That there is today an India to think and talk about - wrote President Rajendra Prasad in his diary 'is very largely due to Sardar Patel's statesmanship and firm administration.

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel is credited with the unification of India after the departure of British in 1947. He supervised the merger of more than 550 princely states into the Indian union, thereby preventing splitting of a country into smaller nations. But the task of unifying India was not an easy one. As the home minister, with a lot of tact, consideration, and even force at times, Patel had the rulers join the country. Exactly 73 years ago, the Nizam of Hyderabad Mir Osman Ali Khan, was forced to merge his princely state with India.

In 1724, Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jah established Hyderabad, a state that spread over most of the Deccan plateau. Not only did it become popular, it was also prosperous as it had its own army, railway and airline network, postal system and a radio network. Eighty five per cent of the Nizam’s subjects were Hindus. In 1798, the Royal state of Hyderabad was the first to agree to British protection under the policy of Subsidiary Alliance.

On the midnight of August 15th 1947, India gained its independence from the British and was partitioned into two countries - Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan. The partition was created on the basis of religion, with the Muslim League demanding an independent Pakistan for India’s Muslim population.

Several parts of India such as North-West Frontier Province, Sindh, West Punjab and East Bengal were given to Pakistan while United Province, Bombay Presidency, North and Deccan India, Malabar, Madras, West Bengal, etc. were given to India due to them having a Hindu-majority.

Map of Princely states in India (1937)

When India got independence in 1947, Lord Mountbatten, the last viceroy of India, was appointed to supervise the freedom process & smooth transition of power. British offered all the 565 princely states the choice of becoming part of either India or Pakistan or remain independent. Most of the 565 princely states found it reasonable to become part of either India or Pakistan based on their geographical location and went about signing Instrument of Accession. Some of them saw this as an opportunity of regaining their bygone glory.

Raja Hari Singh of Jammu and Kashmir decided to accede his territory to India after he received aggressive hostility from the Pakistan side of the border, and signed the instrument of accession on 26th October 1947 with the Republic of India. Like Hari Singh, the Nizam of Hyderabad Mir Osman Ali Khan was in a dilemma to choose which union he’d like his country to merge.

Osman Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VII, the last Nizam of the state of Hyderabad

Nizam of Hyderabad was adamant on remaining as an independent state ruled by own Government. In 1947, Home Minister Sardar Patel requested Osman Ali Khan Asaf Jah VII, the last Nizam of the princely state of Hyderabad, to join India, but he refused. Instead, he declared Hyderabad as an independent nation on August 15, 1947.

While other princely states were small in size and not self-sufficient, hence it made sense for them to become part of India (or Pakistan), Hyderabad was already very prosperous and was recognized as the richest state. The state was actually self-reliant, had its own currency (Hyderabadi Rupee), its own army, railway network, radio network, postal system etc. The Nizam Osman Ali Khan was the richest man in the world, regularly being featured in international magazines like TIME.

Tasked with the integration of Indian states and kingdoms, Patel made his stand clear that Hyderabad has to merge in India. But Nizam refused to sign treaty of accession. After much intervention by Lord Mountbatten a 'standstill agreement' was signed between Republic of India and Hyderabad according to which status quo will maintain for 1 year. According to the agreement, Hyderabad will keep functioning as it was earlier. India would handle the external affairs and defense of Hyderabad but cannot interfere in its matters unless there is a state of internal emergency.

But Patel was relentless in his pursuit of making Hyderabad part of India and he kept pushing from his side. This 'standstill agreement' was however violated by the state of Hyderabad when it secretly loaned 15 million pounds to Pakistan and raised a semi-private military (Razakars) in the country.

Patel very clearly told Laik Ali (Nizam’s representative in Delhi) that Hyderabad has to be part of India like all other kingdoms. He sternly said that India will never agree for an independent Hyderabad. When Laik tried to disagree, Patel plainly told him there is no point in discussing this any further. Patel had realized that polite requests would not bear fruit in this case.

Meanwhile, other 2 princely states (Junagarh and Bhopal) which initially wanted to be part of Pakistan, had succumbed to Sardar Patel’s diplomacy and agreed to become part of India. Majority population in Junagarh wanted to be part of India, while ruler wanted to join Pakistan. India sent its army and surrounded Junagarh. The ruler panicked and left India in a jiffy.

Nizam of Hyderabad realized that India can try similar tactic with Hyderabad. But Nizam was assured by his advisors that Indian forces were occupied in Kashmir and cannot come down to Hyderabad for any military action. So he kept playing the hard ball. During a meeting with Patel, Nizam’s representative Kasim Razvi in his arrogance threatened that he will wipe 1.2 Cr Hindus in Hyderabad if Government of India tried to interfere with Hyderabad’s functioning. The threat was dangerously real since Razvi commanded an army of 2 lakh Razakar’s (who were guerrilla militants) could run havoc in Hyderabad on his one signal.

There seemed to be no way out of this deadlock other than using force. Patel was not willing to let an 82,000 Sq. Km. area right in the middle of India remain a separate state. Allowing this would make it a permanent internal security threat for India. He termed it an ulcer in India’s belly. But Nehru and many other political leaders were not in favor of using force to include Hyderabad. Nehru even wanted to take this to UN to avoid direct confrontation. Patel wanted to avoid taking any direct military action because this could force Hyderabad to go with Pakistan or take the matter to UN. He was firm with his opinion that Hyderabad has to merge with India eventually.

History of suppression of Hindus in Hyderabad

The Plight of Hindus Under the Nizam's Regime

Under the rule of Nizams, Hindus were brutally suppressed by the rulers. Hindus were routinely discriminated due to their religion during their appointment to government posts and the state army. Of 1765 officers in the State Army, 1268 were Muslims, 421 were Hindus, and 121 others were Christians, Parsis and Sikhs. Of the officials drawing a salary between Rs. 600 and 1200 per month, 59 were Muslims, 5 were Hindus and 38 were of other religions. The Nizam and his nobles, who were mostly Muslims, owned 40% of the total land in the state, showing the vast inequality in the distribution of wealth.

