Wikipedia

Junagadh State

JunagarhorJunagadhwas aprincely stateinGujarat[1]ruled by the MuslimBabi dynastyinIndia,which acceded to theDominion of Pakistan[2]after thePartition of British India.Subsequently, theUnion of Indiaannexed Junagadhin 1948, legitimized through aplebisciteheld the same year.[3][4]

State of Junagadh
1730–1948
Flag of Junagadh State
Flag
Coat of arms of Junagadh State
Coat of arms
Location of Junagarh, among all districts shown in green
Location of Junagarh,
among all districts shown in green
StatusState Within theMaratha Confederacy(1731–1807)
Protectorateof theEast India Company(1807–1857)
Princely Stateof theBritish Raj(1857–1947)
State of theDominion of India(1947–1948)
Nawab
• 1730– 1758 (first)
Mohammad Bahadur Khanji I
• 1911–1948 (last)
Muhammad Mahabat Khan III
History
• Founded
1730
1948
Area
19218,643 km2(3,337 sq mi)
Population
• 1921
465,493
Preceded by		 Succeeded by
Maratha Empire
State of Saurashtra
Today part ofGujarat,India
Modern state ofGujarat,shown within modern borders of India

Pakistan claims sovereignty over the erstwhile princely state to this day.[5][6]

Junagarh State Council with S Parmar have been entrusted with the erstwhile princely state of Junagarh.

History

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Janugadh Museum

The Maharaja ofParmarRajputshad established theState of Junagarh.Muhammad Sher Khan Babai was the founder of theBabi Pashtun dynastyof Junagarh in 1654. His descendants, the Babi Nawabs of Junagarh, conquered large territories in southernSaurashtra.

However, during the collapse of theMughal Empire,the Babis became involved in a struggle with theGaekwad dynastyof theMaratha Empireover control ofGujarat,during the reign of the local Mohammad Mahabat Khanji I. Mohammad Khan Bahadur Khanji I declared independence from the Mughal governor of Gujarat subah, and founded the state of Junagarh in 1730. This allowed the Babi to retain sovereignty of Junagarh and other princely states. During the reign of his heir Junagarh was a tributary to the Maratha Empire,[7]until it came underBritish suzeraintyin 1807 under Mohammad Hamid Khanji I,[1]following theSecond Anglo-Maratha War.

In 1807, Junagarh became a British protectorate and theEast India Companytook control of the state. By 1818, the Saurashtra area, along with otherprincely statesofKathiawar,were separately administered under theKathiawar AgencybyBritish India.

In 1947, during thepartition of India,the last Babi dynasty ruler of the state,Muhammad Mahabat Khanji III,decided to accede to theDominion of PakistanbutJunagarh was annexedby India which was followed by a plebiscite in which the locals voted to stay with India.

Rulers

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Main article:Nawab of Junagarh
Tomb of Mahabat Khan

TheNawabsof Junagarh belonged toPathanBabi orBabai (Pashtun tribe).They were granted a 13gun saluteby the British authorities:[8]

  • 1730–1758: Mohammad Bahadur Khanji I or Mohammad Sher Khan Babai[9]
  • 1758–1774: Mohammad Mahabat Khan I
  • 1774–1811: Mohammad Hamid Khan I
  • 1811–1840: Mohammad Bahadur Khan II
  • 1840–1851: Mohammad Hamid Khan II
  • 1851–1882: Mohammad Mahabat Khan II
  • 1882–1892: Mohammad Bahadur Khan III
  • 1892–1911: Mohammad Rasul Khan
  • 1911–1948:Mohammad Mahabat Khan III(last ruler before the integration of Junagarh into India)
  • Junagarh Nawabs and state officials, 19th century
  • Mohammad Mahabat Khanji II,the Nawab of Junagarh, with young, Mohammad Bahadur Khanji III, 1870s
  • Bahadur Khanji II(r. 1882–1892), Nawab of Junagarh, and state officials, 1880s
  • Mohammad Rasul Khanji,Nawab of Junagarh, Bahaduddinbhai Hasainbhai, Wazier, Junagarh, 1890s

Koli Rebellion

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A coat of arms was granted to Muhammed Mahabat Khanji II at the Durbar in Delhi of 1877, used until 1947.

