Princely states
Topic: Framing the Indian Constitution · NCERT: Class 8, Ch 4 "The Colonial Era in India"; Class 12, Ch 4 "Framing the Constitution"
Meaning
Princely states were areas ruled by Indian kings such as nawabs and maharajas, not directly by the British. There were more than 550 of them, and together they covered about one-third of the subcontinent. Their rulers accepted the British Crown as the top power. This was called paramountcy. Apart from that, they were free to rule, or misrule, as they liked. When the British left, the status of these states was unclear. Some rulers dreamed of becoming independent. Sardar Patel and V.P. Menon brought most of them into India.
Example
In 1947, Hyderabad under the Nizam tried to stay apart from India. It was brought into India in 1948. Most other states signed the Instrument of Accession, a legal paper by which a ruler joined India.
Don't confuse with
- British provinces: Britain ruled these directly, for example Bombay and Madras. Their legislatures chose members of the Constituent Assembly after the 1945-46 elections.
Related concepts
- Clement Attlee
- Pethick-Lawrence
- Interim Government 1946
- Liaquat Ali Khan
- Indian Independence Act 1947
- Tryst with Destiny