CHAPTER
IX
CONDITIONS AND COMPUISIONS
The lapse of paramountcy gave rise to certain
compelling situations which had to be taken into consi­
deration,
Irrespective of the form of government,
geographical and economic compulsions were to be taken
into consideration by the Indian dominion and the Indian
states.
The State of Affairs of the Princely
Order in 1946-47
The Congress leaders bad maintained that the political
map of India would have changed if the British had not
controlled it artificially.
Under the fast changing social,
political and economic conditions, India would have been a
different nation.
The artificial
controls that
were
maintained by the British were to be removed by the grant
of independence to India and by the lapse of paramountcy.
The Congress, in course of more than half a century, had
built up such conditions as were to play an important role
after the exit of the British from India,
These conditions
were in the nature of the political awareness, struggle for
274
economic reforms and the establishment of responsible
government, creation of popular organisations like
Praia Mandals. tendencies towards secular, federal India,
etc.
The artificial protection that was provided by the
British to the Indian princes was to disappear when the
British were to leave the country.
The Indian princes,
who had been autocratic rulers under the British protection,
were unable to survive under the changed conditions of
freedom.
Many of them were unable to decide what to do
after the lapse of paramountcy.
They knew that they could
not maintain separate and independent identity.
They were
in doubt about their future in the new political setup of
independent India.
HIn turth, the Indian princes were on
the verge of panic and practically on the run."
The
Bawab of Bhopal had resigned the chancellorship of the
Chamber of Princes.
The Chamber, as an instrument of
princely order, ceased to exist.
The British were withdrawing from India.
The Chamber
of Princes, the creation of paramount power, was able to
do nothing under the changing conditions.
were left with no support.
The princes
They were compelled to seek
some sort of agreement with the new Indian government. If
the princes had declared independence, they would have been
*
275
4
threatened hy the economic blockade.
It was quite
possible that some of the princes would have been thrown
away by their politically awakened people who were
influenced
"by
the Congress ideals.
She princes were satisfied with the statement of
Sardar Patel on 5 July 1947 and the address of Lord
Mountbatten on 25 July 1947.
Both assured "autonomy" of
the states and honoured places for the princes under the
democratic setup.
She Position of the British from
January to August 1947
The British had decided to quit India.
They had
declared that on the day of the transfer of power paramountoy
would lapse.
The Indian independence act declared, "the
suzerainty of His Majesty oyer the Indian states lapses." 2
The British had made it clear to the princes that the help
and influence of the British paramount power would not be
available to them after the transfer of power and lapse of
paramountcy.
The British were not in a position to help
the prineeB during this period.
The
princes were to take
important decisions affecting the destiny of their states
and India as a whole.
276
Political Conditions la the States; Growth of
Active General Interest and Decline
of Particular Interests
Since 1920 the Congress had tried to awaken political
consciousness
of the people of the states*
Consequently
the people of the states became politically conscious
under the guidance and Influence of the Congress*
organised a number of Pra.1a Mandals.
They
These Pra.ia Mandals
became the instruments of struggle for the removal of
economic grievances and the establishment of responsible
government.
The state peoplef who carried on their
struggle under the guidance of the Congress, shared the
political Ideals with the Congress as regards the future
political pattern for India.
The Praia Mandals urged
their rulers to join the Indian dominion.
They had been
demanding that the representatives of the state people
should be given an opportunity to represent the views and
aspirations of the people in the constituent assembly.
When the state people were demanding that the princes
;}oin the Indian union, it was very difficult for the princes
to refuse.
If the princes had refused to loin the Indian
union, the people of the states would have revolted against
them.
It would have been difficult for the princes to save
their skin as there was no protecting British power to save
them from the revolts.
With the assured help and encouragement
'277
of the Indian dominion controlled by the Congress party,
the people of the states would have fought with greater
vigour and enthusiasm against the princes for achieving
the cherished aims of the Congress*
The Travancore state
thought that it was economically viable and could maintain
its independence*
It declared that it would become
indpendent after the lapse of paramountcy*
The politically
awakened people of Travancore did not take this announcement
lying low.
The Travancore State Congress called for
demonstration against the announcement*
"There were
clashes in the streets with the state police."^
C*P*
Bamaswamy Aiyar, the dewan of Travancore, was stabbed by
an unknown man*
The maharaja of Travancore agreed to
sign the instrument of accession.
