List of princely states of India
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Before the Partition of India in 1947, 562[citation needed] Princely States, also called Native States, existed in India which were not part of British India. These were the parts of the Indian subcontinent which had not been conquered or annexed by the British but were subject to subsidiary alliances.
Things moved quickly after the partition of British India in 1947. By the end of 1949, all of the states except Sikkim had chosen to accede to one of the newly independent states of India or Pakistan or else had been conquered and annexed.
Contents
- 1 Outline
- 2 Indian Princely States at the time of independence on 14 August 1947
- 2.1 Individual residencies
- 2.2 Baluchistan Agency
- 2.3 Deccan States Agency and Kolhapur Residency (Maratha)
- 2.4 Gwalior Residency (Maratha)
- 2.5 Madras Presidency
- 2.6 North-west Frontier States Agency
- 2.7 Gilgit Agency
- 2.8 Province of Sind
- 2.9 Punjab state agency
- 2.10 States of the Rajputana Agency
- 2.11 Gujarat States Agency and Baroda Residency
- 2.12 Kutch state agency
- 2.13 Kathiawar agency
- 2.14 States of Central India Agency (Maratha and Rajput)
- 2.15 States of the Eastern States Agency
- 2.16 States of the Mahi Kantha Agency
- 3 Indian Princely States annexed by the British Raj
- 4 See also
- 5 Notes
Outline
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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 Chhatrapati, Maharaja, Raja, Raje, Deshmukh, Nawab, Baig, Khan, Nizam,Mirza or specially Jam for Jadeja/Samma. the British 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 among the salute states.
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), Hyderabad on 18 September 1948, Bilaspur on 12 October 1948, and Bhopal on 1 May 1949. Travancore also chose to remain an independent country.
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.
The last remaining independent state, Sikkim, was incorporated into India on 16 May 1975, following a referendum in which the people of Sikkim overwhelmingly voted for this.
Indian Princely States at the time of independence on 14 August 1947
Individual residencies
| Name of state | British Resident | Now part of | Last or present ruler |
|---|---|---|---|
 Hyderabad |
Individual residency |  Telangana, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Karnataka, India |
Osman Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VII |
 Jammu and Kashmir |
Individual residency | Kashmir, India;
|
Shriman Rajrajeshwar Maharajadhiraj Sri Sir Hari Singh Indar Mahindar Bahadur, Sipar-i-Sultanat, Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir |
 Mysore |
Individual residency | Karnataka, India |
Shri Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar |
 Sikkim |
Individual residency | Sikkim, India |
Chogyal Wangchuk Namgyal |
 Travancore |
Individual residency (individual residency status under Madras Presidency) | Kerala and 5 taluks (Kanyakumari district) of Tamil Nadu, India |
Shri Padmanabha Dasa Sree Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma Vanchi Pala Maharaja Martanda Varma V Shri Uthradom Thirunal Kulasekhara Kiritapati Manney Sultan Maharaja Raja Ramaraja Bahadur Shamsher Jung, Maharaja of Travancore |
Baluchistan Agency
Princely States of the Baluchistan Agency.
| 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 | Balochistan, Pakistan | Habibullah Khan |
 Las Bela |
Princely State | Balochistan, Pakistan | Mir Muhammad Yusuf Khan, The Amir and Jam of Las Bela |
 Makran |
Princely State | Balochistan, Pakistan | Bai Khan Baloch Gikchi |
Deccan States Agency and Kolhapur Residency (Maratha)
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 Rani Sumitra Bai Raje Bhonsle, Rani Saheb of Akalkot |
 Aundh |
Princely State | Maharashtra, India | Meherban Shrimant Bhagwant Rao Shripat Rao, Pant Pratinidhi Of Aundh |
 Bhor |
Princely State | Maharashtra, India | Raja Shrimant Sir Raghunathrao Shankarrao Babasaheb Pandit Pant Sachiv |
 Jamkhandi |
Princely State | Karnataka, India | Raja Saheb Shrimant Raja Pranay Rao Parshuram Rao Patwardhan |
| 25px 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 | Shrimant Rajashri Shahu II Bhonsle Chhatrapati Maharaj Sahib Bahadur, Maharaja of Kolhapur |
 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. |
 Mudhol |
Princely State | Karnataka, India | Shrimant Raja Bhairavsinhrao Malojirao Ghorpade II |
 Phaltan |
Princely State | Maharashtra, India | Major Raja Bahadur Shrimant Ram raje 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 | Bhonsale clan |
Gwalior Residency (Maratha)
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 | Maharaja Jivaji Rao Scindia |
| Garha |
Princely State | Madhya Pradesh, India | |
| Khaniyadhana |
Princely State | Madhya Pradesh, India | |
| Ramgadi |
Princely State | Uttar Pradesh, India | Diwan Mahadev Mishra[1] |
| Rajgarh |
Princely State | Madhya Pradesh, India | Maharani Shushila Sinha Rudrani |
 Rampur |
Princely State | Uttar Pradesh, India | Nawab Syed Muhammad Kazim 'Ali Khan Bahadur, Nawab of Rampur |
Madras Presidency
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 | Kerala Varma |
 Pudukkottai |
Princely State | Tamil Nadu, India | Rajagopala Tondaiman, Maharaja of Pudukkottai |
 Sandur |
Princely State | Karnataka, India | Shrimant Maharaj Shri Murarrao Yeshwantrao Ghorpade, Hindurao, Mamlukatmadar Senapati, Raja of Sandur |
North-west Frontier States Agency
Princely States of the North-West Frontier States Agency. Agencies included the Dir Swat and Chitral Agency and the Deputy Commissioner of Hazara acting as the Political Agent for Amb and Phulra.
