Before the Partition of India in 1947, about 584 princely states, also called "native states", existed in India.[1] These were not part of British India, the parts of the Indian subcontinent which were under direct British administration, but rather under indirect rule, subject to subsidiary alliances.
Things moved quickly after the partition of British India in 1947. By the end of 1949, all of the states had chosen to accede to one of the newly independent states of India or Pakistan or else had been conquered and annexed.
See main article: Princely state. In principle, the princely states had internal autonomy, while by treaty the British Crown had suzerainty and was responsible for the states' external affairs. In practice, while the states were indeed ruled by potentates with a variety of titles, such as Maharaja, Raja, Nizam, Raje, Rai, Deshmukh, Nawab, Mirza, Baig, Chhatrapati, Khan, Thakur Sahab, Darbar saheb or specially Jam for Jadeja/Samma, the British still had considerable influence.
By the time of the departure of the British in 1947, only four of the largest of the states still had their own British Resident, a diplomatic title for advisors present in the states' capitals, while most of the others were grouped together into Agencies, such as the Central India Agency, the Deccan States Agency, and the Rajputana Agency.
From 1920, the states were represented in the Chamber of Princes, which held its meetings in New Delhi.
The most important states were ranked as salute states, whose rulers were entitled to a given number of salute guns.
By the Indian Independence Act 1947, the British gave up their suzerainty of the states and left each of them free to choose whether to join one of the newly independent countries of India and Pakistan or to remain outside them. For a short time, some of the rulers explored the possibility of a federation of the states separate from either, but this came to nothing. Most of the states then decided to accede to India or to Pakistan, such as Junagadh (1947–1948), Bilaspur on 12 October 1948, and Bhopal on 1 May 1949. Travancore also chose to remain an independent country.
Hyderabad State was the largest which chose to remain independent. In Operation Polo, in September 1948, it was invaded and annexed by India.
In Jammu and Kashmir, a state with a Muslim majority but a Hindu ruler, the Maharaja hoped to remain independent but acceded to India on 27 October 1947 at the outset of the invasion of Jammu and Kashmir by Pakistan — leading to the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947.
On 31 March 1948, Kalat acceded to Pakistan, although the brother of the Khan led a rebellion against this decision.
| Map | Name of state | British Resident | Now part of | Last or present ruler | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| width=160px | Hyderabad | width=160px | Individual residency | Telangana, Maharashtra and Karnataka, India | Mir Osman Ali Khan | |
| Jammu and Kashmir | Individual residency | Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, India; Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan; Aksai Chin and Trans-Karakoram Tract, China | Hari Singh | |||
| Mysore | Individual residency | Karnataka, India | Shri Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar | |||
| Travancore | Individual residency (individual residency status under Madras Presidency) | Kerala and 5 taluks (Kanyakumari district) of Tamil Nadu, India | Shri Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma | |||
Princely States of the Baluchistan Agency.
| Map | Name of state | British Resident or Agent | Now part of | Last or present ruler |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kalat | Princely State | Balochistan, Pakistan | Beglar Begi Mir Agha Suleiman Jan, Khan of Kalat | |
| Kharan | Princely State | Habibullah Khan | ||
| Las Bela | Princely State | Mir Muhammad Yusuf Khan, The Amir and Jam of Las Bela | ||
| Makran | Princely State | Bai Khan Baloch Gikchi |
Princely States of Deccan States Agency and Kolhapur Residency (Maratha).