"Sardar Patel ordered
the local Congress committee to oease their demonstration
at once*
It was a clear demonstration of Congress power
to incite disaffection in the princely states and of the
determination of Patel and Menon to act ruthlessly against
those princely fish who refused to swim into the net*
The
lesson was salutary, and it was not lost upon other princes.” 4
National Awareness
Though India has no single religion, raoe or language,
the people of India have been sharing a composite culture
278
and common history.
The Indian National Congress had
tried to evolve a oommon nationhood by emphasising the
common history, oommon languages, composite culture,
secularism, democracy, united India, etc.
A sense of
national awareness became predominant both in the British
India and the Indian states.
The people in both the
Indias did not attaoh much importance to the artificial
political barriers.
Their strong desire was to build up
united secular democratic India.
Loyalty of the people
of the states to the princes was slowly replaced by the
loyalty to united India.
The Congress and the Pra.la
Mandals played an important role in this transformation
from particular loyalty to the general loyalty.
Such
politically awakened and enlightened people and their
organisations — Bra,1a Mandals and All India States*
Peoples* Conference — would not allow the princes to live
in isolated and feudal kingdoms away from the main national
and democratic currents.
The modern means of transport and communications
had narrowed the distance between one part of India and
another.
The educated middle class which had supported
the Congress and the BraJa Mandals in the British India
and the states respectively was aware of the benefits of
modern industrialisation which could be achieved only in
279
united India*
Their national awareness was strengthened
by the compulsions of the modern economic system*
The
desire for a united India became stronger on account of
increasing means of transport and communications*
The desire for united India, in the past, was confined
to the rulers and great writers*
After the
rise of
nationalism under the banner of Indian national Congress,
the desire for united India was the desire of the masses*
Therefore the desire for united India of politically awakened
masses could not be suppressed*
Geographical Compulsions
There were no natural frontiers between the states
and the British India*
The bigger states like Kashmir,
Hyderabad and Mysore did not have access to the sea*
They
were to be at the mercy of the dominion government. Smaller
states, which had sea outlet, were not economically viable.
A state like Travancore, which had sea outlet, had highly
politically awakened people who could not tolerate the
maharaja to declare independence.
The vast majority of
the states could not maintain the modern transport system
like railway without the cooperation of the Indian dominion*
Geographical compulsions were such that the states could
not remain independent indefinitely.
The states did not
280
form a compact block*
It was not possible to form a
union of states that could function without cooperation
' or agreement with the Indian dominion*
Economic Factors Responsible for A United India
Under the modern conditions, it was impossible for the
small states to provide a better standard of living and
democratic institutions for their people*
It was also
impossible to conceive any planned economic development of
the states without integrating the states with the Indian
dominion*
Some economic
enterprises could not be maintained
by some of the smaller states*
The tariff policy had been
such that it had compelled the states to allow the British
government to regulate it*
The same policy was to be
%
followed by the Indian dominion*
It was an economic
compulsion*
It had been amply proved during the British rule that
the states
and the British India
economically,
could not be separated
A common fiscal policy was to be evolved in
certain matters*
When the British left India, the economic
compulsions did not cease to exist*
The economic inter­
dependence was to be taken into account by the Indian dominion
and the Indian states.
The people of India wanted free
government to undertake planned economic development for the
281
'benefit of the people of India.
The planned economic
system could not be developed without a common government.
Further, people thought that the popular government could
be used to change the economic lot and to provide better
economic system and opportunities to the people.
Brief Note on
(i) Accession, (ii) Merger, (iii) Unions,
(iv) Economically Viable States
On the lapse of paramountcy, the states would
technically become independent.
The independence of the
states would have put the new Indian dominion and the
states'in an administrative and economic chaos.
The
"standstill agreement" was evolved to continue the then
existing economic and administrative arrangements between
the states and the new Indian dominion subject to future
agreement.
The States Department prepared the instrument
of accession to secure the accession of the Indian states
to the new Indian dominion on foreign affairs, defence,
and communications.
On 5 July 1947» Sardar Batel appealed
to the princes to join the Indian union agreeing to the
handling of the three subjects by the Indian dominion.
Be saidi "the states have already accepted the basic principle
that for defence, foreign affairs and communications they
282
would come Into the Indian union.
We ask no more of
them than the aocession on these three subjects in which
the common Interests of the country are involved.
In
other natters we would scrupulously respect their autonomous
existence." 5
The princes were aware of the compulsion of
l
events.
They were eager to take that step which would
give them a secure place in the new political setup.
Addressing the special meeting of the Chamber of Princes
on 25 July 1947» lord Mountbatten, the Viceroy of India,
appealed to the Indian princes to join the dominion
before 15 August 1947.
He said, "If you are prepared to
come, you must con© before the 15th August.
I have no
doubt that this is in the best interests of the states,
and every wise ruler and wise government would desire to
link up with the great dominion of India on a basis which
leaves you great internal autonomy and which at the same
tin© gets rid of your worries and cares over external
affairs, defence and communications."
g
On 25 June 1947,
the interim government decided to create the States
Department and- on 27 June Sardar Patel was given the charge
of the States Department.
The States Department was in
charge of negotiations with the princes.
Before 15 August
1947, except Hyderabad, Junagadh, and Kashmir, all other
states had agreed to join the Indian union.
The vast
majority of the small states realised that they could not
283
handle properly and efficiently subjects like defence,
i
external affairs and communications.
to hand over these subjects.
They were compelled
What they wanted was
assurance from the Congress government that their dynastic
interests would he preserved.
The princes were in hot
pursuit of their survival in every form.
Sardar Patel
assured them that their dynastic interests would he
protected under the democratic setup.
The Congress was
not for total abolition of the monarchical institution.
It wanted the autocracy of the princes to he replaced hy
constitutional monarchy under the supremacy of the popular
sovereignty.
The princes agreed to join the Indian union
as a result of certain administrative, geographical,
economic and political compulsions and the assurances
given hy the Congress government about their honoured
place in the future political setup.
Hyderabad, Junagadh
and Kashmir joined the Indian union at later dates.
The
accession of the Indian states to the Indian dominion
provided organic relationship between the Indian dominion
and the states.
Accession was the first step in the process of
fitting the states in the constitutional structure of
India.
The Congress government followed the fourfold
policy towards the states: (i) merger of states with the
284
provinces) (ii) integration of states into centrally
administered areas by consolidation) (iii) integration
of states into new viable unions and (iv) recognition
of a few viable states as individual units,
She position
of the states on 14 August 1947 was as follows:
Independent states
• ♦ ♦
2
Bhutan and Sikkim
States in Pakistan
• • •
3
Kalat, Bahawalpur
and Khairpur
Undecided states
• • •
3
Hyderabad, Kashmir
and Junagadh
Other states
Total Ho. of states
554
• • •
-
562
Hyderabad, Kashmir and Junagadh joined the Indian
union "after minor surgical operations."
The government
of India (its Ministry of States) gave the new classifi­
cation of the various merger and integration schemes as
follows:
(a)
216 states covering an area of 1,08,739
square miles with a population of 19.158
million have been merged in provinces;
(b)
61 states covering an area of 63*704
square miles with a population of 6.925
million have been taken over as centrally
administered areas;
285
(c)
275 states covering an area of 2,15»450
square miles with a population of 34.7
million have been integrated in the unions
of states*
"This brings the total number of states affected by
integration schemes to 552 covering an area of 3>87,893
square miles with a population of 60,783 million.” 7
The
remaining states were left as they were and functioned
as viable administrative units within the Indian union.
Promise of Accommodating the Princely
Interests Within a Democratic Setup
The States Department was created by the interim
government to negotiate with the princes*
In order to
win over the support and secure the cooperation of the
princes, Sardar Patel made a highly conciliatory statement
addressed to the princes on 5 July 1947*
Emphasising the
importance of unity of India, Sardar Patel reminded them
that the Congress was not their enemy but a friend*
He
said! "There appears a great deal of misunderstanding
about the attitude of the Congress towards the states. I
should like to make it clear that it is not the desire
of the Congress to interfere in any matter whatever with
the domestic affairs of the states.
They are no enemies
286
of the princely order, but, on the other hand, wish them
and their people under their aegis all prosperity,
contentment and happiness.* 8
On 12 October 1949# speaking
in the constituent assembly about the payments guaranteed
to the princes, Sardar Patel appreciated the action of
9
1
the princes in joining the Indian union,
Sardar Patel assured the princes that their financial
interests would-be protected under the democratic setup.
Speaking about article 291 of the constitution of India,
Sardar Patel argued: "The privy purse settlements are
therefore in the nature of consideration for the surrender
by the rulers of all their ruling powers and also for the
dissolution of the states as separate units.
We would do
well to remember that the British government spent enormous
amounts in respect of the Maharatta settlements alone.
We are ourselves honouring the commitments of the British
government in respect of the pensions of those rulers
who helped them to consolidate their empire,
Need we
cavil then at that snail — I purposely use the word
small — price we have paid for the bloodless revolution
which has affected the destinies of millions of our
people?"
10
The Congress government was thus anxious to
retain the goodwill of the princes and wanted to utilise
their talents and energies in the framework of democratic
government.