| Name of state | British Resident or Agent | Now part of | Last or present ruler |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amb |
Princely State | Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan | Nawab Muhammad Saeed Khan |
 Chitral |
Princely State | Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan | Mehtar Saif-ul-Mulk Nasir |
 Dir |
Princely State | Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan | Muhammad Shah Khosru Khan |
| Phulra |
Princely State | Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan | Khan Ata Muhammed Khan |
 Swat |
Princely State | Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan | Miangul Abdul-Haqq Jahanzib |
Gilgit Agency
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 | Gilgit–Baltistan, Pakistan | Showkat `Ali Khan |
Province of Sind
| Name of state | British Resident or Agent | Now part of | Last or present ruler |
|---|---|---|---|
 Khairpur |
Princely State | Sindh, Pakistan | George Ali Murad Khan |
Punjab state agency
States of the Punjab States Agency (Punjab).
| Name of state | British Resident or Agent | Now part of | Last or present ruler |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23x15px 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 H.H. Farzand-i-Saadat-i-Nishan-i-Hazrat-i-Kaiser-i-Hind Raja Sir Harinder Singh Brar Bans Sahib Bahadur, Raja 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 |
 Kapurthala |
Princely State | Punjab, India | Brig. Maharaja Sri Sukhjit Singh Sahib Bahadur, Maharaja of Kapurthala |
 Loharu State |
Princely State | Haryana, India | Nawab Mirza Alauddin Ahmad Khan II (alias Parvez Mirza), Nawab of Loharu |
| Malerkotla |
Princely State | Punjab, India | H.H. Nawab Muhammad Iftikhar 'Ali Khan Bahadur(last nawab) |
 Mandi |
Princely State | Himachal Pradesh, India | |
 Nabha |
Princely State | Punjab, India | Sir Pratap Singh Sir Hira Singh |
 Patiala |
Princely State | Punjab, India | Maharajadhiraj Sir Yadavindra Singh Mahendra Bahadur |
| Sirmur |
Princely State | Himachal Pradesh, India | Lt. Maharaja Rajendra Prakash Bahadur |
 Suket/ Surendernagar |
Princely State | Himachal Pradesh, India | Raja Hari Sen, Raja of Suket |
| Siba |
Princely State | Himachal Pradesh, India | Raja Dr.Ashok K. Thakur, Raja of Siba & Tantpalan |
| 25px Tehri Garhwal | Princely State (Zamindari) | Uttarakhand, India | Maharaja Manujendra Shah Sahib Bahadur |
States of the Rajputana Agency
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 | Rajasthan, India | Rai Rayan Mahimahendra Maharajadhiraj Maharawalji Sahib Shri Jagmalji II Sahib Bahadur, Naresh Rajya, Maharawal of Banswara. |
 Bharatpur |
Princely State | Rajasthan, India | Maharaja Brijendra Singh |
| 25px Bikaner | Princely State | Rajasthan, India | 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 | Rajasthan, India | Col. Maharao Raja Shri Bahadur Singhji Bahadur |
 Dholpur |
Princely State | Rajastsan, India | His Highness Maharajadhiraja
Shri Sawai Maharaj Rana Shri Hemant Singh, Lokendra Bahadur, Diler Jang Jai Deo, Maharaj Rana of Dholpur |
 Dungarpur |
Princely State | Rajasthan, India | Rai-i-Rayan, Mahimahendra, Maharajadhiraj Maharawal Shri Mahipal Singhji II Sahib Bahadur, Maharawal of Dungarpur. |
 Jaipur |
Princely State | Rajasthan, India | HH Saramad-i-Rajahai Hindustan Raj Rajendra Shri Maharajadhiraj Sir Sawai Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II |
| 25px Jaisalmer | Princely State | Rajasthan, India | Maharajadhiraj Maharawal Sir Jawahir Singh Bahadur |