| Name of state | British Resident or Agent | Now part of | Last or present ruler | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Akalkot | Princely State | Maharashtra, India | Shrimant Malojiraje Bhosle | |
| Aundh | Princely State | Maharashtra, India | Meherban Shrimant Bhawanrao Shriniwasrao Pant Pratinidhi | |
| Bhor | Princely State | Maharashtra, India | Raja Shrimant Sir Raghunathrao Shankarrao Pandit Pant Sachiv, Raja of Bhor | |
| Jamkhandi | Princely State | Karnataka, India | Raja Saheb Shrimant Raja Pranay Rao Parshuram Rao Patwardhan | |
| Janjira | Princely State | Maharashtra, India | Nawab Sidi Muhammed Khan II Sidi Ahmad Khan, Nawab of Janjira | |
| Jath | Princely State | Maharashtra, India | Lt. Shrimant Raja Vijaysinghrao Ramrao Babasaheb Dafle | |
| Kolhapur | Princely State | Maharashtra, India | Rajadhiraj Chhatrapati Shahu II Bhosle | |
| Ichalkaranji | Princely State | Maharashtra, India | Shrimant Govindrao (Abasaheb) Ghorpade | |
| Kurundvad Senior | Princely State | Maharashtra, India | Raja Shrimant Bhalchandrarao Chintamanrao Patwardhan, Raja of Kurundwad Sr. | |
| Kurundvad Junior | Princely State | Maharashtra, India | Raja Shrimant Hariharrao Raghunathrao [Bapusaheb] Patwardhan, Raja of Kurundwad Jr. | |
| Miraj Junior | Princely State | Maharashtra, India | Raja Meherban Shrimant Sir Madhavrao Hariharrao Patwardhan | |
| Miraj Senior | Princely State | Maharashtra, India | Narayan Rao Jatya Sahib Patwardhan | |
| Mudhol | Princely State | Karnataka, India | Shrimant Raja Bhairavsinhrao Malojirao Ghorpade II | |
| Phaltan | Princely State | Maharashtra, India | Shrimant Ramraje Prataosinha Naik-Nimbalkar, | |
| Sangli | Princely State | Maharashtra, India | Capt. Shrimant Raja Saheb Sir Chintamanrao II Dhundirajrao Appasaheb Patwardhan | |
| Savanur | Princely State | Karnataka, India | Nawab of Savanur, Abdul Majid Khan II | |
| Sawantvadi | Princely State | Maharashtra, India | Raja Khem Sawant-Bhosle Bahadur |
Princely States of the Gwalior Residency.
| Name of state | British Resident or Agent | Now part of | Last or present ruler | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gwalior | Princely State | Madhya Pradesh, India | Shrimant Jyotirditya Scindia | |
| Garha | Princely State | Madhya Pradesh, India | ||
| Khaniyadhana | Princely State | Madhya Pradesh, India | ||
| Ramgadi | Princely State | Uttar Pradesh, India | Diwan Mahadev Mishra | |
| Rajgarh State | Princely State | Madhya Pradesh, India | Maharani Shushila Sinha Rudrani | |
| Rampur | Princely State | Uttar Pradesh, India | Raza Ali Khan of Rampur |
Princely States of the Madras Presidency.
| Name of state | British Resident or Agent | Now part of | Last or present ruler | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Banganapalle | Princely State | Andhra Pradesh, India | Nawab Sayyid Fazl-i-'Ali Khan IV Bahadur, Nawab of Banganapalle | |
| Cochin | Princely State | Kerala, India | Rama Varma Pareekshit Thampuran, Maharaja of Cochin | |
| Pudukkottai | Princely State | Tamil Nadu, India | Rajagopala Tondaiman, Maharaja of Pudukkottai | |
| Sandur | Princely State | Karnataka, India | Yeshwantrao Ghorpade |
Princely States of the North-West Frontier States Agency (all in present Pakistan).Agencies included the Dir Swat and Chitral Agency and the Deputy Commissioner of Hazara acting as the Political Agent for Amb and Phulra.
