Since the Indian independence, the boundaries of the Indian states keep on changing year by year. From 565 princely states and 17 provinces before partition, to 14 states and 7 Union Territories following the Reorganization of States in 1956 to 29 states and 7 union territories in 2014, now after the bifurcation of Jammu & Kashmir to 28 states and 8 Union Territories after it. Let’s understand these changes in chronological order of events.
Other timelines:
The British ruled India with two administrative systems, British Provinces and Princely States:
British Provinces: Directly administered by the colonial government of British India. Total 17 provinces covering about 60% of the territory of the Indian sub-continent.
Princely States: Princely states were states with native rulers, which had entered into treaty relations with the British. There were total 565 (dispute over the number like 552, 562, 584, etc) officially recognized princely states covering about 40% of the territory of the Indian sub-continent. The Chamber of Princes (Narendra Mandal) was an institution established in 1920 by a royal proclamation of King-Emperor George V to provide a forum in which the rulers of the princely states of India could voice their needs and aspirations to the colonial government of British India.
The British government proposed a plan, announced on 3 June 1947, famously known as Mountbatten Plan, for division of British India into the two new dominions of India and Pakistan, with effect from 15 August 1947. Later, the 1947 Indian Independence Act, Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which received the royal assent on 18 July 1947. Major highlights of the act are as below:
British Provinces: The border between India and Pakistan (the Radcliffe Line) was determined. Pakistan came into being with two non-contiguous enclaves, East Pakistan (today Bangladesh) and West Pakistan, separated geographically by India.
Princely States: The princely states would be free from orders and treaties of British Rule in India. They can either join the two dominions or stay separate. In addition, British Government would not grant dominion status to any of the princely states, nor would it accept them into the British Commonwealth.
Phase 1 [Before 15th Aug 1947]
British Provinces:
At the time of independence in 1947, British India had 17 provinces. Upon the Partition of British India into the Dominion of India and Dominion of Pakistan, 11 provinces (Ajmer-Merwara-Kekri, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Bihar, Bombay, Central Provinces and Berar, Coorg, Delhi, Madras, Panth-Piploda, Orissa, and the United Provinces) joined India, 3 (Baluchistan, North-West Frontier and Sindh) joined Pakistan, and 3 (Punjab, Bengal and Assam) were partitioned between India and Pakistan.
Princely States:
As princely state were not British, they could not partition them between the new sovereign nations of India and Pakistan and gave them a choice to either join the two dominions or stay separate. The rulers of the princely states were not uniformly enthusiastic about integrating their domains into independent India and even some of them wanted to have their separate existence or a subcontinent-wide confederation of princely states, as a third entity in addition to India and Pakistan. Like these, they came up with lots of ideas but a number of factors contributed to the collapse of this initial resistance. An important factor was the lack of unity among the princes. The smaller states did not trust the larger states to protect their interests, and many Hindu rulers did not trust Muslim princes.
The key factors that led the states to accept integration into India were the efforts of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and V. P. Menon. The two were respectively the political and administrative heads of the States Department, which was in charge of relations with the princely states. The political integration of princely states into India was a declared objective of the Indian National Congres. Through a combination of factors, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and V. P. Menon convinced the rulers of the various princely states to accede to India.
Patel and Menon backed up their diplomatic efforts by producing treaties that were designed to be attractive to rulers of princely states. Two key documents were produced. The first was the Standstill Agreement, which confirmed the continuance of the pre-existing agreements and administrative practices. The second was the Instrument of Accession, by which the ruler of the princely state in question agreed to the accession of his kingdom to independent India, granting the latter control over specified subject matters.
Between May 1947 and the transfer of power on 15 August 1947, the vast majority of states (no exact number is available but close to 546) signed Instruments of Accession with Union of India and only two rulers acceded to Pakistan in the first month of its independence. Later, another 12 princely states joined the Dominion of Pakistan during 1947-1952.
Phase 2 [15th Aug 1947 to 26th Jan 1950]
Oct 1947: Jammu and Kashmir was a Muslim majority state; however, Hari Singh, being a Hindu, wanted Kashmir to be a part of India. But, Pashtun Tribesman from Pakistan then invaded Kashmir and defeated Hari Singh's forces and Hari Singh appealed to India for help. Although the Indian Prime Minister Nehru was ready to send troops, but advised the Maharaja to accede to India before India could send its troops. Hence, considering the emergency, the Maharaja signed the Instrument of Accession on 26 October 1947. These events triggered the first Indo-Pakistan War.
Nov 1947: Junagadh (now in Gujarat), a kingdom with nearly 80% Hindu population whose Muslim ruler decided to accede to Pakistan on September 15, 1947. The outraged people of Junagadh rose against the Nawab’s rule in several parts of the state, forcing the ruler to flee to Karachi with his family and formed a provisional Government there. Patel asked Pakistan to reverse its acceptance of the accession and to hold a plebiscite. When it refused, he sent the Indian Army to annex the princely state on November 1, 1947.