| 25px Jhalawar | Princely State | Rajasthan, India | Maharajadhiraj Maharaj Rana Shri Chandrajit Singh Dev Bahadur, Maharaj Rana of Jhalawar. |
| 25px Jodhpur | Princely State | Rajasthan, India | Raj Rajeshwar Saramad-i-Rajha-i-Hindustan Maharajadhiraja Maharaja Shri Gaj Singhji II Sahib Bahadur, Maharaja of Jodhpur. |
| 25px Karauli | Princely State | Rajasthan, India | Maharaja Shri Ganesh Pal Deo Bahadur Yadakul Chandra Bhal |
| 25px Kishangarh | Princely State | Rajasthan, India | Umdae Rajhae Buland Makan Maharajadhiraja Maharaja Sumer Singhji Bahadur |
| 20px Kotah | Princely State | Rajasthan, India | Maharao Shri Bhim Singh II Bahadur |
| Kushalgarh |
Princely State | Rajasthan, India | Rao Harendra Singh |
| Lawa Sardargarh |
Princely State | Rajasthan, India | |
 Mewar |
Princely State | Rajasthan, India | Maharana Sir Bhupal Singh |
| Patan - Torawati |
Princely State | Rajasthan, India | Rao Bir Bikram Singh Tanwar |
| 25px Pratabgarh | Princely State | Rajasthan, India | Raja Ajit Pratap Singh |
| 25px Shahpura | Princely State | Rajasthan, India | Rajadhiraj Sudershan Singh |
 Sirohi |
Princely State | Rajasthan, India | Maharao Raghubir Singh |
 Tonk |
Princely State | Rajasthan, India | Nawab Muhammad Faruq Ali Khan |
Gujarat States Agency and Baroda Residency
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Kutch state agency
Cutch State agency.
| Name of state | Type of State resident | Now part of | Last or present ruler |
|---|---|---|---|
 Cutch State |
Princely State | Kutch,India |
Jam Maharao Shri Pragmalji 3rd. |
Darbar Hall at Prag Mahal Palace in Bhuj
Kathiawar agency
Princely states of Kathiawar in Saurastra.
| Name of state | Type of State resident | Now part of | Last or present ruler |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dhrol State |
Princely State | Kathiawar,India |
Thakor Saheb Shri Shri Chandrasinhji Jadeja |
 Nawanagar State |
Princely State | Kathiawar,India |
Jam saheb shri Shatrushaylsinhji Digvijaysinhji Jadeja |
 Rajkot State |
Princely state | Kathiawar,India |
Thakor saheb Shri Pradhyumansinhji Jadeja |
 Gondal State |
Princely state | Kathiawar,India |
Thakor Saheb Shri Bhagvatsinhji Jadeja |
 Morvi State |
Princely state | Kathiawar,India |
Thakor Saheb Shri Lakhdhirsinhji Jadeja |
 Porbandar State |
Princely state | Kathiawar,India |
Maharana Shri Natwarsinhji Jethwa |
 Bhavnagar State |
Princely state | Kathiawar,India |
Maharaja Raol Shri Krishnakumarsinhji Gohil |
 Wadhwan State |
Princely state | Kathiawar,India |
Maharaja Shri Suredrasinhji Jhala |
 Junagadh State |
Princely state | Kathiawar,India |
Shri Mahabatkhanji 3rd. |
 Jafarabad State |
Princely state | Kathiawar,India |
Mohammad Khan 2nd. |
States of Central India Agency (Maratha and Rajput)
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- Ajaigarh
- Alipura
- Alirajpur
- Banka-Pahari
- Baraundha
- Barwani
- Basoda
- Bhaisunda
- Bhopal
- Bijawar
- Bijna
- Bilheri
- Charkhari
- Chhatarpur
- Chirgaon
- Datia
- Dewas
- Dhar
- Dhurwai
- Gaurihar
- Gwalior
- Indore
- Jaora
- Jaso
- Jobat
- Kamta-Rajaula
- Khaniadhana
- Khilchipur
- Kothi
- Kurwai
- Maihar
- Makrai
- Muhammadgarh
- Nagod
- Narsighgarh
- Orchha
- Pahra
- Paldeo
- Panna
- Pathari
- Piploda
- Rajgarh
- Ratlam
- Rewa
- Sailana
- Sitamau
- Sohawal
- Taraon
- Tori Fatehpur
States of the Eastern States Agency
Orissa States Agency
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Chhattisgarh States Agency
