Q.2. Write an essay on the accession of the Indian Princely States.
The Accession of Indian Princely States
The Indian states, numbering 562, comprised roughly a third of India’s territory and a quarter of the population. They were outside the administrative set-up of British India and were ruled by Indian princes who had accepted the United Kingdom as a paramount power. Most of them were small and exercised limited powers of jurisdictions, but there were 140 fully empowered states. The largest, such as Hyderabad, Meysore and Kashmir, were in extent of territory and population, comparable with british Indian provinces. At the time of India independence, these princely states were given the option to accede either to India or to Pakistan or to remain independent. All the states amicably acceded either to India or Pakistan. However, the future of three princely states (Hyderabad, Junagadh and Kashmir) remained undecided and created conflict between India and Pakistan.
(a) The Recalcitrance of Hyderabad
Hyderabad was the most important state of India. It had an area of 82,000 square miles, and a population of 16,000,000. Its annual revenue were Rs. 260 million, and it had its own currency and stamps. The majority of its people were Hindus, but its ruler, the Nizam was a Muslim. By virtue of its size, resources, importance and prestige. Hyderabad felt entitled to the status of an independent sovereign state. On the announcement of the June 3 plan the Nizam declared that he would not accede to India or Pakistan. He hoped to secure Dominion Status for his state, and sent a delegation to the Viceroy on July 11, 1947. Mountbatten told the delegation that the British Government would not agree to Dominion Status for Hyderabad. Instead, he pressed Hyderabad to accede to India. This, however was not acceptable to the Nizam. When the delegation hinted that if India pressed the Nizam too hard he might consider joining Pakistan Mountbatten replied. There was no doubt that Nizam was legally entitled to do so, but the mechanical difficulty presented by the facts of geography was very real. Without implying any king of threat, he foresaw disastrous results to the State in five or ten years if his advice were not taken. Lord Mountbatten left India on June 21, 1948, without having achieved his ambition of securing Hyderabad’s accession. The pressure against Hyderabad increased in intensity. An economic blockade was imposed. Military preparation was begun. Nehru was reported to have said,
“When we consider it necessary we will state military operations against Hyderabad”.
On August 24, 1948, Hyderabad filed a complaint before the Security Council of the UN. But before the Security Council could arrange a hearing, India forced a military decision on Hyderabad. After a brief resistance, the Hyderabad army surrendered on September 17, 1948.
(b) The Junagadh Affair
Junagadh was a small maritime state, 300 miles down the coast from Karachi. It had an area of 3,337 square miles, and a population of about 7,00,000. The majority of its population was Hindu and the ruler was a Muslim. On September 15, 1947, this State acceded to Pakistan. “Nothing was wrong in the Accession”, as Sir Francis Observed; but India refused to acknowledge it and claimed the state by inheritance. A few weeks later India laid violent hands on this State
“To force it to accede to India. Its warship lay off the coast under the pretext of combined operations exercises, its troops stood on the border of the State”.
On November 7, 1947 an Azad Fauj, or liberation army, of 20,000 men with armored cars and other modem weapons entered Junagadh. The Azad Fauj consisted largely of trained military personnel organized and equipped by order of the Government of India. Two days later control over the entire state was assumed by India. Pakistan at that time was in no position to defend Junagadh. Her armed forces were in the process of organization. The array was faced with innumerable problems arising, from refugee movements. There was only the nucleus of a navy and an air force. A complaint lodged by Pakistan with the Security Council of the UN is still pending.
(c) Conflict in Kashmir
Kashmir or to give its full name, the state of Jammu and Kashmir, is the northernmost part of the Indo-Pakistan sub continent. Its area of 84,471 square miles was the biggest of any state in India. Its International boundaries with Tibet, China, Afghanistan and but for a small intervening strip with Russia gave it great strategic importance. The total population of the state according to the 1941 census was about 40,00,000 of whom 77 percent were Muslims. The Muslim were in a majority in every province of the state; there was a 93 percent Muslim population in the Kashmir province, 61 percent in Jammu province, and almost 100 percent in the northern region of Gilgit. The people of Kashmir wanted to accede to Pakistan but the ruler of Kashmir was Maharaja Sir Hari Singh of Dogra Hindu dynasty. He wanted to align with India. Thus on the eve of partition, there occured in Kashmir a clash of interests between Hindu ruler and the democratic aspirations of 77 percent of his devout Muslim subjects. The Maharaja Hari Singh miserably failed to suppress the mass upsurge and ultimately approached the Indian Government for help. The Indian Government lost no time in complying with their own heart’s desire, the Indian forces entered in Kashmir. The Maharaja signed an instrument of accession to India on 26 October, 1947, in which action Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah head of the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference who subsequently became de facto Prime Minister, collaborated with the Maharaja. This created a dispute between India and Pakistan a
“Muslim population was fighting for the State accession to Pakistan. Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Zafarullah Khan summed up the position as follows in 1948″.
Pakistan would have been justified in sending her troops in October last, but she had not done so in the hope that an amicable settlement would be arrived at.
India took the Kashmir issue to the United Nations in January 1948. The Security Council, after hearing both India and Pakistan’s complaints, unanimously decided that the future of Kashmir should be settled according to the wishes of its people. A plebiscite was to be held under the supervision of the UN. India later on went back its promise and refused to hold a plebiscite. Pakistan has repeatedly supported the UN Resolution. Nothing however, has come of it so far due to the uncompromising attitude of India.