In 1936, the Arya Samaj, Hindu Mahasabha and Hyderabad State Conference staged agitations against the Nizam and his nobles for the discrimination against Hindus while employment to government posts and social boycott by the Muslim population.

Frightened by the growing awareness amongst the Hindu population in Hyderabad, Nizam Khan ordered the formation of a semi-private army called ‘Razakars’ to suppress the agitations. The Razakars were a wing of the Majlis-e-Itihadul Muslimeen (MIM, or AIMIM as it is presently known). The Razakars managed to raise 1 lakh Jihadis in their army within a span of days. The army managed to suppress the Hindus by mass-murdering and abducting Hindus in urban Telangana.

The Infamous Razakars of the Nizam and East Pakistan

Formation of Razakars

The Razakars were intended to be the armed wing of the MIM (which is a present day political party that goes by the name “AIMIM”), and upheld the Islamic domination of Hyderabad. By 1948, the Nizam didn’t want the growing public opinion of Hindus that Hyderabad should accede to India grow roots in the state, and ordered the Razakars to brutally suppress the Hindu population. Qasim Razvi was made the chief of the Jihadi force.

Qasim Razvi, the chief of Razakars, planning the strategy of Razakars during Operation Polo

The Razakars raised 2 lakh Jihadis in their force and raided Hindu-majority villages in Telangana.

Historian Frank Moraes records, “From the beginning of 1948 the Razakars had extended their activities from Hyderabad city into the towns and rural areas, murdering Hindus, abducting women, pillaging houses and fields, and looting non-Muslim property in a widespread reign of terror.”

In the book ‘Marathwada Under the Nizams’, historian P.V Kate records, “Some women became victims of rape and kidnapping by Razakars. Thousands went to jail and braved the cruelties perpetrated by the oppressive administration. Due to the activities of the Razakars, thousands of Hindus had to flee from the state and take shelter in various camps”.

Over 150 villages in rural Telangana were pushed to Islamic brutality, and over 40,000 civilians fled to the Central Provinces of India from Telangana for refuge. These refugees then proceeded to retaliate against the murderous Razakars through frequent raids to reclaim their land in the bordering areas of Central Provinces and Telangana.

Toothless-ness of Nehru and the wrath of Patel

By September 1948, reports of atrocities on civilians started coming from Hyderabad. After receiving the details of the exodus of Hindus by the Nizam of Hyderabad, India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru was afraid that any attack on the princely state would attract retaliation from West and East Pakistan. Nehru was hesitant to take the decision of storming into the state and annexing it.

On the insistence of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Nehru hesitantly agreed to the annexure of Hyderabad and ordered the Indian Army to annex the state of Hyderabad and storm into the state from all fronts. Sardar Patel described the idea of an independent Hyderabad as “an ulcer in the heart of India which needed to be removed surgically.” This operation was named “Operation Polo” and it is also referred to as “Operation Caterpillar” at times.

Patel, who was not well at that time immediately wrote to Nehru requesting him to send the army to Hyderabad. A quick and fast action was required so that Nizam doesn’t get time to involve UN or Pakistan. And India did exactly that. In the early hours of 13th September 1948, under the code-named “Operation Polo”, Indian troops started marching into Hyderabad. It was a two-pronged advance, with the main force along the Sholapur-Hyderabad road, and a smaller diversion along the Bezwada-Hyderabad road. Hyderabad did not anticipate this and was clearly not prepared for a war with India.

Hyderabad Map

With “state of the art” military equipment (of the 1940s), the Indian Army was generations ahead of Hyderabad Army and the Razakars. Within 100 hours, “it was all over”.  

Despite the Indian Army having only 35,000 soldiers dispatched for this operation, it suffered only 35 casualties whereas the Hyderabad State suffered 5,738 casualties despite having an army of 2,20,000 soldiers. The Indian Army had a sweeping victory over the Nizam and annexed the state.

Aftermath and surrender of Nizam to India

Nizam surrendering to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

On 17th September 1948, after the embarrassing defeat Nizam went on air & announced ceasefire. On 18th September 1948, the formal surrender ceremony was held at 4 pm in which the Hyderabad Army, led by Major General El-Edroos, surrendered to General Chaudhari leading the Indian Army. This was followed by a high level meeting between Sardar Patel & Nizam Osman Ali Khan, in which the Nizam assured that in spite of all that happened in the past, he shall now be loyal to the Indian Union and work in the closest collaboration with the Government of India for the benefit of his people.

Qasim Razvi was jailed from 1948-1957 after which he took asylum in Pakistan.

Razvi gave the responsibility of the MIM to Abdul Wahed Owaisi, thus letting the Owaisi family run what remained of the MIM. The MIM was banned for a brief period in 1948, after which it changed its name to AIMIM (All India Majlis-e-Itihadul Muslimeen) and contests elections to this day.

References:

Press Communique” (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India
RIAF in Hyderabad” (PDF). Press Information Bureau of India
Sherman, Taylor C. (2007). “The integration of the princely state of Hyderabad and the making of the postcolonial state in India (PDF)
Official Indian army website complete Roll of Honor of Indian KIA”. Indianarmy.nic.in.
Guruswamy, Mohan (May 2008). “There once was a Hyderabad!”. Seminar Magazine
“Hyderabad Police Action”. Indian Army. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
B. Cohen (2007). Kingship and Colonialism in India’s Deccan
Mehrotra, S.R. (1979). Towards Indias Freedom And Partition