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Bengal States Agency
Bihar States Agency
States of the Mahi Kantha Agency
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Indian Princely States annexed by the British Raj
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- Ballabhgarh (1867)
- Bhaddaiyan Raj (1858)
- Carnatic (1801)
- Datarpur (1848)
- Guler (1813)
- Jaitpur (1849)
- Jalaun (1840)
- Jaswan (1849)
- Jhansi (1854)
- Kangra (1846)
- Kulpahar (1858)
- Kutlehar (1825)
- Makrai (1890 - 1893)
- Nagpur (1854)
- Nurpur (1849)
- Oudh (1854)
- Sambalpur (1849)
- Siba (1849)
- Tanjore (1855)
- Tulsipur (1859)
- Udaipur, Chhattisgarh (1854 - 1860)
See also
- List of princely states of India (alphabetical)
- List of Maratha dynasties and states
- List of Rajput dynasties and states
Notes
- Sources
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Indian Princely States. |
- Further reading
- The Relationship Between the Indian Princely States and the Indian Central Government, 1921-1933, by Harry Dunseth Wood. Published by University of Chicago, 1951.
- The Paramount Power and the Princely States of India, 1858-1881, by Ajit K. Neogy. Published by K. P. Bagchi, 1974.
- Rajahs and Prajas: An Indian Princely State, Then and Now, by S. Devadas Pillai. Published by Popular Prakashan, 1976.
- Princely States and the Paramount Power, 1858-1876: A Study on the Nature of Political Relationship Between the British Government and the Indian State, by Mihir Kumar Ray. Rajesh Publications, 1981.
- Documents and Speeches on the Indian Princely States, by Adrian Sever. Published by B.R. Pub. Corp., 1985.
- The Late Pre-colonial Background to the Indian Princely States, by Richard B Barnett. Published by Centre for South Asian Studies, University of Punjab, 1988.
- Indian Princely Medals: A Record of the Orders, Decorations, and Medals of the Indian Princely States, by Tony McClenaghan. Published by Spantech & Lancer, 1996. ISBN 1-897829-19-1.
- British Policy Towards Princely States of India: Seminar Entitled "British Policy Towards North Indian Princely States" : Selected Papers, by R P Vyas. Published by Rajasthan-Vidya Prakashan, 1992.
- The Princely States of India: A Chronological Checklist of Their Rulers, by David P. Henige. Published by Borgo Press, 1997. ISBN 0-89370-325-7.
- Constitutional Development in the Indian Princely States, by Ranjana Kaul. Published by UBS Publishers Distributors, 1998. ISBN 81-259-0511-1.
- The Maharaja & the Princely States of India, by Sharada Dwivedi. Published by Lustre Press, 1999. ISBN 81-7436-081-6.
- Illustrated Encyclopaedia & Who's who of Princely States in Indian Sub-continent, by J. C. Dua. Published by Kaveri Books, 2000. ISBN 81-7479-036-5.
- The Golden Book of India: A Genealogical and Biographical Dictionary of the Ruling Princes, Chiefs, Nobles, and Other Personages, Titled or Decorated, of the Indian Empire, by Sir Roper Lethbridge. Adamant Media Corporation, 2001. ISBN 1-4021-9328-9.
- True Tales of British India & the Princely States: & The Princely States, by Michael Wise. Published by In Print, 1993. ISBN 1-873047-06-1.
- Princely States of India: A Guide to Chronology and Rulers, by David P. Henige. Published by Orchid Press, 2006. ISBN 974-524-049-4.
- India's Princely States: People, Princes and Colonialism, by Waltraud Ernst, Biswamoy Pati. Published by Routledge, 2007. ISBN 0-415-41541-1.nl:Prinselijke staten in Brits-Indië
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