Integration of the Indian States by V P Menon (PDF)

Description

When on August 1947 India became an Independent Dominion in the British Commonwealth of Nations, one of the largest unresolved problems facing it was the presence of 554 princely states within its boundaries. The British Government had announced that with their departure these States would become independent. It was widely feared that the new Dominion would break up on this account. Yet by the time the new constitution came into force on 26 January 1950, all the states had been integrated into the pattern of the Republic. The book is first authoritative account of that magnificent achievement.

User’s Reviews

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐A magnificent record of the negotiations that led to the effective confiscation of the Princely states by the new republic, negotiated in great part on behalf of the Congress Party by the author himself, demonstrating how the Maharajahs and Princes were effectively bamboozled into a false sense of security, to which they were persuaded to sign up by Mr Menon and the Sardar Patel acting on behalf of Pandit Nehru. It was Mr Nehru’s daughter Indira (Gandhi) who later removed all their remaining privileges and most of their assets in one of the most shameful episodes in the modern history of India. This book is of course written from the viewpoint of the rulers of the new republic, for whom each successful negotiation (capitulation leading to the eventual demotion and in some cases ruin of a hereditary regional ruler) represented an achievement.This excellent record should be read in conjunction with “The Transfer of Power in India” by the same author (ISBN 81 250 1547 7) published in 1957 and reissued in 1999, in which gain V.P.Menon was himself deeply implicated, keeping a careful record of all the meetings and negotiations that led up to Independence. These books are two of the most important documents of the long struggle that resulted in the famous “freedom at midnight” and the creation of the world’s largest democracy. For anyone with an interest in the modern history of the subcontinent, they are essential reading.

⭐Beautiful book I read it may years back but rereading was more informative With my fascination for palaces and rulers I found it very useful

⭐Integration of the Indian States : VP MenonThe integration of Indian States is an overlooked phenomenon in India’s pre and post independence history.From serious historians to school books to Amar Chitra Comics ( the first source of knowledge/ history for most of us in our childhood) , the dramatic intervention of the Government ( essentially the indomitable Sardar Patel and his key lieutenant VP Menon with a little help and oversight from Lord Mountbatten) in knitting over 500+ princely states into the fabric of India and the process of their integration and assimilation is rarely written about. Possibly the drama of the pre-independence movement and our heroic battle against the British was too powerful a story and it has eclipsed the much more important event of the building of a unified Indian State. Or it could also be because it is a Sardar Patel story thru and thru and got conveniently obliterated by the Congress establishment beholden to the first family.VP Menon, civil servant extraordinaire was one of the key players along with Sardar Patel and Lord Mountbatten who worked on this complex job of integrating the residency towns and the princely states into a coherent working democratic country. Each of the states had its own convoluted issues – and covered a very broad spectrum of dimensions – geographical size, wealth, power, nuisance value, rank amongst the princely states in preindependent India inflated egos and the hydra-headed religion which came center stage due to Jinnah.I think Partition into a muslim dominated Pakistan and a secular India for which Mountbatten is credited with was the simpler part. Getting the rag tag princes who at times traced their rule to divine dispensation to fall in line with popular sentiment was the more difficult act. Sardar Patel, the lesser feted amongst our freedom fighters, deserves a full 10/10 for completing this process in such a short time when Nehru and co were busy with the issues of governance of a new nation.From the loony king of Junagadh ( most of you would have read stories of this dog lover who used to spend lavishly on his canine peccadilloes) who wanted to align with Pakistan to the Travancore kings who wanted to declare independence for themselves and the stories of a whole host of kings across the length and breadth of this country makes interesting reading….and more importantly the single minded doggedness and perseverance of Patel and his civil servant acolyte in piecing the jigsaw together and knitting it as a united India…which actually was one of the unfinished jobs of the retreating British…who seem to have left in a hurry.The more contentious kingdoms are covered in greater detail….from the prevaricating Hindu king of a muslim dominated Pakistan….to the muslim ruler of Hyderabad who was presiding over a Hindu majority. While Hyderabad inspite of its violent take over and integration is a key pillar of modern India, Kashmir is still not fully resolved.The book published in 1975 just had a fresh issue and it is as relevant today as it was 50 years ago. Normally we associate bureaucrats with a very officious and boring writing style – but this one is a pleasant surprise.It is well researched, scholarly and also racy as it is written by the protagonist himself….who is actually the architect of modern India…VP Menon…..compulsory reading for all interested in post colonial history of India and also to understand why India is the way it is……and a big thank you for VP Menon for his efforts……in doing a remarkable job and also writing about it so lucidly for posterity. Overall fascinating reading.PS : Wondering why VP Menon was never recognized for his services with either a Bharat Ratna or even a Padma Bhushan…..possibly his joining the Swatantra party could be the reason or the fact he was a Sardar Patel Chela who kept Nehru at bay in this critical process. Strangely, the only state where Nehru got deeply involved during the integration process is Kashmir……and therein lies a story.This is the first book I read this year and happy that it was a master-piece.My rating: 4.5/5

⭐Written as first hand account in great detail and candour .Each princely state that he visited and convinced and cajoled and even threatened to make princely states merge with British India is a fantastic tapestry of human frailities, ego, stupidity verging on the sinister in some cases.Every chapter and .each state gets a nice introduction about its origins and that makes the man much more than an officous bureaucrat..Here is the gardner bringing forth a nursery of roses and thorns and telling it all unbiased to political gains or losses .Must read for every household of India

⭐This is a remarkable book on the episodic events following the Independence of India, narrated by the author whose knowledge is first hand. This book should be prescribed as text book for all colleges. In fact the Speakers of the Parliament and other legislaters must present a copy to all the legislators to understand how India came to be integrated; a companion reading should be Discovery of India by Pandit Nehru.

⭐Have been wanting to read this book for long and got it from Amazon recently. Excellent presentation of India’s post independent history concerning integration of princely states with the the Indian Dominion. The author had perhaps played as historical a role as Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Patel in bringing around many errant princely states like Junagadh, Hyderabad etc and building the modern India from the ashes of a truncated India the British rulers had left behind.

⭐It’s a great book for anyone interested in Indian political history. We have all heard about the integration of Indian states but this book gives a chance to know the details, which have been conveniently skipped in school history textbooks.

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