Orissa Review * April - 2006
Integration of Princely States : A Study
The constitution of Orissa Order-1936 got the
approval of the British king on 3rd March, 1936.
It was announced that the new province would
come into being on 1 April, 1936 with Sri John
Austin Hubback I.C.S. as the Governor. On the
appointed day in a solemn ceremony held at the
Revenshaw College Hall, Cuttack, Sir John Austin
Hubback was administered the oath of office by
Sir Courtney Terrel, the Chief Justice of Bihar
and Orissa High Court. The Governor read out
the message of good will received from the British
Emperor George VI and Lord Linlithgow, the
Viceroy of India for the people of Orissa. Thus,
the long cherished dream of the Oriya-speaking
people for years became a reality.
Despite staunch opposit ion to
Government of India Act, 1935 election to the
provincial legislatures were held from 18 to 23
January, 1937. One of the objectives of the
Congress was to fight against the Government of
India Act, 1935 and to replace it by a constitution
made by the people of India themselves. This
encouraged the people of the new province to
agitate for Civil Liberties and responsible
Government.
In the year 1938 the Congress had
declared at the Haripur Session that the goal of
Purna Swaraj also included the independence
of princely states. There was unrest and chaos in
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Balabhadra Ghadai
different parts of the princely states in Orissa. In
1938 Praja Mandals (Peope's Association)
were formed and under their banner struggles
began for securing democratic right. In the princely
state of Talcher a movement against feudal
exploitation made significant advance. There was
unrest at Dhenkanal also where the Ruler tried
his best to suppress it. In October 1938 six
persons including a 12 years old body named Baji
Rout died as a result of firing. There was an
outbreak of lawlessness and the situation became
serious in January 1939 when the Political Agent
Major R.L. Bazelgatte was killed by the mob on
5 January, 1939 at Ranpur. The troops were sent
to crush the people's movement. There was unrest
in Ranpur State in April, 1939 which was brutally
subdued.
An Enquiry Committee was constituted
in 1937 under the Chairmanship of Dr.
Harekrushna Mahtab to investigate the condition
of the native states and it submitted its report on
July, 1938. It was mentioned in the report that in
most of the states people suffered from worst
oppression. One of the important
recommendations of the committee was to cancel
the Sanads granted to the ruling chiefs and merge
their territories with the province of Orissa. The
States Enquiry Committee Report was submitted
to Lord Linlithgow, the Viceroy, during his visit to
Orissa in 1939.
 Orissa Review * April - 2006
The Viceroy remarked that there was no
precise geographical boundary as such between
the province of Orissa and the Feudatory States
and the people were closely linked in various
ways. The idea of integration of states was implicit
in the enquiry report.
Prior to the transfer of power, H.K.
Mahtab the Premier of Orissa Province had made
serious attempts to solve the problems of Orissa.
He met the members of the Cabinet Mission on
6th April, 1946 and wrote to Stafford Cripps :
"You know I am very much interested in the
amalgamation of the 26 Orissa States with the
Province of Orissa. I hope you will continue to
exercise your influence with the authorities
concerned to bring this about as immediately as
possible. It seems to me none is willing to get out
of the route he has put himself in, I think a vigorous
push is necessary to get the entire thing out of
route. Where we say independence we mean this
kind of vigorous push. I hope you will be able to
supply this to India this time "As there were so
many important matters before the Cabinet
Mission it could not look to the specific problem
of Orissa. In the statement of Cabinet Mission
issued on 16th May, 1946 it was however
contemplated that a satisfactory solution to the
problem of the Indian States would be achieved
by mutual negotiations. Mahtab tried his best to
convince the rulers of Orissa States about the
benefits of mutual co-operation and wrote to them
personal letters on 10th May, 1946 and again on
29th June, 1946. He was convinced that the
amalgamation of the States with the province on
terms agreed upon by the parties concerned
would best serve the interest of both the Province
and States. Therefore, he appealed to the rulers
to join with the province and bring about a
common administration.
The rulers of the Orissa States did not
show any interest to merge their States with the
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Province. On the otherhand, in July 1946 they
met in a conference at Alipore and decided to
form a feudal union of the Chhattisgarh and Orissa
States. But Mahtab did not give up the hope of
some understanding and again met the rulers of
Orissa States on 16th October, 1946 at
Sambalpur and initiated a discussion with them in
the presence of the Political Agent about the
necessity of one administration for the States and
the Province. During the discussion which lasted
for about six hours Mahtab emphasised on
administration of law and order, food and cloth,
control of river system, development of
communication, organisation of public health,
development of education etc. But the long
discussion yielded no satisfactory result. The rulers
of Orissa States were bent upon maintaining their
separate identities and did not like to amalgamate
with the province.
With the attainment of independence there
emerged two opposing forces in the States of
Orissa. While one demanded merger of the States
with the Province, the other demanded the
formation of popular ministries under the aegis of
the Feudal Rulers. The Regional Council of the
A.I.S.P.C. amply aided by the provincial Govt.
of Orissa championed the cause of the merger.
H.K. Mahtab the Premier of Orissa sincerely tried
to state the activities of the anti-merger group.
On 20th November, 1947 a meeting was
held in Delhi in the official chamber of the
Secretary to Government of India, Ministry of
States, to discuss on the problem. In this meeting
Mahtab and the Regional Commissioner of
Sambalpur were present. In the meeting tentative
conclusions were reached: first, the Eastern States
Union should not be recognised by the
Government of India, Secondly, that the B and C
class States should be asked to agree to common
administration of certain subjects by the Provincial
Govt. and thirdly, the Ministry of States should
 Orissa Review * April - 2006

call a meeting of the rulers of B and C class states
at Cuttack sometimes in December, 1947.
Sardar Patel, the Minister of States, V.P.
Menon the Secretary of the States Department
and other reached Cuttack on 13th December
1947. They met the rulers of Orissa States on
14th December. The Minister exhorted the Rulers
to voluntarily relinguish all power and authority,
as they had no resource to build up a stable
Government. After lot of hesitation initially 25
Rulers affixed their signatures in the merger
document. Only Mayurbhanj was left out of the
agreement on the ground that the ruler had then
set up a Government composed of popular
representatives and so could not make any
commitment without consulting his Minister. The
Govt. of India then delegated to the Govt. of
Orissa the power to administer the Orissa States
in the same manner as the district in that province.
The merger of the 25 states came into force from
1st January 1948. The only state that was left out
of the merger scheme was Mayurbhanj. But in
course one year, the Ruler himself got disgusted
with his own Government and pleaded for a take
over of the State. On 1 January 1949 the state
was merged with the province of Orissa. The two
states of Saraikela and Kharasuan which were
originally integrated with Orissa were finally
transferred to the Government of Bihar through
the arbitration of the Government of India. Thus
Dr. Mahtab's leading role in the field of integration
of Princely States has made his name indelible in
the minds of millions of people of Orissa for all
time to come.
Balabhadra Ghadai is the Principal of M.K. College,
Khiching, Mayurbhanj, Orissa.

Hon'ble Chief Minister Shri Naveen Patnaik going round the Biju Patnaik Swimming
Pool Complex at Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar after inaugurating it on 4.3.2006

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