Conquering the Maharajas: India’s Princely States and the End of Empire, 1930–50

Conquering the Maharajas explores the crucial history of princely India from the turbulent end of the British Empire in South Asia to the early years of Indian and Pakistani independence.

The princely states of the British Raj enjoyed autonomy and were recognized as sovereign as a result of their treaties with the British Crown. Conflicting ideas of state sovereignty led to political and military confrontations between the princes and the Indian and Pakistani governments as they battled to establish the authority of the post-colonial state. Approximately 100 million people lived in the more than 560 princely states that dotted the political landscape of India. These states made up 40 per cent of the territory under the British Raj.

This book, which draws heavily on archival research, describes the conditions that led to the independence of India and Pakistan and shows how the princely states of India were crucial in influencing events both before and after the transfer of power. It offers a distinctive perspective on the lesser-known princely republics in the subcontinent and the integration of states that occurred to create the two neighbouring nations.