Conquering the Maharajas

Conquering the maharajas examines the overlooked but essential history of princely India through the tumultuous end of British Empire in South Asia and the early years of Indian and Pakistani independence. Within the British Raj, the princely states were autonomous with recognised sovereignty through treaties with the British Crown. As Indian and Pakistani authorities sought to assert the writ of the post-colonial state, the princes sought to preserve their sovereignty, setting the stage for political and military clashes based in competing conceptions of state sovereignty. The over 560 princely states dotting India's political landscape comprised 40 percent of the British Raj's territory and contained nearly one hundred million people. Yet, India's princely states are a relatively under-studied aspect of British rule in India and the early years of Indian and Pakistani independence. Relying on extensive archival research, this book explains the events shaping the circumstances leading to Indian and Pakistani independence and illustrates how India's princely states played an integral role in shaping events leading up to and following the transfer of power. It provides a unique insight into the lesser-known princely states at a time when the legacy of British colonialism is garnering more attention.