The Indian states, numbering 562, comprised roughly a third of India’s territory and a quarter of the population. They were outside the administrative set-up of British India and were ruled by Indian princes who had accepted the United Kingdom as a paramount power. Most of them were small and exercised limited powers of jurisdictions, but there were 140 fully empowered states. The largest, such as Hyderabad, Meysore and Kashmir, were in extent of territory and population, comparable with british Indian provinces. At the time of India independence, these princely states were given the option to accede either to India or to Pakistan or to remain independent. All the states amicably acceded either to India or Pakistan. However, the future of three princely states (Hyderabad, Junagadh and Kashmir) remained undecided and created conflict between India and Pakistan.
(a) The Recalcitrance of Hyderabad
Hyderabad was the most important state of India. It had an area of 82,000 square miles, and a population of 16,000,000. Its annual revenue were Rs. 260 million, and it had its own currency and stamps. The majority of its people were Hindus, but its ruler, the Nizam was a Muslim. By virtue of its size, resources, importance and prestige. Hyderabad felt entitled to the status of an independent sovereign state. On the announcement of the June 3 plan the Nizam declared that he would not accede to India or Pakistan. He hoped to secure Dominion Status for his state, and sent a delegation to the Viceroy on July 11, 1947. Mountbatten told the delegation that the British Government would not agree to Dominion Status for Hyderabad. Instead, he pressed Hyderabad to accede to India. This, however was not acceptable to the Nizam. When the delegation hinted that if India pressed the Nizam too hard he might consider joining Pakistan Mountbatten replied. There was no doubt that Nizam was legally entitled to do so, but the mechanical difficulty presented by the facts of geography was very real. Without implying any king of threat, he foresaw disastrous results to the State in five or ten years if his advice were not taken. Lord Mountbatten left India on June 21, 1948, without having achieved his ambition of securing Hyderabad’s accession. The pressure against Hyderabad increased in intensity. An economic blockade was imposed. Military preparation was begun. Nehru was reported to have said,
“When we consider it necessary we will state military operations against Hyderabad”.
On August 24, 1948, Hyderabad filed a complaint before the Security Council of the UN. But before the Security Council could arrange a hearing, India forced a military decision on Hyderabad. After a brief resistance, the Hyderabad army surrendered on September 17, 1948.
(b) The Junagadh Affair
Junagadh was a small maritime state, 300 miles down the coast from Karachi. It had an area of 3,337 square miles, and a population of about 7,00,000. The majority of its population was Hindu and the ruler was a Muslim. On September 15, 1947, this State acceded to Pakistan. “Nothing was wrong in the Accession”, as Sir Francis Observed; but India refused to acknowledge it and claimed the state by inheritance. A few weeks later India laid violent hands on this State
“To force it to accede to India. Its warship lay off the coast under the pretext of combined operations exercises, its troops stood on the border of the State”.
On November 7, 1947 an Azad Fauj, or liberation army, of 20,000 men with armored cars and other modem weapons entered Junagadh. The Azad Fauj consisted largely of trained military personnel organized and equipped by order of the Government of India. Two days later control over the entire state was assumed by India. Pakistan at that time was in no position to defend Junagadh. Her armed forces were in the process of organization. The array was faced with innumerable problems arising, from refugee movements. There was only the nucleus of a navy and an air force. A complaint lodged by Pakistan with the Security Council of the UN is still pending.
(c) Conflict in Kashmir
Kashmir or to give its full name, the state of Jammu and Kashmir, is the northernmost part of the Indo-Pakistan sub continent. Its area of 84,471 square miles was the biggest of any state in India. Its International boundaries with Tibet, China, Afghanistan and but for a small intervening strip with Russia gave it great strategic importance. The total population of the state according to the 1941 census was about 40,00,000 of whom 77 percent were Muslims. The Muslim were in a majority in every province of the state; there was a 93 percent Muslim population in the Kashmir province, 61 percent in Jammu province, and almost 100 percent in the northern region of Gilgit. The people of Kashmir wanted to accede to Pakistan but the ruler of Kashmir was Maharaja Sir Hari Singh of Dogra Hindu dynasty. He wanted to align with India. Thus on the eve of partition, there occured in Kashmir a clash of interests between Hindu ruler and the democratic aspirations of 77 percent of his devout Muslim subjects. The Maharaja Hari Singh miserably failed to suppress the mass upsurge and ultimately approached the Indian Government for help. The Indian Government lost no time in complying with their own heart’s desire, the Indian forces entered in Kashmir. The Maharaja signed an instrument of accession to India on 26 October, 1947, in which action Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah head of the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference who subsequently became de facto Prime Minister, collaborated with the Maharaja. This created a dispute between India and Pakistan a
“Muslim population was fighting for the State accession to Pakistan. Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Zafarullah Khan summed up the position as follows in 1948″.
Pakistan would have been justified in sending her troops in October last, but she had not done so in the hope that an amicable settlement would be arrived at.
India took the Kashmir issue to the United Nations in January 1948. The Security Council, after hearing both India and Pakistan’s complaints, unanimously decided that the future of Kashmir should be settled according to the wishes of its people. A plebiscite was to be held under the supervision of the UN. India later on went back its promise and refused to hold a plebiscite. Pakistan has repeatedly supported the UN Resolution. Nothing however, has come of it so far due to the uncompromising attitude of India.
No comments:
Post a Comment