The integration of Princely states was a monumental achievement by any standard and it has virtually no parallel anywhere in the world. Patel is sometimes called India's Bismarck, which I consider is an insult to Patel.
Not many of us realize that the Indian Princes had a reasonably powerful body called the Chamber of Princes presided over by the Viceroy. It was established in 1920 to coordinate the efforts of Princes to safeguard their interests in the event of India becoming a Dominion.
As late as 1940 the Chamber passed a resolution which stated as follows:
"The Chamber of Princes, while welcoming the attainment by India of its due place among the Dominions of the British Commonwealth under the British Crown, records its emphatic and firm view that, in any future constitution for India, the essential guarantees and safeguards for the preservation of the sovereignty and autonomy of the States and for the protection of their rights and interests arising from treaties, and engagements and sanads or otherwise, should be effectively provided..."
India is what it is today because of our founding fathers.
Please listen to my talk at 1900 hours, this Saturday the 18th of July.
"The Integration of the Princely States into the Indian Union".
Grateful thanks to Mr.Ananthakrishnan Pakshirajan, Facebook.
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