287
Unification of India
/
The policy of accession had ensured the unity of
India to a great extent by 15 August 1947*
The standstill
agreement had provided the basis for continuing admini­
strative and economic arrangements which had been built up
over more than a century.
After the lapse of paramountoy,
the administrative unity of India was not allowed to
lapse into chaos.
Thus the threatened fragmentation of
India was avoided by a well-thought-out policy of the
Congress government.
Describing the role played by Sardar
Eatel in the unification of the princely states with the
Indian dominion, V.P.Menon writes? "The masterly handling
of the rulers by Sardar was the foremost factor in the
success of the accession policy.
The rulers came to
recognise him as a- stable force in Indian politics and
as one who would give them a fair deal.
Added to this,
his unfailing politeness to the rulers, viewed against
his reputation as the 'Iron man of India' endeared him
to them and created such confidence that all accepted his
adviee without demur."
11
The personality of Sardar Patel
was a powerful factor in the unification of India.
Sardar
Patel earned the title "the Bismarck of India."
After 15 August 1947* Junagadh, Kashmir and Hyderabad
joined the Indian union.
Then the process of merger of
288
smaller states with neighbouring provinces was started.
Some of the homogeneous states were brought together
and formed into union of states.
!Dhus administrative,
financial and organic unification was achieved.
She
unification in cdl respects was achieved within a short
period,
for the first time, independent India became
an integrated whole in the real sense of the term.
On
5 July 1947, appealing to the Indian princes to join the
Indian dominion, Sardar Patel emphasised the importance
of the unification of India.
He said, "We are at a
momentous stage in the history of India.
By common
endeavour we can raise the country to a new greatness
while lack of unity will expose us to fresh calamities.
I hope the Indian states will bear in mind that the
alternative to cooperation in the general interest is
anarchy and chaos which will overwhelm great and small
in a common ruin if we are unable to act together in the
minimum common tasks.
Let not the future curse us for
having had the opportunity but failed to turn it to our
natural advantage.
,
Instead, let it be our proud privilege
to leave a legacy of mutually beneficial relationship
which would raise this sacred land to its proper place
amongst the nations of the world and turn it into an abode
of peace and prosperity.”
12
289
To achieve greater unity and a community of interests
between the Indian dominion and the states, the Congress
government at the centre had to-take up certain measures,
namely
(i) democratisation of the states
and (ii) merger
of smaller states with the provinces or formation of union
of states.
Responsible governments were introduced in a
large number of states after independence.
The Political
Department of the British government had not succeeded in
the attachment (merger) of smaller states. The Congress
government, with the consent of the princes and the people
of the states, followed the policy of merger of the states
with the union.
The unification of India was the first and the
primary task of the Congress.
The unification was
essential for political strength, economic development,
cultural expression and military might for the long
suppressed India.
290
Footnotes
1.
Leonard Mosley, The Last Lays of the British
Ra.1 (London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson,
1961), p.160.
2.
White Saner on Indian States (1948) (New Delhi:
Government of India Press, 1948), p.46.
3.
Leonard Mosley, She Last Days of the British
Ra.1 (London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson,
1961), p.176.
4.
Leonard Moslfcy, The Last Days of the British
Ra.1
(London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson,
1961), p.176.
5.
Maurice Gwyer and A.Appadorai, Speeches and
Documents on Indian Constitution
1921-1947 (Bombay: Oxford Univ. Press,
1957), Vol.II, p.771.
6.
Maurice Gwyer and A.Appadorai, Speeches and
Documents on Indian Constitution
1921-1947 (Bombay: Oxford TTniv. Press,
1957), Vol.II, p.775.
7.
White Paper on Indian States (1950) (New Delhi:
Manager of Publications, Government of
India, 1950), p.58.
291
8.
Maurice Gwyer and A.Appadorai, Speeches and
Documents on Indian Constitution
1921-1947 (Bombay: Oxford Univ. Press,
1957), Vol.II, PP.771-772.
9.
Constituent Assembly Debates (Mew Delhi:
Manager of Publications, Government of
India, 1956), Vol-.III, Mo.I, p.167.
10.
V.P.Menon, The Story of the Integration of the
Indian States (Bombay: Orient Longmans,
1956), pp.487-488.
11.
^
V.P.Menon, The Story of the Integration of the
Indian States (Bombay: Orient Longmans,
1956), pp.121-122.
12.
Maurice Gwyer and A.Appadoral, Speeches and
Documents on Indian Constitution
1921-1947 (Bombay: Oxford Univ. Press,
1957), Vol.II, p.772.