| Map | Name of state | British Resident or Agent | Now part of | Last or present ruler |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amb | Princely State | Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan | Nawab Muhammad Saeed Khan Tanoli | |
| Chitral | Princely State | Mehtar Saif-ul-Mulk Nasir | ||
| Dir | Princely State | Muhammad Shah Khosru Khan | ||
| Phulra | Princely State | Khan Ata Muhammed Khan | ||
| Swat | Princely State | Miangul Abdul-Haqq Jahanzib |
The States of Hunza and Nagar and many feudal Jagirs (Puniyal, Shigar, etc.) in the Gilgit Agency were tributary to the Maharaja of Jammu & Kashmir.
| Name of state | British Resident or Agent | Now part of | Last or present ruler |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hunza | Gilgit Agency | Gilgit–Baltistan, Pakistan | Mohammad Jamal Khan |
| Nagar | Gilgit Agency | Showkat Ali Khan |
States of the Punjab States Agency (Punjab).
| Name of state | British Resident or Agent | Now part of | Last or present ruler | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bahawalpur | Princely State | Punjab, Pakistan | Nawab Sadeq Mohammad Khan V | |
| Bilaspur | Princely State | Himachal Pradesh, India | Raja Kirti Chand, Raja of Bilaspur | |
| Faridkot | Princely State | Punjab, India | Colonel Farzand-i-Saadat-i-Nishan-i-Hazrat-i-Kaiser-i-Hind Maharaja Sir Harinder Singh Brar Bans Sahib Bahadur, Maharaja of Faridkot | |
| Jind | Princely State | Punjab and Haryana, India | Maharaja Satbir Singh ["Prince Sunny"], Maharaja of Jind | |
| Kalsia | Princely State | Haryana, India | Raja Himmat Sher Singh Sahib Bahadur | |
| Kangra | Princely State | Himachal Pradesh, India | Raja Aditya Dev Chand Katoch (annexed to British India in 1846 by the Treaty of Lahore) | |
| Kapurthala | Princely State | Punjab, India | Brig. Maharaja Sri Sukhjit Singh Sahib Bahadur, Maharaja of Kapurthala | |
| Kumharsain | Princely State | Himachal Pradesh, India | Rana Surendra Singh | |
| Loharu State | Princely State | Haryana, India | Nawab Mirza Alauddin Ahmad Khan II (alias Parvez Mirza), Nawab of Loharu | |
| Malerkotla | Princely State | Punjab, India | Nawab Muhammad Iftikhar 'Ali Khan Bahadur (last nawab) | |
| Mandi | Princely State | Himachal Pradesh, India | Maj. Raja Sir JOGINDER SEN Bahadur | |
| Nabha | Princely State | Punjab, India | Sir Pratap Singh Sir Hira Singh | |
| Patiala | Princely State | Punjab, India | Maharajadhiraj Sir Yadavindra Singh Mahendra Bahadur | |
| Rajgarh | Princely State | Himachal Pradesh, India | Maharani Sushila Sinha | |
| Sirmur | Princely State | Himachal Pradesh, India | Lt. Maharaja Rajendra Prakash Bahadur | |
| Suket/ Sundernagar | Princely State | Himachal Pradesh, India | Raja Hari Sen Bahadur of Suket | |
| Siba | Princely State | Himachal Pradesh, India | Raja Dr. Ashok K. Thakur, Raja of Siba & Tantpalan | |
| Tharoch | Princely State | Himachal Pradesh, India | Rana Rakesh Singh | |
| Tehri Garhwal | Princely State (Zamindari) | Uttarakhand, India | Maharaja Manabendra Shah Sahib Bahadur |
States of the Rajputana Agency.
