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Question 94 of 137 · Gandhian Era & Struggle for Independence
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At the time of Independence in 1947, approximately how many princely states existed in India, according to the figure commonly used?

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Answer: Option B — 565

Detailed Solution

At the time of Independence in 1947, there were about 565 princely states in India (the figure commonly used; some sources give 562); they covered about two-fifths of the area of the subcontinent.

About the princely states:

  • They were ruled by Indian rulers (Maharajas, Nawabs, Nizams and others) who accepted the "paramountcy" (supremacy) of the British Crown.
  • They varied greatly in size, from very large states such as Hyderabad, Kashmir and Mysore to tiny estates of a few villages.
  • Their rulers controlled internal affairs, but the British controlled their defence, foreign affairs and communications.
  • The Chamber of Princes was a consultative body of the rulers, set up in 1921.

The Indian Independence Act (1947):

  • It ended British paramountcy over the princely states.
  • The states were free to join India or Pakistan, or, in theory, to remain independent.

Integration:

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, as the Home Minister and Minister of States, led the work of integrating the princely states, with the help of V. P. Menon, the Secretary of the States Department.

Most rulers signed the "Instrument of Accession", handing over defence, foreign affairs and communications to India.

Later, they signed "Merger Agreements", and their states were merged with neighbouring provinces or grouped into new unions.

The rulers were given privy purses and certain privileges in return.

Difficult cases:

  • Junagadh (Gujarat): its Nawab wanted to join Pakistan, but the people voted to join India in a plebiscite (1948).
  • Hyderabad: it was integrated into India in 1948 after police action.
  • Jammu and Kashmir: its ruler signed the Instrument of Accession in October 1947, after an invasion by tribesmen from Pakistan.

NCERT on the integration:

NCERT notes that the rulers of most states signed the Instrument of Accession, and that the integration of the princely states was achieved through a skilful mix of diplomacy and firmness.

Why not the other options?

  • ✗365, 465 and 665 are not the figure for the number of princely states.

Quick tip

Remember: about 565 princely states in 1947; integrated by Sardar Patel and V. P. Menon through the Instrument of Accession; difficult cases: Junagadh, Hyderabad, Kashmir.

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Gandhian Era & Struggle for Independence — Preparation

This question tests your understanding of Gandhian Era & Struggle for Independence, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.

This topic covers the freedom struggle from Gandhi's return to India in 1915 to independence in 1947: the Champaran, Kheda and Ahmedabad movements, the Rowlatt Act and Jallianwala Bagh, the Non-Cooperation, Civil Disobedience and Quit India movements, the Round Table Conferences, the Cripps Mission, the Cabinet Mission and the partition of India. Most questions ask about the year, cause or result of a movement, or the event that ended it. For example, the Chauri Chaura incident (1922) led Gandhi to call off the Non-Cooperation Movement, and the Dandi March (1930) started the Civil Disobedience Movement. Learning these events on a timeline is the best way to avoid confusion. Practise the Gandhian era questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.

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