the affairs of the states. In the same year, Gandhi played a major role in proposing a federation involving a union between British India and the princely states, with an Indian central government. In 1946, Nehru observed that no princely state could prevail militarily against the army of independent India. At the time of the British withdrawal, 565 princely states were officially recognized in the Indian Subcontinent, apart from thousands of zamindari estates and jagirs. In 1947, princely states covered 40% of the area of pre-independence India and constituted 23% of its population.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The most important princely states had their own Indian political residencies, quasi-diplomatic missions of the British Raj: Hyderabad State, Mysore, Pudukkottai and Travancore in the South, Jammu and Kashmir and Gwalior in North and Indore in Central India. The most prominent of them – 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.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1920: 1920 Milestone — In 1920, the Indian National Congress party under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi declared swaraj (self-rule) for Indians as its goal and asked the princes of India to establish responsible government.
2. 1929: 1929 Milestone — Jawaharlal Nehru played a major role in pushing Congress to confront the princely states and declared in 1929 that "the only people who have the right to determine the future of the Princely States must be the people of these States".
3. 1937: 1937 Milestone — In the 1937 Indian provincial elections, the Congress won in most parts of India, excluding the princely states, where there were no elections, as they were not provinces; it started to seek to intervene in the affairs of the states.
4. 1941: 1941 Milestone — In 1941, Hyderabad had a population of over 16 million, while Jammu and Kashmir had a population of slightly over 4 million.
5. 1946: 1946 Milestone — In 1946, Nehru observed that no princely state could prevail militarily against the army of independent India.
6. 1947: 1947 Milestone — In 1947, princely states covered 40% of the area of pre-independence India and constituted 23% of its population.

Notable Quotes by Princely state

“the only people who have the right to determine the future of the Princely States must be the people of these States” (1929)

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Princely state

True or False: “The British initially viewed princely rulers as politically untrustworthy and resistant to development.”

Answer (TRUE ⭕): While the East India Company often regarded them unfavorably, the later British Raj administration sometimes viewed them more favorably as a force for stability.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Princely state