14 | Chhattisgarh States

There were 15 Chattisgarh princely states with diverse origins. The prominent among them was Bastar, along with Sakti, Sarangarh, Changbhakar, Chhuikhadan, Jashpur, Kalahandi, Kanker, Kawardha, Khairagarh, Korea, Makrai, Nandgao, Raigarh and Udaipur. These states, along with those in Orissa were among the first to undergo the process of merger with adjacent provinces. Bastar was historically under the suzerainty of Maratha Bhosalas of Nagpur. Under British suzerainty, Chhattisgarh states were officially recognised as rulers in 1863. However, they often exercised less internal sovereignty compared to older, more established states and were sometimes treated by provincial governments as mere zamindars. These states generally lacked the capacity to provide efficient administration or adequate social and health services, and many had experienced prolonged periods of minority administration under British Political Agents (White Paper, 1950).

Following the Cabinet Mission proposals, some rulers of the Orissa and Chhattisgarh states formed the Eastern States Union, which commenced operations on 1 August 1947. However, the largest states in the region, such as Mayurbhanj and Bastar, along with several smaller ones, chose to remain outside this union. The Eastern States Union suffered from fundamental weaknesses: it lacked geographical, linguistic, or ethnic homogeneity, had no assured source of income, and effectively ignored the interests of the people (Menon, 1956; Zubrzycki, 2023).

A crucial concern for the nascent Indian government was the strategic importance of Bastar, particularly its rich Bailadilla iron-ore deposits. Reports indicated that the state's mineral resources were on the verge of being mortgaged to Hyderabad State through a long lease. Sardar Patel intervened, preventing the Political Department from concluding the deal. There were even rumours of Hyderabad attempting a localised infiltration into Bastar and scheming to convince its young ruler to merge with Hyderabad, further pressing the need for early integration (Menon, 1956; Zubrzycki, 2023).

Sardar Patel became convinced that the Eastern States Union was inherently unviable and that the rulers ‘lacked the capacity to secure the wellbeing of their subjects’. He believed that merger was the only way to safeguard the rulers from the anger of their subjects. V.P. Menon, despite acknowledging the deviation from earlier assurances, concurred that the ‘compulsion of events’ necessitated such action. On 15 December 1947, Patel and Menon held a meeting with the rulers of the Chhattisgarh states in Nagpur. They persuaded rulers to accede in order to seek protection from their internal disorders. Following this, ten rulers signed the merger agreement, and other representatives pledged to secure their rulers' signatures. Bastar, along with 13 other Chhattisgarh States, became a part of the Central Provinces and Berar, later known as Madhya Pradesh on 1 January 1948 (Menon, 1956).

As an ‘elementary justice’ for surrendering their sovereign powers, rulers were guaranteed Privy Purses. Rulers were permitted to retain their palaces and certain other properties, as well as their personal privileges and titles. The agreements aimed to bring the administrative and judicial systems of the integrated states in line with those of the provinces, including the repeal of outmoded taxes and the extension of provincial and central laws. Seventeen representatives from the integrated states were nominated to the State Legislative Assembly, and the Raja of Sarangarh, Naresh Chandra Singh, became a minister in the Central Provinces Cabinet (Zubrzycki, 2023; Tewari, 2019). 

The integration process was met with some discontent. Rulers from Chhattisgarh reportedly ‘felt humiliated and had accepted the mergers unwillingly’ (Zubrzycki, 2023). 

References:

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)

Tewari, S. (2019). Nationalizing a princely state: Democratic politics in tribal Bastar (1947-1980). Jindal Global University (PURE) Publication Repository. https://pure.jgu.edu.in/id/eprint/1910/

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