Integration of India

Back in 1941, India under British administration consisted of numerous princely estates and jagirs that formed 424 larger administrative units - 202 princely states, 42 princely districts, and 180 British districts, with some large states and agencies like Jammu & Kashmir, Hyderabad, and Rajputana.

Post-independence, India witnessed the national-level integration of different princely states and British districts into the Indian union. By 1950, India had largely completed the integration of its territory, consolidating the 424 princely states and British-administered divisions into 29 states and 310 districts under the categories of Part A, B, C, and D states.

The partition and integration of princely states drastically reorganised India's boundaries in merely a decade.

Timeline

People

Formation of states ministry; V P Menon

June 25 meeting of princes (Mountabatten)

Menon Plan

Drafting of Instruments of Accession

Acceptance of IoA - timeline

Sardar Patel

Problem states:

Junagadh
Kashmir
Travancore
Bhopal
Hyderabad

V.P. Menon

Final Integration

Lord Mountbatten

Documents

Instruments of Accession

Merger Agreements

Privy Purse

Privy Purses were granted to rulers as compensation for surrendering their ruling powers and dissolving their states, along with retaining some private properties, rights, privileges, and dignities. They were intended to cover all expenses of the ruler and their family, including staff, palaces, and ceremonies, with no additional payments from the government. The goal was to help rulers and their successors adjust to new social and economic environments and avoid discontent among them.

Privy Purses were often a reflection of the size, annual revenue, and prestige of the ruling states. There was no uniform basis for fixing Privy Purses due to varying amenities across states and the complex negotiations involved. An 'Eastern States formula' was developed for a more equitable approach. According to which, a state with an average annual revenue of Rs 15 lakh would receive an annual Privy Purse of Rs 1,30,000

Key states with significant Privy Purses included Gwalior (Rs 25 lakh), Indore (Rs 15 lakh), Patiala (Rs 17 lakh), Baroda (Rs 26.5 lakh), Jaipur (Rs 18 lakh), Jodhpur (Rs 17.5 lakh), Bikaner (Rs 17 lakh), Travancore (Rs 18 lakh), Bhopal (Rs 11 lakh), Mysore (Rs 26 lakh) and Hyderabad. Here is a map of privy purses of big and influential states. Guess why Baroda and Travancore received such high privy purses?

The Nizam of Hyderabad received a Privy Purse of Rs 50 lakh in Hyderabad currency, equivalent to Rs 43 lakh in Indian currency, since his accession, which was about 2% of the state's revenues in 1947-48.The Maharajah of Patiala was considered equal in status to the rulers of Jaipur, Jodhpur, and Bikaner, necessitating a Privy Purse amount not less than what was allocated to these rulers.

Over 450 out of 554 states had an annual revenue of less than Rs 15 lakh. Saurashtra received a higher Privy Purse than the formula suggested to facilitate its consolidation, viewed as essential despite the cost. In subsequent integrations, 11 states received Privy Purses fixed on an ad hoc basis above the Rs 10 lakh ceiling, reflecting their importance to the integration policy. Here is a chart of privy purses of many small states.