13 | Orissa States including Mayurbhanj

At the time of India's independence, the Orissa States comprised 26 princely entities, including eleven 'A' class, twelve 'B' class, and three 'C' class states, varying greatly in size and jurisdiction. This classification was especially employed within the Orissa region which indicated varied degrees of jurisdiction. Some rulers traced their lineage to Rajput pilgrims, while others were descendants of Adivasi chiefs. Most had previously been under Mughal and then Maratha suzerainty, which they lost to the British after the second Anglo-Maratha war. They recognized them as rulers in 1888.

The largest among these states was Mayurbhanj with an area of 4,000 square miles and a population of about 1 million. It was under Maratha suzerainty during the 18^th century and later became a British Protectorate in 1829. It initially remained outside the Eastern States Union and the initial merger efforts, with its Maharaja granting responsible government. However, due to administrative difficulties and unrest, its Maharaja eventually signed an Instrument of Merger on 17 October 1948 (White Paper, 1950).

Other notable states include: Patna, which was a prominent class A state. The ruler of Patna was involved in many political intrigues, including the anti-Hirakud dam project agitation. Despite initial reluctance and attempts to form a federation of states, the ruler of Patna, along with others, signed the merger agreement under pressure from Sardar Patel and V.P. Menon. Another class A state was Dhenkanal whose merger influenced rulers to follow suit. Other class A states were: Bamra, Baudh, Dhenkanal, Gangpur, Kalahandi, Keonjhar, Nayagarh, Patna, Seraikela, and Sonepur. The rest of the class B & C  states were: Athgarh, Baramba, Daspala, Hindol, Khandpara, Narsinghpur, Nilgiri, Pal-Lahara, Rairakhol, Ranpur, and Talcher (White Paper, 1950).

The territories of the Orissa States were scattered and interlaced with the province of Orissa, cutting it into three distinct parts, which posed significant administrative challenges. This jig-saw puzzle-like formation was a common phenomenon across many other state clusters such as Deccan, Gujarat and Rajputana states. Many of these Orissa states suffered from prolonged periods of minority administration under British officials. Their small size and inadequate resources made it impossible to sustain a modern administration or effectively implement responsible government. In some instances, granting responsible government led to bizarre outcomes, such as rulers and ministers dividing state revenues equally, or public offices closing down (Menon, 1956). Autocracy largely continued in most states, with only a thin veneer of democracy in some, leading to political stalemate.

In 1933, the British government formed the Eastern States Agency, unifying the princely states and tributary states from the Orissa and Chota Nagpur region for better administrative control. It was an administrative mechanism designed to exert control and supervision over a cluster of often small and financially precarious states. Their internal affairs were often managed by Agency officials. By consolidating these states under an Agency, the British sought to manage these interventions more systematically and prevent broader instability.

With the transfer of power from the British to the Union Government, agitation for responsible government increased, leading to spreading lawlessness. The people were politically backward, with a substantial indigenous population, and lacked significant political organization. The rulers were also accused of exploiting local politics, for instance, by sponsoring an agitation against the Hirakud Dam project, which was deemed anti-national. Some Orissa rulers, along with few Chhattisgarh state rulers initially formed their own "Eastern States Union" in August 1947, aiming for collective survival and recognition. This Union, however, was not homogeneous linguistically, ethnically, or geographically, and was primarily a 'rulers' trade union' lacking assured income and ignoring the people. Many rulers were not prepared for direct engagement with their subjects' political aspirations after the lapse of paramountcy.

The States Ministry first appointed a Liaison Officer, later raised to Regional Commissioner, to develop contacts with these states. Recognizing the critical situation, especially the communal tensions and the need for law and order, Sardar Patel decided to personally visit Cuttack and Nagpur in December 1947. He emphasized that states could not sustain responsible government due to their small size and inadequate resources. He persuaded the rulers, warning them that without compliance, they might be ousted by their subjects without central support. He also insisted on the dissolution of the Eastern States Union, arguing it lacked justifiable basis and making it clear that Oriya-speaking states should merge with Orissa Province. Menon also negotiated with rulers by highlighting the grim consequences of not merging, such as direct takeover of administration by the Government of India. The rulers agreed to merge following intensive negotiations, particularly after Raja of Dhenkanal’s decision which influenced other rulers (Basu, 2020; Menon, 1956).

Mayurbhanj initially held out, citing grant of responsible government, however within a year its popular ministers nearly bankrupted the state, leading the Maharaja to request merger with Orissa state. There was opposition from the Adivasi population who preferred to merge with Bihar instead. Similarly, there were disputes in the states of Seraikela and Kharsawan as these states were geographically surrounded by Bihar’s Singbhum district. V. P. Menon arbitrated the dispute between Orissa and Bihar based on geographical closeness and the wishes of the Adivasi majority decided to transfer them to Bihar in May 1948 (Menon, 1956).

The decision was made to merge the other states individually with their geographical and linguistic contiguous provinces. The rulers of the class B & C states signed the merger agreement on December 14, 1947. Class A states followed suit after initial resistance and the merger was completed on January 1, 1949. This agreement subsequently became the model for later integrations of other state clusters. Privy purses were granted as "elementary justice" or a "quid pro quo" for the rulers surrendering their states permanently. The "Eastern States formula" was adopted as the basis for calculating the privy purses. Rulers initially demanded increases, but Sardar Patel remained firm, stating that perpetual privy purses should not be so high as to become targets of attack (Menon, 1956; Basu, 2020). 

References:

• Basu, N. (2020). VP Menon: The Unsung Architect of Modern India. Simon & Schuster India.

  
  

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

  
  

• Ministry of States. (1950). White Paper on Indian States. Government of India. https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/White_Paper_on_Indian_States_(1950)

  
  

• Zubrzycki, J. (2023). Dethroned: Patel, Menon and the integration of Princely India. Juggernaut Books.