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The transition from the British Rule to the Indian Independence and the establishment of the Republic of our country is a great constitutional development. A great problem which awaited solution on the eve of our independence was the relation between our country and the Indian States.
l An Act of 1858 known as "An Act for the Better Government of India" wherein Queen Victoria made it clear that the Government would respect the rights, dignity and honour of Native Princes. The policy of annexation vigorously pursued by Lord Dalhousie gave way to the perpetuation of the States as separate Sovereign entities. The British Crown became the Paramount Power having control over Internal Security, Defense, International Affairs and on important decisions.
l Princely States had became an integral part of the British Empire and were treated as territories under the direct dominion of the Crown, ruled by the Majesty i.e. the King of the Commonwealth. In theory the Princes were not part of British India, they were sovereign rulers of their own States.
l The Government of India Act, 1935, was a step in the direction of achieving a political unity over the entire sub- continent : it envisaged a constitutional relationship between the Indian States and Provinces in British India on a federal basis.
l In 1947, the Princely States covered 48% of the Area of the Indian Dominion and formed 28% of its population.
l The Indian Independence Act, 1947 provided for the lapse of the paramountcy of the British Crown in India and over the Indian States ruled by the Rulers. By Section 1, two new independent Dominions of India and Pakistan were constituted from 15th August, 1947. Each Ruler had the option of either acceding to the Dominion of India or Pakistan or to continue as an independent Sovereign State.
l The British India Consisted of the major Presidencies of Madras, Bombay, Calcutta and Chief Commissioners Provinces.
l The Dominion of India constituted the Ministry of States under the Leadership of Sardar Patel and he understood the requirement of peaceful and friendly settlement with the Princes in order to Constitute one Country having geographical and cultural unity.
l In order to accede to the Dominion of India the Rulers would have to surrender most of the assets and their Rule would have to come to an end by dissolution of the Princely State as India was to become a Republic Democratic State with a Federal Structure where the division of Powers between the Central and the State Governments would be clearly defined.
l There were 562 Indian Princely States whereof 216 merged in Provinces, 61 were taken over as centrally administered areas and 275 integrated in five Unions of States, Saurashtra, Madhya Bharat, Rajasthan, Pepsu and Travancore-Cochin.
l The Rulers immediately after Independence became divided into four classes :
(a) those who had signed Instruments of Accession;
(b) those who had signed instruments of Merger;
(c) those who had formed themselves into Unions and the Unions had signed Instruments of Accession; five Unions of States, United State of Kathiawar (Saurashtra), United States of Madhya Bharat, United States of Rajasthan, Pepsu and United States of Travancore-Cochin.
(d) Hyderabad, Mysore and Jammu and Kashmir. But when the Constitution came into force, they too became part of the Union of India on a later date.
- https://youtu.be/KL4ZaxolB0M
- English
- Jeet Bhatt
[Part 9] Privy Purse [Part I] Integration of the Princely States in India
Author
Jeet Bhatt
Video Category
Constitutional Law
Language
english
Highlights
The transition from the British Rule to the Indian Independence and the establishment of the Republic of our country is a great constitutional development. A great problem which awaited solution on the eve of our independence was the relation between our country and the Indian States.
l An Act of 1858 known as "An Act for the Better Government of India" wherein Queen Victoria made it clear that the Government would respect the rights, dignity and honour of Native Princes. The policy of annexation vigorously pursued by Lord Dalhousie gave way to the perpetuation of the States as separate Sovereign entities. The British Crown became the Paramount Power having control over Internal Security, Defense, International Affairs and on important decisions.
l Princely States had became an integral part of the British Empire and were treated as territories under the direct dominion of the Crown, ruled by the Majesty i.e. the King of the Commonwealth. In theory the Princes were not part of British India, they were sovereign rulers of their own States.
l The Government of India Act, 1935, was a step in the direction of achieving a political unity over the entire sub- continent : it envisaged a constitutional relationship between the Indian States and Provinces in British India on a federal basis.
l In 1947, the Princely States covered 48% of the Area of the Indian Dominion and formed 28% of its population.
l The Indian Independence Act, 1947 provided for the lapse of the paramountcy of the British Crown in India and over the Indian States ruled by the Rulers. By Section 1, two new independent Dominions of India and Pakistan were constituted from 15th August, 1947. Each Ruler had the option of either acceding to the Dominion of India or Pakistan or to continue as an independent Sovereign State.
l The British India Consisted of the major Presidencies of Madras, Bombay, Calcutta and Chief Commissioners Provinces.
l The Dominion of India constituted the Ministry of States under the Leadership of Sardar Patel and he understood the requirement of peaceful and friendly settlement with the Princes in order to Constitute one Country having geographical and cultural unity.
l In order to accede to the Dominion of India the Rulers would have to surrender most of the assets and their Rule would have to come to an end by dissolution of the Princely State as India was to become a Republic Democratic State with a Federal Structure where the division of Powers between the Central and the State Governments would be clearly defined.
l There were 562 Indian Princely States whereof 216 merged in Provinces, 61 were taken over as centrally administered areas and 275 integrated in five Unions of States, Saurashtra, Madhya Bharat, Rajasthan, Pepsu and Travancore-Cochin.
l The Rulers immediately after Independence became divided into four classes :
(a) those who had signed Instruments of Accession;
(b) those who had signed instruments of Merger;
(c) those who had formed themselves into Unions and the Unions had signed Instruments of Accession; five Unions of States, United State of Kathiawar (Saurashtra), United States of Madhya Bharat, United States of Rajasthan, Pepsu and United States of Travancore-Cochin.
(d) Hyderabad, Mysore and Jammu and Kashmir. But when the Constitution came into force, they too became part of the Union of India on a later date.
l An Act of 1858 known as "An Act for the Better Government of India" wherein Queen Victoria made it clear that the Government would respect the rights, dignity and honour of Native Princes. The policy of annexation vigorously pursued by Lord Dalhousie gave way to the perpetuation of the States as separate Sovereign entities. The British Crown became the Paramount Power having control over Internal Security, Defense, International Affairs and on important decisions.
l Princely States had became an integral part of the British Empire and were treated as territories under the direct dominion of the Crown, ruled by the Majesty i.e. the King of the Commonwealth. In theory the Princes were not part of British India, they were sovereign rulers of their own States.
l The Government of India Act, 1935, was a step in the direction of achieving a political unity over the entire sub- continent : it envisaged a constitutional relationship between the Indian States and Provinces in British India on a federal basis.
l In 1947, the Princely States covered 48% of the Area of the Indian Dominion and formed 28% of its population.
l The Indian Independence Act, 1947 provided for the lapse of the paramountcy of the British Crown in India and over the Indian States ruled by the Rulers. By Section 1, two new independent Dominions of India and Pakistan were constituted from 15th August, 1947. Each Ruler had the option of either acceding to the Dominion of India or Pakistan or to continue as an independent Sovereign State.
l The British India Consisted of the major Presidencies of Madras, Bombay, Calcutta and Chief Commissioners Provinces.
l The Dominion of India constituted the Ministry of States under the Leadership of Sardar Patel and he understood the requirement of peaceful and friendly settlement with the Princes in order to Constitute one Country having geographical and cultural unity.
l In order to accede to the Dominion of India the Rulers would have to surrender most of the assets and their Rule would have to come to an end by dissolution of the Princely State as India was to become a Republic Democratic State with a Federal Structure where the division of Powers between the Central and the State Governments would be clearly defined.
l There were 562 Indian Princely States whereof 216 merged in Provinces, 61 were taken over as centrally administered areas and 275 integrated in five Unions of States, Saurashtra, Madhya Bharat, Rajasthan, Pepsu and Travancore-Cochin.
l The Rulers immediately after Independence became divided into four classes :
(a) those who had signed Instruments of Accession;
(b) those who had signed instruments of Merger;
(c) those who had formed themselves into Unions and the Unions had signed Instruments of Accession; five Unions of States, United State of Kathiawar (Saurashtra), United States of Madhya Bharat, United States of Rajasthan, Pepsu and United States of Travancore-Cochin.
(d) Hyderabad, Mysore and Jammu and Kashmir. But when the Constitution came into force, they too became part of the Union of India on a later date.