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101-740: The Khalistan movement is a separatist movement seeking to create a homeland for Sikhs by establishing an ethno ‐ religious sovereign state called Khalistan ( lit.   ' land of the Khalsa ' ) in the Punjab region . The proposed boundaries of Khalistan vary between different groups; some suggest the entirety of the Sikh-majority Indian state of Punjab , while larger claims include Pakistani Punjab and other parts of North India such as Chandigarh , Haryana , and Himachal Pradesh . Shimla and Lahore have been proposed as

202-457: A public address system , the Army repeatedly demanded the militants to surrender, asking them to at least allow pilgrims to leave the temple premises before commencing battle. Nothing happened until 7:00 pm ( IST ). The Army, equipped with tanks and heavy artillery , had grossly underestimated the firepower possessed by the militants, who attacked with anti-tank and machine-gun fire from

303-563: A Cabinet and declared himself president of the "Republic of Khalistan," issuing symbolic Khalistan 'passports,' 'postage stamps,' and 'Khalistan dollars.' Moreover, embassies in Britain and other European countries were opened by Chohan. It is reported that, with the support of a wealthy Californian peach magnate, Chohan opened an Ecuadorian bank account to further support his operation. As well as maintaining contacts among various groups in Canada,

404-961: A Hindu-majority province. Sikh historian Harjot Singh Oberoi argues that, despite the historical linkages between Sikhs and Punjab, territory has never been a major element of Sikh self-definition. He makes the case that the attachment of Punjab with Sikhism is a recent phenomenon, stemming from the 1940s. Historically, Sikhism has been pan-Indian, with the Guru Granth Sahib (the main scripture of Sikhism) drawing from works of saints in both North and South India, while several major seats in Sikhism (e.g. Nankana Sahib in Pakistan,  Takht Sri Patna Sahib in Bihar , and Hazur Sahib in Maharashtra ) are located outside of Punjab. Oberoi makes

505-558: A Punjabi-majority state would effectively mean yet again creating a state based on religious grounds. On 7 September 1966, the Punjab Reorganisation Act was passed in Parliament, implemented with effect beginning 1 November 1966. Accordingly, Punjab was divided into the state of Punjab and Haryana , with certain areas to Himachal Pradesh . Chandigarh was made a centrally administered Union territory . While

606-522: A chief can neither attack his neighbour nor fall out with a foreign nation, it follows that he needs no military establishment which is not required either for police purposes or personal display, or for cooperation with the Imperial Government. The treaty made with Gwalior in 1844, and the instrument of transfer given to Mysore in 1881, alike base the restriction of the forces of the State upon

707-1022: A community distinct and separate from other social groups. On the other hand, the MGTOW movement is sometimes considered a male-gender separatism, as at the center of this ideology is the notion of male separatism where men should not be a part of a feminist-biased society. Some fringe elements even propose a utopical no-women state. Some examples include: Some separatist groups seek to separate from others along racial lines. They oppose interracial marriage and integration with other races and seek separate schools, businesses, churches and other institutions, and often separate societies, territories, countries, and governments: Religious separatist groups and sects want to withdraw from some larger religious groups and/or believe they should interact primarily with coreligionists: How far separatist demands will go toward full independence, and whether groups pursue constitutional and nonviolent action or armed violence, depend on

808-567: A community that was separate from Hindus and Muslims. The Akali Dal imagined Khalistan as a theocratic state led by the Maharaja of Patiala with the aid of a cabinet consisting of the representatives of other units. The country would include parts of present-day Punjab, India , present-day Punjab, Pakistan (including Lahore ), and the Simla Hill States . Before the 1947 partition of India , Sikhs were not in majority in any of

909-658: A few weeks after the operation, "Before the raid on the Golden Temple, neither the Government nor anyone else appeared to put much credence in the Khalistan movement. Mr. Bhindranwale himself said many times that he was not seeking an independent country for Sikhs, merely greater autonomy for Punjab within the Indian Union.... One possible explanation advanced for the Government's raising of the Khalistan question

1010-640: A foreign origin due to the long period of external migration to India. Some of these were the rulers of Hyderabad ( Turks ), Bhopal ( Afghans ) and Janjira ( Abyssinian ). Among the Hindu kingdoms, most of the rulers were Kshatriya . Only the Rajput states and a scattering of South Indian kingdoms could trace their lineage to the pre-Mughal period. India under the British Raj (the "Indian Empire") consisted of two types of territory: British India and

1111-581: A majority of Sikhs, along with the Hindus, migrated from the Pakistani region to India's Punjab, which included present-day Haryana and Himachal Pradesh . The Sikh population, which had gone as high as 19.8% in some Pakistani districts in 1941, dropped to 0.1% in Pakistan, and rose sharply in the districts assigned to India. However, they would still be a minority in the Punjab province of India, which remained

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1212-603: A member of Babbar Khalsa . The movement failed to reach its objective for multiple reasons, including violent police crackdowns on separatists, factional infighting, and disillusionment from the Sikh population. There is some support within India and the Sikh diaspora, with yearly demonstrations in protest of those killed during Operation Blue Star . In early 2018, some militant groups were arrested by police in Punjab, India. Former Chief Minister of Punjab Amarinder Singh claimed that

1313-549: A mountain of a molehill where none existed," that the agency created seven posts in West Europe and North America in 1981 to counter non-existent Khalistan activities, and that the deployed officers were "not always familiar with the Sikhs or the Punjab issue." He described the secessionist movement as a "chimera" until the army operation, after which the insurgency would start. According to a New York Times article written just

1414-410: A reference to persons professing the Sikh, Jaina , or Buddhist religion," while also implicitly recognizing Sikhism as a separate religion: "the wearing and carrying of kripans [ sic ] shall be deemed to be included in the profession of the Sikh religion." Even today, this clause is deemed offensive by many religious minorities in India due to its failure to recognise such religions separately under

1515-497: A result of Khalistani violence and riots. As negotiations held with Bhindranwale and his supporters proved unsuccessful, Indira Gandhi ordered the Indian Army to launch Operation Blue Star. Along with the Army, the operation would involve Central Reserve Police Force , Border Security Force , and Punjab Police . Army units led by Lt. Gen. Kuldip Singh Brar (a Sikh), surrounded the temple complex on 3 June 1984. Just before

1616-480: A result of their states' contributions to the war effort. It was also not unusual for members of princely houses to be appointed to various colonial offices, often far from their native state, or to enter the diplomatic corps. The gun salute system was used to set unambiguously the precedence of the major rulers in the area in which the British East India Company was active, or generally of

1717-501: A rule the majority of gun-salute princes had at least nine, with numbers below that usually the prerogative of Arab Sheikhs of the Aden protectorate , also under British protection. There were many so-called non-salute states of lower prestige. Since the total of salute states was 117 and there were more than 500 princely states, most rulers were not entitled to any gun salute. Not all of these were minor rulers – Surguja State , for example,

1818-578: A ruler to appoint his own heir. The doctrine of lapse was pursued most vigorously by the Governor-General Sir James Ramsay , 10th Earl (later 1st Marquess) of Dalhousie . Dalhousie annexed seven states, including Awadh (Oudh), whose Nawabs he had accused of misrule, and the Maratha states of Nagpur , Jhansi , Satara , Sambalpur , and Thanjavur . Resentment over the annexation of these states turned to indignation when

1919-529: A semi-promotion. The states of all these rulers (about 120) were known as salute states . After Indian Independence , the Maharana of Udaipur displaced the Nizam of Hyderabad as the most senior prince in India, because Hyderabad State had not acceded to the new Dominion of India , and the style Highness was extended to all rulers entitled to 9-gun salutes. When the princely states had been integrated into

2020-537: A union between British India and the princely states, with an Indian central government. In 1946, Jawaharlal Nehru observed that no princely state could prevail militarily against the army of independent India. At the time of the British withdrawal, 565 princely states were officially recognized in the Indian subcontinent, apart from thousands of zamindari estates and jagirs . In 1947, princely states covered 40% of

2121-489: A variety of economic, political, social and cultural factors, including movement leadership and the government's response. Governments may respond in a number of ways, some of which are mutually exclusive. Some include: Princely state A princely state (also called native state or Indian state ) was a nominally sovereign entity of the British Indian Empire that was not directly governed by

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2222-699: Is almost analogous to Singh title in North India. The actual importance of a princely state could not be read from the title of its ruler, which was usually granted (or at least recognized) as a favor, often in recognition for loyalty and services rendered to the British Raj . Although some titles were raised once or even repeatedly, there was no automatic updating when a state gained or lost real power. In fact, princely titles were even awarded to holders of domains (mainly jagirs ) and even taluqdars and zamindars , which were not states at all. Most of

2323-483: Is organised for the defence not merely of British India , but of all the possessions under the suzerainty of the King-Emperor. In addition, other restrictions were imposed: The treaties with most of the larger States are clear on this point. Posts in the interior must not be fortified, factories for the production of guns and ammunition must not be constructed, nor may the subject of other States be enlisted in

2424-467: Is that it needs to take every opportunity to justify the killing in Amritsar and the invasion of the Sikhs' holiest shrine." Khushwant Singh had written that "considerable Khalistan sentiment seems to have arisen since the raid on the temple, which many Sikhs, if not most, have taken as a deep offense to their religion and their sensibilities," referring to the drastic change in community sentiments after

2525-478: Is the son of the assassin of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Sikhs have been concentrated in the Punjab region of South Asia . Before its conquest by the British, the region around Punjab had been ruled by the confederacy of Sikh Misls . The Misls ruled over the eastern Punjab from 1733 to 1799, until their confederacy was unified into the Sikh Empire by Maharajah Ranjit Singh from 1799 to 1849. At

2626-842: The Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 . The Akalis demanded replacement of such rules with laws specific to Sikhism . Operation Blue Star was an Indian military operation ordered by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi , between 1 and 8 June 1984, to remove militant religious leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and his armed followers from the buildings of the Harmandir Sahib complex (aka the Golden Temple) in Amritsar , Punjab  – the most sacred site in Sikhism. In July 1983, Akali Dal President Harchand Singh Longowal had invited Bhindranwale to take up residence at

2727-555: The Council of Khalistan , declaring its formation at Anandpur Sahib on 12 April 1980. Chohan designated himself as President of the Council and Balbir Singh Sandhu as its Secretary General. In May 1980, Chohan travelled to London to announce the formation of Khalistan. A similar announcement was made in Amritsar by Sandhu, who released stamps and currency of Khalistan. Operating from a building termed "Khalistan House", Chohan named

2828-685: The Eastern States Agency , Punjab States Agency , Baluchistan Agency , Deccan States Agency , Madras States Agency and the Northwest Frontier States Agency . The Baroda Residency was combined with the princely states of northern Bombay Presidency into the Baroda, Western India and Gujarat States Agency . Gwalior was separated from the Central India Agency and given its own Resident, and

2929-577: The INC party, responded by sealing the Delhi-Punjab border, and ordering all Sikh visitors travelling from to Delhi from Punjab to be frisked. While such measures were seen as discriminatory and humiliating by Sikhs, they proved effective as Akali Dal could only organize small and scattered protests in Delhi. Consequently, many Sikhs who did not initially support Akalis and Bhindranwale began sympathizing with

3030-544: The King-Emperor to provide a forum in which the rulers could voice their needs and aspirations to the government. It survived until the end of the British Raj in 1947. By the early 1930s, most of the princely states whose agencies were under the authority of India's provinces were organised into new Agencies, answerable directly to the governor-general, on the model of the Central India and Rajputana agencies:

3131-520: The Maharaja of Patiala and the Maharaja of Travancore – were entitled to 19-gun salutes. The most senior princely ruler was the Nizam of Hyderabad , who was entitled to the unique style Exalted Highness and 21-gun salute . Other princely rulers entitled to salutes of 11 guns (soon 9 guns too) or more were entitled to the style Highness . No special style was used by rulers entitled to lesser gun salutes. As paramount ruler , and successor to

