British Rule in India
The British rule in India is a long and complicated history and ramifications of it are still felt after decades of independence. Colonization, as argued by most experts, is never the best way to govern a country. Claiming authority over the resources of another nation for one’s own growth and prosperity has often been the defining element of British colonization of India. For more than two hundred years the cultural, social, physical, creative, artistic and economical richness and rootedness of India, was adversely affected. A large part of the county was under direct rule and called British India. However, some states that were not under British rule in India were either the princely states or states that were under other colonial powers, such as the French, Portuguese and Dutch.
Princely States and Subsidiary Alliance
The Princely states were also often referred to as the Indian states. The princely states included Jammu & Kashmir, Hyderabad state, Kalat, Jodhpur state, Kingdom of Mysore, Gwalior state, Bikaner state, Jaisalmer state, Jaipur state, Bastar state and more. These states were not under the direct control of the British Raj. On the other hand, they were governed by their respective kings, but were not devoid of British control as they were subjected to the subsidiary alliance.
The subsidiary alliance was essentially an alliance or understanding between the East India Company and the Indian States. According to the subsidiary alliance the East India Company would provide protection against any external attacks or threats to the Indian States. In return the states would allow the presence of the company’s army in their capital city. Would provide territory or money for the upkeep of the army and also have a ‘resident’ or European official who would oversee the communication of one state with another. The British did not impose any taxes on the Indian states, but there was an annual subsidy that the state had to pay depending on its size and population.
As it is evident from the alliance, though the British claimed to have no direct authority on the India states, their role and overarching presence made it clear that the princely states were not completely independent. Though the internal running of the state was left to the kings, they were ripped of their external sovereignty.
India Post 1857
In 1858 the British crown did away with the East India Company and established a direct rule on the country. During this time most of the princely states were perceived as allies with the British. Sadly, the non-uniformity and unity of all the people of India, led to the British getting a far longer and wider playing field in the country. In the 1900 the British were ruling two-thirds of the Indian subcontinent. The remaining one-third were around 650 plus princely states.
Features of Indian States
The main distinguishing feature of the princely states was that they had internal autonomy. This implied that any internal matters, including law and order, currency, language, culture etc. were all decided and dictated by the rulers of those states.
The Princely states were ruled by kings who were called by different names. Some of these included Maharaja, Nizam, Raja, Raje, Nawab, Deshmukh, Chhatrapati, Baig, Mirza or Thakur etc. However, the British translated all these names into a singular ‘prince’ and avoided the usage of ‘king’ to avoid there being parallels to the British monarchy.
The British understood early on that keeping the princely states under indirect control was worthwhile as they did not rebel against them. Besides, several princes also served in the army and rose in the ranks. Some were given honorary ranks and titles, such as Major, General or Air Vice-Marshall given to the royalty of Travancore, Bhopal, Baroda, Mysore etc. The members of the princely families were often appointed in diplomatic positions and in colonial offices. During the World War I and II the princely stood in support of the British.
Post-Independence
As the wave of nationalism rose in the early 20th century, the freedom struggle and independence movement gained massive push. Post-independence Jawaharlal Nehru proposed that no princely state could continue to prevail. All of 565 princely states that were there when the British withdrew, acceded to either India or Pakistan between 1947 and 1949. Though this was no mean task it was eventually achieved. The largest princely states at the time of independence were Mysore State, Hyderabad State, Baroda State and Jammu & Kashmir State.
Though the princely states were supposedly friendly with the British, even the last British officials in India, including Lord Mountbatten and Clement Atlee were shifting acquiesces towards the independence movement and the idea of a free country. Also, Sardar Vallabhai Patel played a vital role in the accession of the princely states and to create the modern day structure and layout of India. The political integration of India with its states and princely provinces is a landmark and historical movement in the shaping of today’s India and its political and federal nature.
Other States Not Under the British Rule
Besides the princely states there were some other states and present day union territories that were not under British rule. This was because they were colonized or occupied by other countries. Daman and Diu, Goa and Dadra and Nagarhaveli were under the Portuguese or Portuguese East India Company. Pondicherry, Karaikal and Chandernagore were French colonies. Thus, technically Goa is the only state that was never ruled by the British either directly or indirectly.
Takeaways
The British rule in India is marred by several controversies and policies that were detrimental to the growth and progress of the nation. Though the princely states were known for their grandeur and royalty, they were also viewed as puppets in the hands of the British. Again, this might be an oversimplification for an era that lasted for hundreds of years. Yet, when one thinks of states that were not ruled by the British, the princely states are the first to come to mind. Besides, the only other state is Goa that was under the Portuguese. Thus, sadly when viewed from the concept of complete freedom, no Indian state has been spared from being under either direct or indirect control by a foreign nation. However, it all has changed after independence and today the country is proud to be a sovereign, secular and federal nation.
