046. Muslim Princely States Of India

The British created the largest empire in the history of the world, with territories spread across all continents. Among these, India was the largest colony and was regarded as the "Jewel in the Crown" of the British Empire. This vast country was divided into eleven provinces, which were directly ruled and administered by the British. However, a significant portion of India was not directly governed by them. Instead, it was under the control of local rulers—known as princes—who operated under the umbrella of British paramountcy, acknowledging the British Crown as the supreme authority.

The above map shows that nearly a quarter of Indians lived in princely states, which together occupied over one-third of the landmass of the Indian subcontinent. The number of these states was approximately 565, although I have also come across a list mentioning 638 states or estates. However, the majority of these were very small in size, about 200 of them had an area of less than 25 square kilometers.

Among these princely states, around 45 were particularly significant for Muslims, either because they were ruled by Muslim rulers or had Muslim-majority populations. For the purpose of analysis, I have divided these states into three groups.

First:       States With Muslim Rulers & Muslim Majority Population
Second:   States With Muslim Rulers & Non Muslim Majority Population
Third:     States With Non Muslim Rulers & Muslim Majority Population

Out of these, 14 princely states and tribal areas joined Pakistan after independence. In addition, parts of the State of Jammu & Kashmir also acceded to Pakistan. The map below shows the location of some of these states in northern India, while the remaining states can be seen in the main map provided above.

Punjab also had several princely states, and five of them were ruled by Muslim rulers. However, only Bahawalpur joined Pakistan. The other four, Maler Kotla, Loharu, Dujana, and Pataudi, were not contiguous with Pakistan, and thus could not accede to it in 1947. Additionally, the majority population in these states was non-Muslim, which further complicated the possibility of joining Pakistan.

Kapurthala was unique in that it was the only state in eastern Punjab with a Muslim-majority population, yet it was ruled by a Sikh ruler. Geographically, it was contiguous to Muslim-majority areas such as Ferozepore, Jullundur, Gurdaspur, and Hoshiarpur. However, when these surrounding regions were unfairly awarded to India, Kapurthala too became part of India, despite its demographic alignment.

Another group of 11 Muslim princely states was located in western India, within the province of Bombay. All of these states had predominantly Hindu populations. Among them, Junagadh was the largest. At the time of independence, the Nawab of Junagadh chose to accede to Pakistan, despite the state's Hindu majority and its lack of geographical contiguity with Pakistan. However, India soon intervened militarily and annexed the state, citing the will of the people and strategic concerns.

Central India also had a cluster of eight Muslim princely states, with Bhopal being the most prominent among them. After Hyderabad and Bahawalpur, Bhopal was the third-largest princely state ruled by a Muslim dynasty. It held significant political and cultural importance and had a well-established administrative structure under its ruling family.

The following map shows two Muslim princely states of Janjira and Savanur in the Maratha heartland in western India. 

Bigger states like Hyderabad, Jammu & Kashmir and the states of Baluchistan can be seen in the main map.

I have not included the detailed history of these states or the biographies of their rulers. My primary aim has been to provide accurate maps and locations of these Muslim princely states. However, readers are welcome to contribute additional information or suggest corrections, should they have more insights or verified sources on this subject.

Tariq Amir

March 15, 2016.
Doha - Qatar .