33 | Bilaspur & East Punjab Hill States

The East Punjab Hill States, comprising 21 princely states and 9 feudatory states, spanned around 11,000 square miles with a population of over one million. Among these were five major salute states: Chamba, Mandi, Sirmur, Suket, and Bashahr. The rest were non-salute states. Historically marked by Gurkha invasions, these states later came under British protection. They were plagued by poverty, backwardness, and lack of amenities, making them a pressing concern for the post-independence Indian government (Menon, 1956; White Paper, 1950).

After 15 August 1947, several of these states, such as Suket and Balsan, voluntarily handed over administration, while others like Chamba required police and military assistance due to unrest (Menon, 1956).

Salute States of the Punjab Hill Region

• Chamba (Raja) – 11-gun hereditary salute

• Mandi (Raja) – 11-gun hereditary salute

• Sirmur/Nahan (Maharaja) – 11-gun hereditary salute

• Suket (Raja) – 11-gun hereditary salute

• Bashahr (Raja) – 9-gun personal salute

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A major concern was the rejection of merger with East Punjab. The rulers and people argued that linguistic, cultural, and geographical differences set them apart from the Punjab plains. Moreover, East Punjab, already devastated by Partition, was not in a position to absorb new administrative burdens (Menon, 1956).

Instead, V.P. Menon, during a meeting on March 2, 1948, proposed that the states be merged into a single centrally administered unit. This would allow the Government of India to take charge of development via a Chief Commissioner or Lieutenant-Governor. The rulers accepted, with Mandi’s Raja speaking for the group. On March 8, 1948, the Instrument of Merger was signed, leading to the formation of Himachal Pradesh as a Chief Commissioner’s Province on April 15, 1948 (Menon, 1956).

Negotiations and Merger

V. P. Menon played a key role in the negotiations. At a conference on March 2, 1948, he argued that forming a union of these states would not have “survival value” and advocated direct administration by the Government of India. He proposed the integration of all the hill states into a single unit administered either by a Chief Commissioner or a Lieutenant-Governor (Menon, 1956).

The rulers accepted this proposal. The Raja of Mandi, speaking on their behalf, requested that rulers be given some voice in administration. Menon agreed to form an Advisory Council with three rulers (Menon, 1956).

On March 8, 1948, the rulers signed the merger agreement, ceding “full and exclusive authority, jurisdiction and powers” to the Dominion Government. The newly merged unit was named Himachal Pradesh and inaugurated as a Chief Commissioner’s Province on April 15, 1948. Later, its status was upgraded to a Lieutenant-Governor’s Province with its own legislature and ministry (Menon, 1956).

Although the East Punjab Hill States did not explicitly enter into a Standstill Agreement, the merger implied continuity in critical services such as posts, telegraphs, and railways (Menon, 1956).

Special Case of Bilaspur

Bilaspur, one of the East Punjab Hill States and geographically part of the Himachal region, covered approximately 453 square miles and had a population of about 100,000. Historically, it was ruled by Rajput rulers, and had come under British protection after the Gurkha invasion. In 1813, a sanad was issued recognizing its status, and Raja Him Chand was granted an 11-gun hereditary salute for his support during the 1857 Mutiny (Menon, 1956).

Like many other smaller princely states, Bilaspur lacked the capacity to provide basic amenities and required substantial planning and investment. Despite this, its ruler initially showed strong resistance to integration, declaring a desire to remain independent and even stating a willingness to fight to retain autonomy (Menon, 1956).

As with other small princely states, Bilaspur faced significant challenges in providing basic amenities, requiring substantial resources and planning that only the Government of India could furnish. Despite its limited size, the Raja of Bilaspur initially expressed a strong desire for his state to retain its independence and rejected the idea of grouping with other states, even asserting a willingness to ‘fight to protect itself’. Lord Mountbatten, when asked about states joining neither Constituent Assembly, indicated that administrative arrangements would be essential for geographical and economic reasons (Menon, 1956; Phadnis, 1968; Zubrzycki, 2023).

The most critical factor influencing Bilaspur's integration was the colossal multi-purpose Bhakra Dam Project, located within its territory over the Sutlej river. This project was deemed to be of high importance. A significant portion of Bilaspur, including its capital and the royal palace, was projected to be submerged once the dam was constructed. Prior to Partition, the Government of Punjab was in negotiations with the Raja of Bilaspur for the dam's construction. However, allowing Punjab to control the project would have given them discretion over water distribution, which was considered unfair to other beneficiaries like Patiala and East Punjab States Union (PEPSU) and Rajasthan. Furthermore, under the Government of India Act of 1935, the central government lacked the authority to control multi-purpose river-valley schemes, a power that would only be acquired under the new Constitution (Menon, 1956; Phadnis, 1968; Zubrzycki, 2023).

Given these considerations, the Government of India decided that direct central control was necessary to ensure the project's success and fair resource distribution. V.P. Menon suggested that taking over Bilaspur as a Chief Commissioner's province would grant the Government of India the ‘final say’ in the project. This was also deemed essential for the state and its people until the dam was completed, displaced persons rehabilitated, and compensation paid. On August 15, 1948, the Raja of Bilaspur signed a merger agreement, under which he ceded ‘full and exclusive authority, jurisdiction and powers’ related to the governance of the state to the Dominion Government. The administration of Bilaspur was formally transferred to the Dominion Government on October 12, 1948. Bilaspur was then established as a separate Centrally administered unit, designated as a Chief Commissioner's province. Its administration was conducted under the Extra Provincial Jurisdiction Act, 1947 (Menon, 1956; White Paper, 1950).

Bilaspur maintained its distinct centrally administered status for several years due to the ongoing Bhakra Dam project. It was eventually amalgamated with Himachal Pradesh in 1954, bringing its integration in line with the broader regional consolidation of the hill states. The Indian States Forces units of Bilaspur were also integrated into the Indian Army (Menon, 1956).

Privy Purse

The integration process of all the 21 States and Bilaspur was facilitated by the willingness of the rulers to accept reasonable guarantees, including privy purses and the retention of their private properties and titles, in exchange for surrendering their ruling powers. This unification ensured India's territorial integrity and laid the groundwork for a more uniform administrative and economic development across the country. The administrative and legislative functions in these centrally-administered areas were exercised by the Government of India through the Extra Provincial Jurisdiction Act, 1947, and subsequent amendments to the Government of India Act of 1935 (White Paper, 1950).

References:

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

  
  

• Phadnis, U. (1968). Towards the Integration of Indian States, 1919-1947 [Doctoral thesis]. Banaras Hindu University.

  
  

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

  
  

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