Question

What was the approach of the Government of India towards the princely states immediately after the partition of India in 1947?

Answer 1

At the time of India’s independence, there were 565 princely states. Immediately after partition, communal violence was at its culmination. In this environment, the government’s approach towards princely states was guided by the following three considerations:

1. Firstly, the people of most of the princely states clearly wanted to become part of the Indian union. 
2. Secondly, the government was prepared to be flexible in giving autonomy to some regions. The idea was to accommodate plurality and adopt a flexible approach in dealing with the demands of the regions. 
3. Thirdly, in the backdrop of partition, which brought into focus the contest over demarcation of territory, the integration and consolidation of the territorial boundaries of the nation had assumed supreme importance.