| Name of state | British Resident or Agent | Now part of | Last or present ruler |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alwar | Princely State | Rajasthan, India | Raj Rishi Shri Sawai Maharaja Jitendra Pratap Singhji Veerendra Shiromani Dev Bharat Prabhakar Bahadur Jitendra Singh, Maharaja of Alwar. |
| Banswara | Princely State | Rai Rayan Mahimahendra Maharajadhiraj Maharawalji Sahib Shri Jagmalji II Sahib Bahadur, Naresh Rajya, Maharawal of Banswara. | |
| Bharatpur | Princely State | Shri Maharaja Shri Brajendra Sawai Vishvendra Singh Bahadur Jang | |
| Bikaner | Princely State | Sri Raj Rajeshwar Maharajadhiraj Narendra Sawai Maharaja Shiromani Ravi Raj Singhji Bahadur, Maharaja of Bikaner and Head of the Royal House of Bikaner. | |
| Bundi | Princely State | Col. Maharao Raja Shri Bahadur Singhji Bahadur | |
| Dholpur | Princely State | MaharajadhirajaShri Sawai Maharaj Rana Shri HemantSingh, Lokendra Bahadur, Diler Jang JaiDeo, Maharaj Rana of Dholpur | |
| Dungarpur | Princely State | Rai-i-Rayan, Mahimahendra, Maharajadhiraj Maharawal Shri Mahipal Singhji II Sahib Bahadur, Maharawal of Dungarpur. | |
| Jaipur | Princely State | HH Saramad-i-Rajahai Hindustan Raj Rajendra Shri Maharajadhiraj Sir Sawai Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II | |
| Jaisalmer | Princely State | Maharajadhiraj Maharawal Sir Jawahir Singh Bahadur | |
| Jhalawar | Princely State | Maharajadhiraj Maharaj Rana Shri Chandrajit Singh Dev Bahadur, Maharaj Rana of Jhalawar. | |
| Jodhpur | Princely State | Raj Rajeshwar Saramad-i-Rajha-i-Hindustan Maharajadhiraja Maharaja Shri Gaj Singhji II Sahib Bahadur, Maharaja of Jodhpur. | |
| Karauli | Princely State | Maharaja Shri Ganesh Pal Deo Bahadur Yadakul Chandra Bhal | |
| Kishangarh | Princely State | Umdae Rajhae Buland Makan Maharajadhiraja Maharaja Sumer Singhji Bahadur | |
| Kotah | Princely State | Maharao Shri Bhim Singh II Bahadur | |
| Kushalgarh | Princely State | Rao Harendra Singh | |
| Sardargarh (formerly Lawa), thikana in Udaipur | Princely State | ||
| Mewar | Princely State | Maharana Sir Bhupal Singh | |
| Patan, Rajasthan | Princely State | Rao Bir Bikram Singh | |
| Pratabgarh | Princely State | Raja Ajit Pratap Singh | |
| Shekhawati | Princely State | Shri Maharao Sheoraj Singh | |
| Shahpura | Princely State | Rajadhiraj Sudershan Singh | |
| Sirohi | Princely State | Maharao Raghubir Singh | |
| Tonk | Princely State | Nawab Muhammad Faruq Ali Khan |
| British Resident or Agent | Now part of | Last or present ruler | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dhrol State | Princely State | Thakor Saheb Shri Shri Chandrasinhji Jadeja | |
| Nawanagar State | Princely State | Jam saheb shri Shatrushaylsinhji Digvijaysinhji Jadeja | |
| Makaji Meghpar | Jagir | Hardhrol Bhayats | |
| Rajkot State | Princely state | Thakor saheb Shri Pradhyumansinhji Jadeja | |
| Gondal State | Princely state | Thakor Saheb Shri Bhagvatsinhji Jadeja | |
| Morvi State | Princely state | Thakor Saheb Shri Lakhdhirsinhji Jadeja | |
| Porbandar State | Princely state | Maharana Shri Natwarsinhji Jethwa | |
| Bhavnagar State | Princely state | Maharaja Raol Shri Krishnakumarsinhji Gohil | |
| Wadhwan State | Princely state | Maharaja Shri Suredrasinhji Jhala | |
| Junagadh State | Princely state | Nawab sahib Mahabatkhanji 3rd. | |
| Jafarabad State | Princely state | Mohammad Khan 2nd. |
See also: Doctrine of lapse.