CAPF AC 2022 Q79: Modern History – British Administration & Economic Policies
- (a) The British Government declared that States were free to join either India or Pakistan or remain independent.
- (b) The decision to join either India or Pakistan or remain independent was left not to the people of Princely States but to the Princely Rulers.
- (c) The Ruler of Travancore first decided to remain independent.
- (d) The State of Travancore finally joined India through a plebiscite.
Answer: (d) The State of Travancore finally joined India through a plebiscite.
Explanation
Princely States and Travancore
How to think: when the British left, paramountcy lapsed.
The rulers, not the people, were to decide whether to join India, join Pakistan or stay independent.
Travancore first chose independence, then signed the Instrument of Accession.
There was no plebiscite there.
| Statement | Verdict |
|---|---|
| States were free to join India or Pakistan or remain independent | True |
| The decision was left to the rulers, not the people | True |
| The ruler of Travancore first decided to remain independent | True |
| Travancore finally joined India through a plebiscite | False |
What happened in Travancore: its Diwan, Sir C. P. Ramaswami Aiyar, announced independence in June 1947.
After strong popular protest and an attack on him, the Maharaja agreed to accede to India in July 1947.
Where a plebiscite was held: in Junagadh in February 1948, which voted overwhelmingly for India.
Answer: (d).
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. This is true: with the lapse of paramountcy the States were legally free to choose.
- (b) Incorrect. This is true: the choice lay with the princely rulers.
- (c) Incorrect. This is true: Travancore announced it would stay independent.
- (d) CORRECT. This is wrong: Travancore acceded by signing the Instrument of Accession; there was no plebiscite.
Key point
Integration of States: Sardar Patel and V. P. Menon; Instrument of Accession. Travancore, Bhopal and Hyderabad first chose independence. Junagadh: plebiscite, 1948. Hyderabad: Operation Polo, 1948. Manipur: Merger Agreement, 1949.
Remember
Plebiscite: Junagadh. Travancore: accession.
Common mistakes
- Mixing up Travancore with Junagadh, where the plebiscite took place.
- Thinking the people of the States were given the right to decide.
- Forgetting that there were about 565 princely states.
Exam tip
Educated guess: the only famous plebiscite in the integration story is Junagadh. A plebiscite in Travancore is the detail that does not fit.
Sources
- NCERT Class XII Political Science — Politics in India Since Independence, Chapter 1: Challenges of Nation Building (integration of princely states)
- V. P. Menon, The Story of the Integration of the Indian States (1956)