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3232-841: The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India and the Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire . Women could be appointed as "Knights" (instead of Dames) of these orders. Rulers entitled to 21-gun and 19-gun salutes were normally appointed to the highest rank, Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India. Many Indian princes served in the British Army , the Indian Army , or in local guard or police forces, often rising to high ranks; some even served while on

3333-524: The Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), the foreign-intelligence agency of India, R&AW itself helped "build the Khalistan legend," actively participating in the planning of Operation Blue Star . While posted in Ottawa , Canada in 1976 to look into the "Khalistan problem" among the Sikh diaspora, Sidhu found "nothing amiss" during the three years he was there, stating that "Delhi was unnecessarily making

3434-547: The Union Government led by Indira Gandhi agreed with the creation of Punjab state but refused to make Chandigarh as its capital and also refused to make it autonomous. The outcome of the Punjabi Suba movement failed to meet demands of its leaders. As Punjab and Haryana now shared the capital of Chandigarh, resentment was felt among Sikhs in Punjab. Adding further grievance, a canal system was put in place over

3535-736: The native states or princely states . In its Interpretation Act 1889 , the British Parliament adopted the following definitions: (4.) The expression "British India" shall mean all territories and places within Her Majesty's dominions which are for the time being governed by Her Majesty through the Governor-General of India or through any governor or other officer subordinate to the Governor-General of India. (5.) The expression "India" shall mean British India together with any territories of any native prince or chief under

3636-483: The zamindars who held princely titles were in fact erstwhile princely and royal states reduced to becoming zamindars by the British East India Company. Various sources give significantly different numbers of states and domains of the various types. Even in general, the definition of titles and domains are clearly not well-established. In addition to their titles, all princely rulers were eligible to be appointed to certain British orders of chivalry associated with India,

3737-450: The 1970s and 1980s, and reaching its zenith in the late 1980s. The Sikh separatist leader Jagjit Singh Chohan said that during his talks with Zulfikar Ali Bhutto , the latter affirmed his support for the Khalistan movement in retaliation for the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war , which resulted in the secession of Bangladesh from Pakistan. The separatist insurgency in Punjab started in the early 1980s. Several Khalistani groups were involved in

3838-637: The Akali Morcha. Following the conclusion of the Games, Longowal organised a convention of Sikh veterans at the Darbar Sahib . It was attended by a large number of Sikh ex-servicemen, including retd. Major General Shabeg Singh who subsequently became Bhindranwale's military advisor. Widespread murders by followers of Bhindranwale occurred in 1980s' Punjab. Armed Khalistani militants of this period described themselves as kharku . On its own,

3939-514: The British and Indian Armed Forces. Those ranks were conferred based on several factors, including their heritage, lineage, gun-salute (or lack of one) as well as personal character or martial traditions. After the First and Second World Wars, the princely rulers of several of the major states, including Gwalior , Patiala , Nabha , Faridkort , Bikaner , Jaipur , Jodhpur , Jammu and Kashmir and Hyderabad, were given honorary general officer ranks as

4040-534: The British monarch. More prestigious Hindu rulers (mostly existing before the Mughal Empire, or having split from such old states) often used the title " Raja ", or a variant such as Raje, Rai , Rana , Babu , Rao , Rawat, or Rawal . Also in this 'class' were several Thakurs or Thai ores and a few particular titles, such as Sardar , Mankari , Deshmukh , Sar Desai, Istamuradar, Saranjamdar , Raja Inamdar, etc. The most prestigious Hindu rulers usually had

4141-492: The British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule , subject to a subsidiary alliance and the suzerainty or paramountcy of the British crown . In 1920, Congress (party) under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi declared swaraj (self-rule) for Indians as its goal and asked the princes of India to establish responsible government. Jawaharlal Nehru played a major role in pushing Congress to confront

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4242-600: The Government choose not to take action. Finally, following the murder of six Hindu bus passengers in October 1983, emergency rule was imposed in Punjab, which would continue for more than a decade. The Akali Dal began more agitation in February 1984, protesting against Article 25, clause (2)(b), of the Indian Constitution , which ambiguously explains that "the reference to Hindus shall be construed as including

4343-591: The Indian Union their rulers were promised continued privileges and an income (known as the Privy Purse ) for their upkeep. Subsequently, when the Indian government abolished the Privy Purse in 1971, the whole princely order ceased to be recognised under Indian law, although many families continue to retain their social prestige informally; some descendants of the rulers are still prominent in regional or national politics, diplomacy, business and high society. At

4444-529: The Khalistan movement at a London press conference, though being largely dismissed by the community as fanatical fringe without any support. Following the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 , Chohan visited Pakistan as a guest of such leaders as Chaudhuri Zahoor Elahi . Visiting Nankana Sahib and several historical gurdwaras in Pakistan, Chohan utilized the opportunity to spread the notion of an independent Sikh state. Widely publicized by Pakistani press,

4545-477: The Maharajas of Mysore , meaning "lord"), Agniraj Maharaj for the rulers of Bhaddaiyan Raj, Chogyal , Nawab ("governor"), Nayak , Wāli , Inamdar , Saranjamdar and many others. Whatever the literal meaning and traditional prestige of the ruler's actual title, the British government translated them all as "prince", to avoid the implication that the native rulers could be "kings" with status equal to that of

4646-646: The Mughals, the British King-Emperor of India, for whom the style of Majesty was reserved, was entitled to an 'imperial' 101-gun salute—in the European tradition also the number of guns fired to announce the birth of an heir (male) to the throne. There was no strict correlation between the levels of the titles and the classes of gun salutes, the real measure of precedence, but merely a growing percentage of higher titles in classes with more guns. As

4747-458: The Nawab of Oudh . There were also certain estates of British India which were rendered as political saranjams , having equal princely status. Though none of these princes were awarded gun salutes, princely titles in this category were recognised as a form of vassals of salute states, and were not even in direct relation with the paramount power. A controversial aspect of East India Company rule

4848-487: The Sikh community would be formalized in March 1946, when the Sikh political party of Akali Dal passed a resolution proclaiming the natural association of Punjab and the Sikh religious community. Oberoi argues that despite having its beginnings in the early 20th century, Khalistan as a separatist movement was never a major issue until the late 1970s and 1980s when it began to militarize. There are two distinct narratives about

4949-539: The US, and Germany, Chohan kept in contact with the Sikh leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale who was campaigning for a theocratic Sikh homeland. The globalized Sikh diaspora invested efforts and resources for Khalistan, but the Khalistan movement remained nearly invisible on the global political scene until the Operation Blue Star of June 1984. In later disclosures from former special secretary G.B.S. Sidhu of

5050-649: The United States at the invitation of his supporters in the Sikh diaspora , Chohan placed an advertisement in the New York Times proclaiming an independent Sikh state. Such promotion enabled him to collect millions of dollars from the diaspora, eventually leading to charges in India relating to sedition and other crimes in connection with his separatist activities. After returning to India in 1977, Chohan travelled to Britain in 1979. There, he would establish

5151-547: The administrators of India's provinces. The agents of five princely states were then under the authority of Madras , 354 under Bombay , 26 of Bengal , two under Assam , 34 under Punjab , fifteen under the Central Provinces and Berar and two under the United Provinces . The Chamber of Princes ( Narender Mandal or Narendra Mandal ) was an institution established in 1920 by a royal proclamation of

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5252-399: The area of pre-independence India and constituted 23% of its population. The most important states had their own British political residencies: Hyderabad of the Nizams , Mysore , Pudukkottai and Travancore in the South, Jammu and Kashmir , and Indore in Central India. The most prominent among those – roughly a quarter of the total – had the status of a salute state , one whose ruler

5353-412: The armed insurgency, including Babbar Khalsa and Khalistan Commando Force , among others. In 1986, Khalistan Commando Force took responsibility for the assassination of General Arun Vaidya , in retaliation for 1984's Operation Blue Star . By the mid-1990s, the insurgency petered out, with the last major incident being the assassination of Chief Minister Beant Singh , who was killed in a bomb blast by

5454-407: The army attack. The Akali leaders, having planned to announce a victory for Dharam Yudh Morcha, were outraged by the changes to the agreed-upon settlement. In November 1982, Akali leader Harchand Singh Longowal announced that the party would disrupt the 9th annual Asian Games by sending groups of Akali workers to Delhi to intentionally get arrested. Following negotiations between the Akali Dal and

5555-461: The beginning of the 20th century, relations between the British and the four largest states – Hyderabad , Mysore , Jammu and Kashmir, and Baroda – were directly under the control of the governor-general of India , in the person of a British resident . Two agencies, for Rajputana and Central India , oversaw twenty and 148 princely states respectively. The remaining princely states had their own British political officers, or Agents, who answered to

5656-404: The broad ground of protection. The former explained in detail that unnecessary armies were embarrassing to the State itself and the cause of disquietude to others: a few months later a striking proof of this was afforded by the army of the Sikh kingdom of Lahore. The British Government has undertaken to protect the dominions of the Native princes from invasion and even from rebellion within: its army

5757-405: The capital of Khalistan. The call for a separate Sikh state began during the 1930s, when British rule in India was nearing its end. In 1940, the first explicit call for Khalistan was made in a pamphlet titled "Khalistan". With financial and political support from the Sikh diaspora , the movement flourished in the Indian state of Punjab – which has a Sikh-majority population – continuing through

5858-412: The case that Sikh leaders in the late 1930s and 1940s realized that the dominance of Muslims in Pakistan and of Hindus in India was imminent. To justify a separate Sikh state within the Punjab, Sikh leaders started to mobilize meta-commentaries and signs to argue that Punjab belonged to Sikhs and Sikhs belong to Punjab. This began the territorialization of the Sikh community. This territorialization of

5959-590: The cause of conflicts between peoples in Europe, Africa and Asia with different ethnic/linguistic origins. The relationship between gender and separatism is complex. Feminist separatism is women's choosing to separate from ostensibly male-defined, male-dominated institutions, relationships, roles and activities. Lesbian separatism advocates lesbianism as the logical result of feminism. Some separatist feminists and lesbian separatists have chosen to live apart in intentional community , cooperatives , and on land trusts . Queer nationalism (or "Gay separatism") seeks

6060-438: The central to state governments. The document was largely forgotten for some time after its adoption until gaining attention in the following decade. In 1982, the Akali Dal and Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale joined hands to launch the Dharam Yudh Morcha in order to implement the resolution. Thousands of people joined the movement, feeling that it represented a real solution to such demands as larger shares of water for irrigation and

6161-475: The commencement of the operation, Lt. Gen. Brar addressed the soldiers: The action is not against the Sikhs or the Sikh religion; it is against terrorism. If there is anyone amongst them, who have strong religious sentiments or other reservations, and do not wish to take part in the operation he can opt out, and it will not be held against him. However, none of the soldiers opted out, including many "Sikh officers, junior commissioned officers and other ranks." Using

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6262-435: The complete list of princely states in 1947, see lists of princely states of India . Central India Agency , Gwalior Residency , Baluchistan Agency , Rajputana Agency , Eastern States Agency Gwalior Residency (two states) Other states under provincial governments Madras (5 states) Bombay (354 states) Central Provinces (15 states) Punjab (45 states) Assam (26 states) The armies of

6363-408: The constitution. Members of the Akali Dal demanded that the removal of any ambiguity in the Constitution that refers to Sikhs as Hindu, as such prompts various concerns for the Sikh population, both in principle and in practice. For instance, a Sikh couple who would marry in accordance to the rites of their religion would have to register their union either under the Special Marriage Act, 1954 or

6464-487: The courts of law: the law of British India rested upon the legislation enacted by the British Parliament, and the legislative powers those laws vested in the various governments of British India, both central and local; in contrast, the courts of the princely states existed under the authority of the respective rulers of those states. The Indian rulers bore various titles including Maharaja or Raja ("king"), Sultan , Nawab , Emir , Raje , Nizam , Wadiyar (used only by

6565-409: The decline of the Mughal Empire, with the prominent exceptions of the Nizam of Hyderabad & Berar , the Wali / Khan of Kalat and the Wali of Swat . Other less usual titles included Darbar Sahib , Dewan , Jam , Mehtar (unique to Chitral ) and Mir (from Emir ). The Sikh princes concentrated at Punjab usually adopted titles when attaining princely rank. A title at a level of Maharaja

6666-405: The districts of pre-partition British Punjab Province other than Ludhiana (where Sikhs formed 41.6% of the population). Rather, districts in the region had a majority of either the Hindus or Muslims depending on its location in the province. British India was partitioned on a religious basis in 1947, where the Punjab province was divided between India and the newly created Pakistan. As result,

6767-407: The doctrine, it was discontinued with the end of Company rule and the British Parliament 's assumption of direct power over India. By treaty, the British controlled the external affairs of the princely states absolutely. As the states were not British possessions, they retained control over their own internal affairs, subject to a degree of British influence which in many states was substantial. By

6868-406: The end of the Second Anglo-Sikh War in 1849, the Sikh Empire was dissolved into separate princely states and the British province of Punjab . In newly conquered regions, "religio-nationalist movements emerged in response to British ' divide and rule ' administrative policies, the perceived success of Christian missionaries converting Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims, and a general belief that

6969-426: The extensive coverage of his remarks introduced the international community, including those in India, to the demand of Khalistan for the first time. Though lacking public support, the term Khalistan became more and more recognizable. According to Chohan, during a talk with Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto of Pakistan, Bhutto had proposed to make Nankana Sahib the capital of Khalistan. On 13 October 1971, visiting

7070-411: The government failed at the last moment due to disagreements regarding the transfer of areas between Punjab and Haryana. Knowing that the Games would receive extensive coverage, Akali leaders vowed to overwhelm Delhi with a flood of protestors, aiming to heighten the perception of Sikh "plight" among the international audience. A week before the Games, Bhajan Lal , Chief Minister of Haryana and member of

7171-460: The heavily fortified Akal Takht , and who possessed Chinese-made, rocket-propelled grenade launchers with armour-piercing capabilities. After a 24-hour shootout , the army finally wrested control of the temple complex. Bhindranwale was killed in the operation, while many of his followers managed to escape. Army casualty figures counted 83 dead and 249 injured, although Rajiv Gandhi would later admit that over 700 Indian soldiers died. According to

7272-513: The heirlooms of the Maharajas of Nagpur were auctioned off in Calcutta. Dalhousie's actions contributed to the rising discontent amongst the upper castes which played a large part in the outbreak of the Indian mutiny of 1857 . The last Mughal badshah (emperor), whom many of the mutineers saw as a figurehead to rally around, was deposed following its suppression. In response to the unpopularity of

7373-536: The largest and most important, was exercised in the name of the British Crown by the central government of British India under the Viceroy; the remaining approximately 400 states were influenced by Agents answerable to the provincial governments of British India under a governor, lieutenant-governor, or chief commissioner. A clear distinction between "dominion" and "suzerainty" was supplied by the jurisdiction of

7474-498: The local forces. ... They must allow the forces that defend them to obtain local supplies, to occupy cantonments or positions, and to arrest deserters; and in addition to these services they must recognise the Imperial control of the railways, telegraphs, and postal communications as essential not only to the common welfare but to the common defence. The Imperial Service Troops were routinely inspected by British army officers and had

7575-418: The militants, diverging from the recommendations provided by the U.K. Military . Opponents of Gandhi also criticised the operation for its excessive use of force. Lieutenant General Brar later stated that the Government had "no other recourse" due to a "complete breakdown" of the situation: state machinery was under the militants' control, declaration of Khalistan was imminent, and Pakistan would have come into

7676-468: The official estimate presented by the Indian Government, the event resulted in a combined total of 493 militant and civilian casualties, as well as the apprehension of 1592 individuals. Independent estimates say over 5,000 civilians and only 200 militants. U.K. Foreign Secretary William Hague attributed high civilian casualties to the Indian Government's attempt at a full frontal assault on

