In 1947, princelyStates numbering 555 covered 48% of area of pre-independent India and constituted 28% of its population. Relations with them were determined by subsidiary alliances and other treaties establishing indirect rule. Only a few states held out for complete independence after the British left India. It was only in 1949 that they were fully merged with India to form new states.
About Privy Purse in India in brief
In India, a privy purse was a payment made to the ruling families of erstwhile princely states as part of their agreements to first integrate with India in 1947 after the independence of India. The privy purses continued to be paid to the royal families until the 26th Amendment in 1971, by which all their privileges and allowances from the central government ceased to exist. In some individual cases however, privy Purses were continued for life for individuals who had held ruling powers before 1947. In 1947, princelyStates numbering 555 covered 48% of area of pre-independent India and constituted 28% of its population. Relations with them were determined by subsidiary alliances and other treaties establishing indirect rule. A protocollary system of gun salutes also determined the ranking of about 120 major states, most however were minorpetty ‘non-salute states’ By the Indian Independence Act 1947 the Crown abandoned its suzerainty, leaving the rulers of the states free to choose to accede either to India or to Pakistan or to remain fully independent.
Most had been so dependent on the Government of India that they had little choice about accession. By the eve of independence, most of the princely States had signed instruments of accession to India, but only one to Pakistan. Only a few states held out for complete independence after the British left India. It was only in 1949 that they were fully merged with India to form new states. Thus Travancore, and Cochin merged into India and formed the new state of Thiru-Kochi. In 1949 with the states and its revenues being entirely taken over by the Government, it was the Indian Government that provided the rulers and their families with privy bags.
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This page is based on the article Privy Purse in India published in Wikipedia (as of Dec. 05, 2020) and was automatically summarized using artificial intelligence.
