8 | Madras states - Pudukkottai, Banganpalle & Sandur

The princely states of Pudukkottai, Banganapalle and Sandur were among the ‘isolated States’ that were merged with the Madras Province after India's independence.

Integration of Pudukkottai:

Covering an area of 1170 sq. miles and a population of less than half a million, Pudukkottai was a significant state located north of Madurai and west of Tanjore. It was founded in 1686 by Raghunatha Raya Tondaiman. Historically, the Tondaimans of Pudukkottai provided valuable military assistance to the British against the French, Hyder Ali, Tippu Sultan, and in the Poligar wars during the eighteenth century. Historically Pudukkottai escaped Permanent Settlement in Madras presidency in 1803, which transformed other states into zamindars, due to not being recorded into any treaty or Sanad. This was largely due to its timely military aid and supplies to the British from 1751 (Ramusack & Johnson, 2004). The state was known for being well-administered, with notable administrators like Sir A. Seshiah Sastry and Sir Alexander Loftus Tottenham, and its prosperity was also attributed to the Nattukottai Chettiars, hereditary bankers. 

V.P. Menon invited the Raja, Rajagopala Tondaiman Bahadur, to Delhi to discuss the state's future. The Raja, then only twenty-six, was completely overwhelmed by the proposal to merge his state with Madras He and his advisor offered no immediate response before signing the agreement. The merger agreement was signed on 29 February 1948. The Raja had earlier signed the instrument of accession in New Delhi, after a personal meeting with Sardar Patel. After the merger, it was decided that Pudukkottai would be merged in Madras as a revenue division in Tiruchirappalli district. The collector of Tiruchirappalli, V. V. Subramanian took over the administration of Pudukkottai on behalf of the Indian Government on 3rd March 1948. The Privy Purse and private properties of the Raja were settled in accordance with the recommendations of the Government of Madras (Menon, 1950).

Post-merger, a significant challenge that emerged was complaints from the people's leaders in Pudukkottai regarding neglect by the Government of Madras after the merger. Menon personally intervened, meeting the then Premier of Madras, Omandur P. Ramaswami Reddiar, who pledged to address these grievances. However the dissatisfaction still persisted. 

Integration of Banganpalle:

Banganapalle was a small Muslim state, with an area of 275 square miles and a population of about 40,000. It originated as a jagir granted by the King of Bijapur (Memoranda on the Indian States, 1935). The merger of Banganpalle was relatively straightforward. The Nawab, Fazl-i-Ali Khan Bahadur, signed a merger agreement on 18 February 1948. The administration of the state was taken over by the Madras Government on 23 February 1948 (Menon, 1956).

Integration of Sandur:

Sandur was a small ‘island’ state within the Madras Province, with an area of 168 square miles and a population of 15,814. It was situated within the district of Bellary and was characterised by hills and jungle. The ruling house of Sandur belonged to the Ghorpade family, which was also linked to the Bhosles of Satara. Siddoji, the founder of Sandur, conquered the state from a local Bedar tribe poligar. In 1817, the ruler Siva Rao faced a demand for Sandur's surrender by the East India Company, which was assisting the Peshwa against refractory vassals under the Treaty of Bassein. However, after the fall of Peshwas, Siva Rao was reinstated as a ruler in 1818 under the recommendation of colonel Munro and received a Sanad in 1826 (Memoranda on the Indian States, 1935; Ministry of States, 1950).

For a small state like Sandur, its limited size and resources made its future as a separate entity unviable. Menon notes that it was evident from the outset that Sandur had no future except to merge with Madras. He invited the ruler to Delhi for discussions. The ruler was reluctant at first but eventually signed the merger agreement on 1 April 1949. The ruler received the sum of Rs. 90,000 as a privy purse. The agreement formally stated that in the best interests of both Sandur and the Dominion of India, it was desirable for the state's administration to be handled by or under the authority of the Dominion Government. Subsequently, when Andhra province (Andhra State) was formed, it was transferred to Mysore (Menon, 1956).

V. P. Menon notes that the overall merger of small isolated states that merged into big provinces like Madras, the process was smooth and without dissatisfaction among its population, largely due the presence of trained civil servants and experienced ministers in the provincial governments.

References:

• Memoranda on the Indian States. (1935). Manager of Publications. Delhi.

  
  

• 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)

  
  

• Ramusack, B. N., & Johnson, G. (2004). The Indian Princes and their States. Cambridge university press.