June 1948: Small princely Piploda (now in Madhy Pradesh) state acceded to Government of India.
Apr 1949: Last ruler of Jodhpur (now in Rajasthan) State, which tried to negotiate better deals with Pakistan, but later signed the accession to join the Indian Union on 7 April 1949. Jodhpur State was the largest state under the Rajputana Agency and the third largest state in British India after Jammu and Kashmir State and Hyderabad State.
Sep 1948: Hyderabad (the largest and richest of all princely states), 87% of its people were Hindu with a Muslim leader, had blatantly refused to join the Indian dominion. Both requests and threats from Patel and others mediators failed to change the mind of the wily Nizam, who kept expanding his army by importing arms from Europe. On September 17, 1948, Indian forces marched into Hyderabad under what came to be known as ‘Operation Polo’. Subsequently, the Nizam signed an instrument of accession, joining India.
The Instruments of Accession were limited, transferring control of only three matters (defense, external affairs, and communications) to India, and would by themselves have produced a rather loose federation, with significant differences in administration and governance across the various states. Full political integration, in contrast, would require a process whereby the political actors in the various states were "persuaded to shift their loyalties, expectations, and political activities towards a new center", namely, the Republic of India.
The new Constitution of India, which came into force on 26 January 1950, made India a sovereign democratic republic. The new republic was also declared a "Union of States". The constitution of 1950 distinguished between below types of states:
Part A states (Total 9), which were the former governors' provinces of British India, were ruled by an elected governor and state legislature. The nine Part A states were Assam, Bihar, Bombay (formerly Bombay Province), East Punjab, Madhya Pradesh (formerly Central Provinces and Berar), Madras, Orissa, Uttar Pradesh (formerly the United Provinces), and West Bengal.
Part B states (Total 8) were former princely states or groups of princely states, governed by a rajpramukh, who was usually the ruler of a constituent state, and an elected legislature. The rajpramukh was appointed by the President of India. The Part B states were Hyderabad, Jammu and Kashmir, Madhya Bharat, Mysore, Patiala and East Punjab States Union (PEPSU), Rajasthan (formerly Rajputana Agency), Saurashtra, and Travancore-Cochin.
Part C states (Total 10) included both the former chief commissioners' provinces and some princely states, and each was governed by a chief commissioner appointed by the President of India. The Part C states were Ajmer, Bhopal, Bilaspur, Coorg, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Kutch, Manipur, Tripura, and Vindhya Pradesh.
Part D states (Total 1) was the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, which were administered by a lieutenant governor appointed by the union government.
Phase 3 [1954] – Exist of French from India
Oct 1954: In May 1950, the French allowed the Indian government to assume de facto control over Chandannagar, officially ceding the city to India on 2 February 1951. De jure transfer took place on 9 June 1952. On 2 October 1954 Chandannagar was integrated into the state of West Bengal.
Nov 1954: The territories of French India were completely transferred to the Republic of India de facto on 1 November 1954, and de jure on 16 August 1962, when French India ceased to exist, becoming the present Indian constituent union territory of Pondicherry, combining four coastal enclaves.
Phase 4 [1956] – Reorganization of States
The demand for states to be organized on a linguistic basis was developed even before India achieved independence from British rule. The post-independence period saw the ascent of political movements for the creation of new states developed on linguistic lines. However, post-independence, the first state to be created on a linguistic basis was Andhra in 1953, created out of the Telugu-speaking northern parts of Madras State.
With the increasing demands of separate states, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru appointed the States Reorganization Commission in December 1953, with the remit to reorganize the Indian states. The States Reorganization Commission submitted a report on September 30, 1955, with recommendations for the reorganization of India's states, which was then debated by the Indian parliament. Subsequently, bills as States Reorganization Act, 1956 were passed to make changes to the constitution and to administer the reorganization of the states.
The States Reorganization Act of 1956 was a major step towards dividing India into states and Union Territories. The following list sets out the states and union territories of India as reorganized on 1st November 1956:
States
Andhra Pradesh: formed by the merger of Andhra State (1953-56) with the Telugu-speaking areas of Hyderabad State (1948–56).
Assam: The adjoining map depicts the scenario according to States Reorganization Act of 1956.
Bihar: Reduced slightly by the transfer of minor territories to West Bengal.
Bombay State: The state was enlarged by the addition of Saurashtra State and Kutch State, the Marathi-speaking districts of Berar Division and Nagpur Division of Central Province and Berar and Marathwada region of Hyderabad State. The southernmost districts of the Bombay Presidency were transferred to Mysore State.
Jammu and Kashmir: No change of boundary in 1956.
