131. The Disputed States III: Junagadh
At the time of independence, as I have mentioned in my previous two posts, the issue of the accession of hundreds of princely states to India or Pakistan was very important and gave considerable trouble to both countries. In the previous two posts, I discussed some aspects of the Jammu & Kashmir and Hyderabad states. In this post, I shall write about Junagadh. Prior to the independence of India in 1947, Junagadh was a princely state in the Kathiawar region of the present-day state of Gujarat, on the coast of the Arabian Sea. Its foundations were laid in 1654 by Sher Khan Babi, and his descendants ruled this state for the next three centuries. It occupied an area of 8,643 km², and according to the census of 1941 had a population of 671,000, of which 128,000 were Muslims, i.e., 19% of the total population.
In 1947 its ruler was Sir Muhammad Mahabat Khanji III Rasul Khanji (1900–1959). He is famous for his love of animals, particularly dogs. He also worked for the conservation of wildlife and established the Gir Forest protected sanctuary for the endangered Indian lions.
Junagadh and other Muslim princely states in Kathiawar.
At the time of independence, the Nawab decided to accede to Pakistan, and the Government of Pakistan accepted his request for accession on 13 September 1947. However, there were many problems in the way of fully integrating the state into Pakistan. The biggest hurdle was the majority Hindu population of the state, which made up almost 81% of the total population, and no amount of persuasion could have convinced them to join Pakistan. The second problem was its geography, as it lay almost 300 kilometers away from the Pakistani border, deep inside India. Though it was accessible by sea, that was definitely not enough in the given circumstances.
Junagadh and other Muslim princely states in India.
As can be expected, the decision of the Nawab stirred
unrest among the Hindu population of the state and raised many concerns in the Indian government. India, being in a much stronger position
than Pakistan, brushed aside the legal niceties and intervened with force and took
the state under its control in late October 1948. A plebiscite was held on 20 February,
1948, with the following results:
Out of 201,457 registered voters, 190,870 exercised their franchise. Of this number only 91 voted for Pakistan. There was a separate but simultaneous poll in Manavadar, Mangrol, Babariawad and two other feudatories. Out of 31,434 votes cast in these areas, only 39 were for Pakistan.
Out of 201,457 registered voters, 190,870 exercised their franchise. Of this number only 91 voted for Pakistan. There was a separate but simultaneous poll in Manavadar, Mangrol, Babariawad and two other feudatories. Out of 31,434 votes cast in these areas, only 39 were for Pakistan.
Now the question is: is the issue still alive? I don’t think so. I have never heard any statement in this regard. So, we can say that it is a forgotten and dead issue. But interestingly, there is one institution in Pakistan that has not forgotten it and is keeping the issue alive—the Survey of Pakistan. They still publish maps showing Junagadh as part of Pakistan..
A map of Pakistan, published by Survey of Pakistan, showing the Junagadh as part of Pakistan.
As I expressed earlier, I wish that, like the division of Punjab and Bengal, both sides could have agreed on a clear formula for the accession of the princely states as well. I am sure that with a little effort, all the subsequent conflicts, which continue to plague us even today, could have been avoided.
Tariq Amir
Doha- Qatar
July 20, 2020.
129. The Disputed States I : Jammu & Kashmir (Demographics 1941)
130. The Disputed States II: Hyderabad State (Demographics 1941)
