11 | Deccan States

There were 17 different princely states in the Deccan, along with Kolhapur, which were geographically interspersed within the Bombay Province. It included the smaller states and Jagirs from the erstwhile Maratha empire, such as Akkalkot, Sangli, Janjira, Jath, Mudhol, Aundh, Bhor, Miraj (Junior & Senior), Phaltan, Ramdurg, Kurundwad (Junior & Senior), Jamkhandi, Sawantwadi, Savnur, Daphalapur and other smaller Jagirs (estates). They covered an area of around 7,650 square miles with a population of about 17 lakh, generating the revenue of Rs. 1,42,00,000. Their populations were significantly influenced by their proximity to British India, leading to increased political awareness. These states were diverse, ruled by Maratha, Brahmin, and Muslim lineages. Some states, like Aundh, were progressive, having granted responsible government as early as 1939 (Government of Bombay, 1926).

As early as 1933, there were plans to consolidate these smaller states into a single unit, to rectify administrative shortcomings and facilitate their inclusion in federal arrangements. But these plans were dropped as they were deemed impractical then (Menon, 1957). In July 1946, some Deccan rulers proposed forming a union of their states and approached Mahatma Gandhi to seek his approval. Although he discouraged the idea, he advised them to consult with Jawaharlal Nehru. Nehru was not entirely against the idea but stressed that rulers should first grant responsible government to their people. K.M. Munshi was tasked with drafting a detailed covenant which included provisions for a Council of Rulers (Rajmandal), a High Court, a Constituent Assembly. This covenant provided an interim government for the United Deccan State.

The integration of these states presented several issues. The Deccan States were not contiguous and were scattered across two linguistic regions: Maharashtra and Karnataka. Intervening territories were part of the Bombay Province. For instance, Bhor, a small state, was divided into three distinct parts, with enclaves of Indian territory within it. This posed administrative challenges. Many of these states had limited financial resources, making independent survival difficult. Their small size often meant a lack of modern amenities, inadequate welfare services, and underdeveloped industries. These smaller states often lacked departmentalization, concentrating authority in a few hands and impeding progress (Government of Bombay, 1926). While some rulers were progressive, others were hesitant or preferred alternative arrangements. The proposed United Deccan State union aimed to preserve the rulers' collective identity and covenants.

Political consciousness was high among the people due to their proximity to British India. Popular movements, such as the Prajamandals, increasingly demanded merger with Bombay (Desai, 1948). On 26 January 1948, the constituent assembly of United Deccan State resolved this demand by accepting the popular verdict of the Prajamandal to merge with the Bombay Province. Kamalnayan Bajaj was tasked with negotiating the terms of the merger with the rulers and government of India (Menon, 1957).

There were also disturbances leading to administrative collapse in certain states, which necessitated immediate intervention. For example, in Ramdurg, the administration broke down, leading the ruler to request an immediate transfer of administration to Bombay (Menon, 1957). Following Gandhi's assassination in January 1948 by a Maharashtrian Brahmin, riots and widespread disturbances broke out in Maharashtra, including certain princely states (notably Kolhapur) particularly affecting Brahmin and Bania communities. The smaller Deccan States found themselves unable to cope with the escalating violence and the breakdown of law and order. This forced their rulers to request the Indian government to accept the merger of their states with Bombay, even in advance of signing formal agreements (Menon, 1956).

The negotiations for the merger were influenced by several factors:

Non-Recognition of the United Deccan State: The initial attempt to form a United Deccan State was not founded on a firm basis, as it lacked geographical continuity, spanned multiple linguistic regions, and included only eight of the seventeen states. When a delegation from the Rajmandal of the United Deccan State met Sardar Patel in December 1947, he made it clear that the Government of India did not recognize the union, and its covenant had no legal validity. Patel insisted that each state must merge individually with the Union of India (Menon, 1957).

Influence of Orissa-Chhattisgarh Mergers: The successful integration of the Orissa and Chhattisgarh states in December 1947 set a persuasive precedent. Consequently, rulers of the Deccan States passed a resolution on 21 December 1947, agreeing not to obstruct their merger with the Bombay Province if their people and constitution-making bodies approved (Menon, 1957).

Ascertaining Popular Will: Sardar Patel initially proposed using plebiscites to ascertain public support for merger. However, this idea was later dropped—especially for fragmented states like Aundh—as the Prajamandals (people’s associations) had already provided a clear mandate in favor of integration with Bombay (Menon, 1957).

Law and Order Crisis: Following Gandhi’s assassination in January 1948, several states experienced administrative breakdowns. In Ramdurg, for example, the ruler urgently requested the Government of Bombay to take over the administration due to escalating violence (Menon, 1957).

Meeting with Rulers: A key meeting of rulers took place on 19 February 1948 in Bombay, presided over by B.G. Kher, Premier of Bombay, with C.C. Desai representing the States Ministry. Kher praised the rulers for their wisdom and spirit of renunciation, noting their willingness to prioritize national unity (Menon, 1957).

Privy Purse: The primary focus of this meeting was the Privy Purse. C.C. Desai applied the "Eastern States formula", which had been used for fixing Privy Purses in the Orissa and Chhattisgarh region. This was less generous than the original "Deccan States formula", and he resisted attempts by the Deccan rulers to claim higher allowances (Menon, 1957).

Specific Cases and Merger Finalization of Deccan States:

Sawantwadi, initially unwilling to participate in the United Deccan State and expressing a desire to merge with Kolhapur, was compelled to sign its Instrument of Merger after political disturbances led to the formation of a parallel government and the arrest of key state officials (Menon, 1957).

Janjira, a small Muslim maritime state, had already transferred its law and order administration to Bombay before integration and later agreed to fully merge its administration into Bombay Province (Menon, 1957).

The merger agreements established a new constitutional relationship for the Deccan States with the Dominion of India. The rulers ceded “full and exclusive authority, jurisdiction, and powers for and in relation to the governance” of their states to the Government of India, effective from the date of merger. The Privy Purse payments were guaranteed for successors, initially charged to the merged states’ revenue but later transferred to the central budget. Rulers were guaranteed the enjoyment of private properties, titles, and dignities, and any disputes over state versus private property were to be settled by judicial officers appointed by the Government of India (Menon, 1957).

Administration of these merged states was transferred to Bombay Province, which absorbed them into existing districts and harmonized their revenue, judicial, and administrative systems. Outdated taxes were repealed. While this led to dissatisfaction among some local state employees, the integration process was generally smooth due to the trained provincial civil service (Menon, 1957).

Although the Deccan States didn’t explicitly sign a Standstill Agreement, the merger implied continuity in services like railways, posts, and telegraphs, similar to arrangements made under such agreements for other princely states. The formal merger of 16 Deccan States took effect on 8 March 1948, covering an area of 7,815 square miles, a population of 1,693,103, and revenue totaling Rs. 1,42,15,599. By early 1950, the Deccan States were geographically and constitutionally integrated into Part A of Bombay State (Menon, 1957).

References:

• Desai, A. R. (1948). Social Background of Indian Nationalism (1st ed.). Popular Book Depot.

  
  

• Government of Bombay. (1926). Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency: Supplementary volume on the states in the Deccan States Agency. Bombay: Government Central Press.

  
  

• Menon, V. P. (1956). The Story of Integration of the Indian states. Orient Blackswan.

  
  

• Menon, V. P. (1957). The Transfer of Power in India. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

Annexures:

Aundh Instrument of Accession:

Aundh Merger Agreement:

Miraj Instrument of Accession: