Read in ‘Freedom at Midnight’ that until 1947, there were around more than 500 Rajas ranging from owning states bigger than some european countries like Kashmir, Hyderababad to states which were smaller than some gardens of London. Some states were of a small stable size.
British Raj had made agreements with those states whereby British Raj controlled the defence and internal matters of the states.
How these states lost their position and what were the reasons behind merging them with Independent India and Pakistan, when initially Maharaja Patiyala was successful to get 3 options.. Affiliation with India. Affiliation with Pakistan & running affairs as a separate state?
Re: Birtish Raj and Indian Maharajas
three options were given initially after that it was only two option either India and Pakistan. None of these maharajas were sincere towards freedom of India because they knew this means losing power to democratically elected people with huge mass support. These maharajas were most incompetent lot, even to this date they have mostly produced most useless leaders like Digvijay Singh, Arjun Singh,Raja Bhaiya,Captain Amrinder Singh etc barring few exceptions like Scindias who didn't support revolt of 1857. Most of them signed to India rest India coerced to merge like Hyderabad and Goa and others are still disputed like Kashmir.
Re: Birtish Raj and Indian Maharajas
But why British Raj didn't end thes states and kept two different systems in India during their rule?
Re: Birtish Raj and Indian Maharajas
To extend their rule by dividing further, some of them were annexed through 'treaty of lapse' before 1857:) Even in round table conference they addressed many Indias, British,Royal and Lower caste India:) Winston Churchill considered Indians unfit for ruling and never supported independence of India, It was during government of Clement Atlee of Labour party that granted us freedom.
Re: Birtish Raj and Indian Maharajas
Churchill seems to know Indians better 
BTW, it is said that there were some Rajas who did better work for their public compared to English administration in other areas.
Re: Birtish Raj and Indian Maharajas
Churchill was part of British Indian Army fought war in Afghanistan section, I think he hated pashtoons the most, He is most impressive leader of first part of century, He hated Gandhi and reportedly said to poison him, it was only Gandhi who outmaneuvered Churchill whom Churchill used to call half naked fakir, it is unique that during his time Brits saw their political demise. Indian Rajas were more oppertunistic than anything else, it was ramchandra shukla of Champaran that brought mahatama to chamaparan and Gandhi launch Satyagriha opposing Zaminder who compelled people to grow indigo, these Rajas and Zamindars were in bed with brits and hardly ever thought of social benefit, except medium land holding jats none of the landlord communities ever produced a worthy freedom fighter.
Re: Birtish Raj and Indian Maharajas
But why British Raj didn't end thes states and kept two different systems in India during their rule?
Because the system worked well for them. They got loyal administrators and got financial benefit out of it. For example, the princely states technically had their own militaries, but they served under the Raj's command - in other words, Britain got troops without having to pay for them.
Arbitrarily seizing power away from its own allies, though within the power of the Raj, would have risked another revolt that Britain was keen to avoid. The lapse policy allowed them to slowly expand within risking a rebellion, as the various princes would not risk uniting to oppose it as they either had children and were not subject to it or they hoped to have children and not have to fight.
Re: Birtish Raj and Indian Maharajas
The treaty of lapse promulagted by Lord Dulhousie was also a reason of princely support of rebellion of 1857 as in case of Rani of Jhansi, who adopted a son after his biological son died but this wasn't recogonized by Company's government. There were other reasons of revolt like religion which british didn't disturb at all post 1857. Gandhi was most unexpected phenomena that occured, but entire freedom struggle seems more myth than real, and if it was not hitler's war probably british would have stayed for long:)
Re: Birtish Raj and Indian Maharajas
Interesting. Whatever their performance as to public affairs remained, these Rajas were source of tales like Arabian Nights. Their harems, their love for gold / diamonds, Their hunting stories were all fascinating.
I read that Maharaja Patiyala once in a year come before the public naked to represent something related to Shiv lang. Also there were some Maharjas who consumed crushed diamonds for obvious reasons :D
Re: Birtish Raj and Indian Maharajas
Maharaja of Patialas were always joker:D, Maharaja Bhupinder Singh used to increase the size of peg to double so that his jat force used to defeat Goras because they can't handle two pegs:Dm this is theory about Patiala peg. Shiv lingam is incomplete without Yoni, female gential organ at the base of lingam, to compelete the representation Maharaja should have brought Maharani too in naked form, that would have caused riot in Jatland:D
Also some daugters of Nizam and their decendent were married to british too.
PS:Its doctrine of lapse not treaty:)
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so Maharaja Patila even fooled people on the name of Shiv.
Regarding marriages with British, I think Darlymple’s book ‘White Mughals’ is a must read.
Re: Birtish Raj and Indian Maharajas
Only difference beteween muslim and hindu/sikh rajas was that Muslims had four wives and concubines and Rajas has no limit of wives and concubines. Various half nobles of mughals were called Salatin too. These Rajas and Zamindars were finally annihilated by Indira, except Maharaja of Gwalior none of these Rajas are politically too much powerful now.
If Maharani would have come out with Maharaja that would have become legend, some of Mahranis like Maharani Amrit Kaur were famous for beauty. Mahraja Ranjit singh had 26 wives and innumerable others:D
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There is an interesting static in the book 'Freedom at mignight' about Maharja, which says that each Maharaja got 5.8 wives and 7.5 children on an average :D
Re: Birtish Raj and Indian Maharajas
Also keeping Rakhail, keep was matter of pride for zamindar saheb, they used to boast about number of women they had:D
Re: Birtish Raj and Indian Maharajas
Here is interesting statistics about these Rajas (more than 500)
Averages : 11 titles, 5.8 wives, 12.6 children, 9.2 elephants, 2.8 private railway cars, 3.4 Rolls Royces and 22.9 tigers killed.
Maharaja of Gawalior was obsseesed with electrical trains and he had made a set up of trains which moves from his kitchen to the guest room. Once due to short circut, the situation became out of control, when the train started throwing gravy on guests clothes.
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^ What absurd pompousness… whats more absurd is why there wasnt a mass revolution against such goons.
That gravy train is just literally taking the biscuit! 
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There was no limit to the show-off of these Rajas.
Maharaja JunagaRh was obsessed with the dogs. He put them in appartments equipped with telephone and electricity (the facilities which are even not available to many human beings of India today). When some of his dogs died, he used to bury them in special marble coffins.
It is said that he invited 1500 people including Viceroy (who rejected the invitation) on his b!tch Roshana’s wedding with a labrodar Booby. He spent 60,000 ponds on this wedding which were sufficient for annual expenses of his 12,000 subjects 
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Shocking. :(
I suppose todays celebrities are no different.
Re: Birtish Raj and Indian Maharajas
There were some funny incidents too.
Rulers of Banaras used to open their eyes with the sacred cow infront of them. Each dawn a cow was brought near the window of Maharajas chamber and the cow was jabbed in ribs so that her mooing can bring Raja into this world. Once Maharaja Banaras visited Nawab of Rampur. Nawab of Rampur was aware of this cow practice, but the problem was that Maharaja's quarters was on second floor of the palace. Finally came the idea of using a crane to get the cow reach the chamber's window at second floor. Next morning, when cow experience the unnatural voyage, her moos and screams not only woke up Maharaja but rest of the people in palace.
Re: Birtish Raj and Indian Maharajas
Poor cow, I can understand it's a holy creature but then surely you would not want to cause so much distress to it.
Khair what would I know, mera in mamlo may kya.