| Conventional Long Name: | United Provinces |
| Common Name: | United Provinces |
| Subdivision: | Province |
| Nation: | British India (1937–1947) Dominion of India (1947–1950) |
| Image Map Caption: | Map of the United Provinces |
| Capital: | Lucknow |
| P1: | United Provinces of Agra and Oudh |
| P2: | Rampur State |
| P3: | Benares State |
| P4: | Garhwal Kingdom |
| S1: | Uttar Pradesh |
| Flag S1: | Seal of Uttar Pradesh.svg |
| Border S1: | no |
| Flag Type: | Flag |
| Year Start: | 1937 |
| Year End: | 1950 |
| Today: | India |
The United Provinces (UP) was a province of British India and, subsequently, independent India.
It came into existence on 1 April 1937 as a result of the shortening of the name of the "United Provinces of British India". It corresponded approximately to the combined regions of the present-day Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.[1]
The Government of India Act 1935 enlarged the elected provincial legislature and expanded provincial autonomy vis-a-vis the central government.
In the elections held in 1937, the Indian National Congress won the majority seats, but declined to form a government. Therefore, on 1 April 1937, and the Nawab of Chhatari, the leader of the National Agriculturist Parties, was invited to form a minority provisional government.[2]
| Minister | Portfolio | |
|---|---|---|
| Nawab of Chhatari | Home Affairs | |
| Sir Muhammad Yusuf | Local Self-Government and Health | |
| Jwala Prasad Srivastava | Finance | |
| Raja Syed Ahmad Alvi of Salempur | Education | |
| Raja Maheshwar Dayal Seth | Home and Agricultural | |
| Maharajkumar of Vizianagram | Justice | |
| Raja Durga Narayan Singh of Tirwa | Industries and Communications |
The Congress reversed its decision and resolved to accept office in July 1937. Therefore, the Governor Sir Harry Graham Haig invited Govind Ballabh Pant to form the government.[3] [4]
| Minister | Portfolio | |
|---|---|---|
| Govind Ballabh Pant | Premier, Home and Finance | |
| Rafi Ahmed Kidwai | Revenue and Jails | |
| Kailash Nath Katju | Justice, Development, Agriculture and Veterinary | |
| Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit | Local Self-government and Health | |
| Muhammad Ibrahim | Communication and Irrigation | |
| P. L. Sharma |
In 1939, all of the Congress ministries in British Indian provinces resigned and the United Provinces were placed under the Governor's rule. In 1945, the British Labour government ordered new elections to the Provincial legislatures. The Congress won a majority in the 1946 elections in the United Provinces and Pant was again the Premier, continuing even after India's independence in 1947.
Following independence in 1947, the princely states of Rampur, Banares and Tehri-Garwal were merged into the United Provinces. On 25 January 1950, this unit was renamed as Uttar Pradesh. In 2000, the separate state of Uttaranchal, now known as Uttarakhand, was carved out of Uttar Pradesh.