There was aKolirebellion in Junagarh by Mansa Khant during the reign ofNawabSher Khan (the first ruler of Junagarh). He revolted against the ongoingMughal Rule,withUparkot Fortserving as his centre of operations. He made a series of raids into the surrounding villages and cities. Nawab Sher Khan was unsuccessful in suppressing the rebellion. Mansa Khant occupied Uparkot for 13 months and continued to carry out numerous raids mostly in the countryside. The nawab was assisted by the King ofGondal State,Thakur Sahib HalojiJadejaand Arab Jamadar Sheikh Abdullah Zubeidi in his campaign against the rebellion. The combined forces defeated the Khant, captured Uparkot and crushed the rebellion.[10][11]

Annexation by India

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Main article:Annexation of Junagarh

In 1947,Shah Nawaz Bhuttojoined the council of ministers of NawabMuhammad Mahabat Khan III,and in May became hisdewanor prime minister.

With thepartition of Indiain 1947, the princely states were left by the British to decide whether to accede to one of the newly independent Union of India or Dominion of Pakistan, or become a separate country.[12]

The Constitutional Advisor to the Nawab, Nabi Baksh, indicated toLord Mountbattenthat he was recommending that Junagarh should join India. However, upon the advice of Dewan Bhutto, on 15 August 1947, the Nawab announced that Junagarh had acceded to Pakistan. On 16 September, the Government of Pakistan accepted the accession.[2]

India sent its military into Junagarh while the Nawab of Junagarh was in Pakistan and captured the State of Junagarh. TheAnnexation of Junagarhby India led the NawabMuhammad Mahabat Khan IIIof Junagarh (of the erstwhile Babi Nawab dynasty of Junagarh) to live in exile inSindh,Pakistan.[13]

Pakistan's claim

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Pakistan's government has maintained its territorial claim on Junagadh, along withManavadarandSir Creekin Gujarat, on its official political maps.[14][5][6][15]On 10 December 2020, Sultan Ahmed Ali took oath as Dewan (prime minister) of Junagadh state.[16]

List of rulers

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Rulers

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The rulers were titled 'Maharaja'. They had the right to an 13 gunsalute.

Junagarh State Council with S Parmar have been entrusted with the erstwhile princely state of Junagarh.

See also

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References

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  1. ^abChisholm, Hugh,ed. (1911)."Junagarh".Encyclopædia Britannica.Vol. 15 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp.554–555.
  2. ^abMenon, V. P. (1956).The Story of Integration of the Indian States(PDF).Orient Longman. pp.85–87.
  3. ^Collins, Larry (2011).Freedom at Midnight(Seventh ed.). Vikas Publishing House. pp.556–557.ISBN978-8125931867.
  4. ^"Explained: When Junagadh voted to join India, and Pakistan got just 91 votes".The Indian Express.5 August 2020.Retrieved17 July2023.
  5. ^ab Philip Jagessar,Pakistan, India and mapping the contested accession of South Asia’s princely states,University of Nottingham, 3 October 2019.
  6. ^ab "After Nepal, Pakistan unveils new political map; Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh claimed, India retorts".The Himalayan Times.4 August 2020.Retrieved4 August2020.
  7. ^Georg Pfeffer;Deepak Kumar Behera (1997),Contemporary Society: Concept of tribal society,Concept Publishing Company, p. 198,ISBN9788170229834
  8. ^Soszynski, Henry."JUNAGADH".Archived fromthe originalon 20 May 2017.Retrieved27 June2014.
  9. ^Nawabs of JunagarhArchived9 February 2012 at theWayback MachineBritish Library.
  10. ^Williams, Raymond Brady; Trivedi, Yogi (12 May 2016).Swaminarayan Hinduism: Tradition, Adaptation, and Identity.Oxford University Press.ISBN9780199089598.
  11. ^"KOLIS: A FRINGE CATEGORY"(PDF).shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in.Retrieved1 January2019.
  12. ^Copland, Ian (1991)."The Princely States, the Muslim League, and the Partition of India in 1947".The International History Review.13(1):38–69.doi:10.1080/07075332.1991.9640572.ISSN0707-5332.JSTOR40106322.
  13. ^"Welcome to Junagadh Municipal Corporation".Archived fromthe originalon 25 February 2013.Retrieved5 July2016.
  14. ^ Devirupa Mitra,Pakistan Objects to India's Map Bill But its Own 2014 Law Regulates Geospatial Data Too,The Wire, 18 May 2016.
  15. ^"Illegal occupation of Junagadh was an act of brazen aggression".The Nation.20 March 2021.Retrieved30 October2024.
  16. ^news.desk (12 December 2020)."New prime minister of Junagadh sworn in".The Express Tribune.Retrieved9 December2024.
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