Princely states
Also called: Indian states · Topic: Challenges of Nation Building: Partition, Princely States and Reorganisation · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 1 "Challenges of Nation Building"
Meaning
Princely states were about 565 states ruled by princes, such as maharajas and nawabs. The princes controlled their states' internal affairs but accepted the British Crown's supremacy, called paramountcy. These states covered one-third of the land, and one in four Indians lived under princely rule. When paramountcy ended in 1947, joining them to India became one of the biggest challenges of nation building.
Example
The task was huge. Today's Odisha alone had 26 small states. Saurashtra had 14 big states, 119 small ones and some other administrations. By 15 August 1947, almost every state bordering India had acceded (joined). The difficult cases were Junagadh, Hyderabad, Kashmir and Manipur. Former rulers received privy purses, which were yearly allowances. The 26th Amendment, 1971 abolished them.
Don't confuse with
- Provinces of British India: these were ruled directly by the British. Princely states had their own rulers under British supremacy.