Integration of Princely States

Key Pointers

Problem: About 562 princely states covering around 40% of the territory; with lapse of paramountcy (15 Aug 1947) they were technically free to accede to India or Pakistan.
Key figures: Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (Minister of the States Department) and V.P. Menon (Secretary), supported by Mountbatten.
Method: Instrument of Accession (surrendering Defence, External Affairs and Communications) and Standstill Agreements; persuasion and, if needed, force; privy purses guaranteed (abolished by the 26th Amendment, 1971).
By 15 August 1947: Almost all states had joined India, except Junagadh, Hyderabad and Kashmir (and initially Bhopal).
Junagadh: Muslim Nawab acceded to Pakistan (Sept 1947), but the population was largely Hindu; India intervened and a plebiscite (February 1948) favoured India.
Hyderabad: The Nizam, Mir Osman Ali Khan, wanted independence; the Razakars (Qasim Razvi) terrorised the population; a standstill agreement (Nov 1947) failed; Operation Polo (Police Action), 13–18 September 1948, led to the Nizam's surrender.
Jammu & Kashmir: Maharaja Hari Singh hesitated; a tribal invasion supported by Pakistan (October 1947) led him to sign the Instrument of Accession on 26 October 1947; Indian troops airlifted; the issue went to the UN (Jan 1948); ceasefire 1 January 1949; Article 370.
Other: Manipur (merged Oct 1949); Travancore and Bhopal initially resisted; Tripura (1949); Kutch (Centre-administered).
Consolidation: Smaller states merged with neighbouring provinces (e.g., Orissa, Chhattisgarh states); formation of unions (Kathiawar/Saurashtra, Matsya, PEPSU, Rajasthan, Madhya Bharat, Travancore–Cochin); Part B and Part C states under the Constitution (1950).
Later integration: States Reorganisation Commission (1953; Fazl Ali, K.M. Panikkar, H.N. Kunzru) and States Reorganisation Act (1956); Pondicherry (de facto 1954, de jure 1962); Goa, Daman & Diu (Operation Vijay, December 1961); Sikkim (1975, 36th Amendment).
Patel is called the 'Iron Man of India'; the Statue of Unity commemorates his role.

MCQs

Q1. The Nizam of Hyderabad surrendered after the military operation named: (a) Operation Polo (b) Operation Vijay (c) Operation Blue Star (d) Operation Trident Answer: (a). September 1948.

Q2. Jammu and Kashmir acceded to India on: (a) 15 August 1947 (b) 26 October 1947 (c) 1 January 1949 (d) 26 January 1950 Answer: (b).

Q3. The privy purses of former princely rulers were abolished by the: (a) 1st Amendment (b) 26th Amendment (c) 42nd Amendment (d) 44th Amendment Answer: (b). Passed in 1971.