Kerala: Formed by the merger of Travancore-Cochin state with the Malabar district and Kasaragod taluk of South Canara district of the Madras Presidency. The southern part of Travancore-Cochin, Kanyakumari district was transferred to Madras State.
Madhya Pradesh: Madhya Bharat, Vindhya Pradesh, and Bhopal State were merged into Madhya Pradesh; the Marathi-speaking districts of Nagpur Division were transferred to Bombay State.
Madras State: Malabar District was transferred to the new state of Kerala, and a new union territory, Laccadive, Minicoy and Amindivi Islands, was created. The southern part of Travancore-Cochin, Kanyakumari district was added to the state.
Mysore State: enlarged by the addition of Coorg State and the Kannada speaking districts from western Madras Presidency, southern Bombay Presidency and western Hyderabad State.
Orissa: No change of boundary in 1956.
Punjab: enlarged by addition of the Patiala and East Punjab States Union.
Rajasthan: enlarged by the addition of Ajmer state and parts of Bombay and Madhya Bharat states.
Uttar Pradesh: No change of boundary in 1956.
West Bengal: enlarged by addition of minor territory previously forming part of Bihar.
Union territories
Andaman and Nicobar Islands (first union territory of India after India gained independence)
Delhi
Manipur
Tripura
Himachal Pradesh
Lakshadweep (Laccadive, Minicoy & Amindivi) Islands
Pondicherry
Phase 5 [1961] – Exist of Portuguese from India
Aug 1961 - The Annexation of Dadra and Nagar Haveli was the conflict in which the territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli passed from Portuguese rule to Indian Union rule in 1954. After India attained independence in 1947, some residents, with the help of volunteers of organisations such as the United Front of Goans (UFG), the National Movement Liberation Organisation (NMLO), the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the Azad Gomantak Dal occupied Dadra and Nagar Haveli in 1954 and displaced Portuguese rule. Despite successfully conquering the territories, India did not immediately assimilate these enclaves into the Indian Union. From 1954 to 1961, the territory was administered as Free Dadra and Nagar Haveli by a body called the Varishta Panchayat of Free Dadra and Nagar Haveli. The territories were subsequently merged into the Indian Union in 1961.
Dec 1961 - In 1961, India proclaimed that Goa should join India "either with full peace or with full use of force". In August 1961, India began military preparations and, following Nehru's announcement on 1 December 1961, that India would not remain silent in relation to the Goan situation, Indian troops were strategically stationed close to the Goan border. After failure of diplomacy with the Portuguese, Government of India ordered the Indian Armed Forces to take Goa by force. In a military operation conducted on 18 and 19 December 1961, Indian troops captured Goa with little resistance. The governor-general of Portuguese India signed an instrument of surrender and Goa became UT.
Phase 6 [1960 - 2020] – Changes Continued
May 1960 - On May 1, 1960, Bombay State was divided into the two states of Maharashtra and Gujarat. [S-15, UT-9]
Dec 1963 - This state was formed on 1 December 1963. It is separated from Assam. [S-16, UT-9]
Nov 1966 - In 1966 the Punjab Reorganization Act was implemented. With this, Haryana was carved out of the state on November 1, 1966, while the northern districts were added with Himachal Pradesh. Chandigarh was established as a Union Territory and was shared by both Punjab and Haryana. [S-17, UT-10]
Jan 1971 – Himachal Pradesh converted into state from UT. [S-18, UT-9]
Jan 1972 - On January 21, 1972, the three states of Meghalaya, Manipur, and Tripura in the northeast were formed. Manipur, and Tripura converted from UT into state and Meghalaya carved out of Assam. Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram became a Union Territory [S-21, UT-9]
May 1975 - Sikkim from being a protectorate of India became a full state. [S-22, UT-9]
Feb 1987 - On February 20, 1987, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh became states from UT. [S-24, UT-7]
May 1987 - Goa which was earlier a part of the U.T. of Goa, Daman and Diu, became a state on May 30 of 1987, while Daman and Diu became a separate Union Territory. [S-25, UT-7]
Nov 2000 - In November 2000, the three states of Chhattisgarh, Uttaranchal and Jharkhand were created. Chhattisgarh was carved out of Madhya Pradesh, Jharkahand from Bihar, and Uttaranchal from Uttar Pradesh. [S-28, UT-7]
Jun 2014 - Telangana was carved out of Andhra Pradesh on June 2, 2014. [S-29, UT-7]
Aug 2019 - On 5 August 2019, the Government dissolved Article 370 of the Constitution of India, bifurcated the state into two union territories and notified that J&K shall now be a Union Territory in India with its own legislature and he Union Territory of Ladakh will be without Legislature. [S-28, UT-9]
Jan 2020 - Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu are to be combined into a single union territory from 26th January 2020. [S-28, UT-8]
Comentarios