7777-422: The origins of the calls for a sovereign Khalistan. One refers to the events within India itself, while the other privileges the role of the Sikh diaspora . Both of these narratives vary in the form of governance proposed for this state (e.g. theocracy vs democracy ) as well as the proposed name (i.e. Sikhistan vs Khalistan). Even the precise geographical borders of the proposed state differs among them although it

7878-462: The other end of the scale, the non-salute principality of Lawa covered an area of 49 km (19 sq mi), with a population of just below 3,000. Some two hundred of the lesser states even had an area of less than 25 km (10 sq mi). The princely states at the time of Indian independence were mostly formed after the disintegration of the Mughal empire. Many Princely states had

7979-485: The party put forward the Anandpur Sahib Resolution in 1973 to demand radical devolution of power and further autonomy to Punjab. The resolution document included both religious and political issues, asking for the recognition of Sikhism as a religion separate from Hinduism, as well as the transfer of Chandigarh and certain other areas to Punjab. It also demanded that power be radically devolved from

8080-910: The picture declaring its support for Khalistan. Nonetheless, the operation did not crush Khalistani militancy, as it continued. Separatism Separatist groups practice a form of identity politics , or political activity and theorizing founded in the shared experiences of the group's members. Such groups believe attempts at integration with dominant groups compromise their identity and ability to pursue greater self-determination . However, economic and political factors usually are critical in creating strong separatist movements as opposed to less ambitious identity movements. Groups may have one or more motivations for separation, including: Ethnic separatism can be based on cultural, linguistic as well as religious or racial differences. Ethnic separatist movements were relevant since they represented historical delineations between states , or in recent times, were

8181-609: The prefix "maha-" ("great", compare for example " grand duke ") in their titles, as in Maharaja, Maharana, Maharao , etc. This was used in many princely states including Mewar , Travancore and Cochin . The state of Travancore also had queens regent styled Maharani , applied only to the sister of the ruler in Kerala . Muslim rulers almost all used the title " Nawab " (the Arabic honorific of naib , "deputy") originally used by Mughal governors, who became de facto autonomous with

8282-525: The princely states and declared in 1929 that "only people who have the right to determine the future of the States must be the people of these States". In 1937, the Congress won in most parts of British India (not including the princely states) in the provincial elections , and started to intervene in the affairs of the states. In the same year, Gandhi played a major role in proposing a federation involving

8383-478: The princely states were bound by many restrictions that were imposed by subsidiary alliances . They existed mainly for ceremonial use and for internal policing, although certain units designated as Imperial Service Troops, were available for service alongside the regular Indian Army upon request by the British government. According to the Imperial Gazetteer of India vol. IV 1907 , p. 85, Since

8484-659: The recent extremism is backed by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and "Khalistani sympathisers" in Canada , Italy , and the UK . Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) is currently the only pro-Khalistan party recognised by the Election Commission of India . As of 2024, two seats in the Indian Parliament are held by Amritpal Singh , an incarcerated pro-Khalistan activist, and Sarabjeet Singh Khalsa , who

8585-697: The return of Chandigarh to Punjab. According to the 'events outside India' narrative, particularly after 1971, the notion of a sovereign and independent state of Khalistan began to get popularized among Sikhs in North America and Europe . One such account is provided by the Khalistan Council which had moorings in West London , where the Khalistan movement is said to have been launched in 1970. Davinder Singh Parmar migrated to London in 1954. According to Parmar, his first pro-Khalistan meeting

8686-433: The rivers of Ravi , Beas , and Sutlej , which flowed through Punjab, in order for water to also reach Haryana and Rajasthan . As result, Punjab would only receive 23% of the water while the rest would go to the two other states. The fact that the issue would not be revisited brought on additional turmoil to Sikh resentment against Congress. The Akali Dal was defeated in the 1972 Punjab elections . To regain public appeal,

8787-499: The sacred temple complex, which the government would allege that Bhindranwale would later make into an armoury and headquarters for his armed uprising. Since the inception of the Dharam Yudh Morcha to the violent events leading up to Operation Blue Star, Khalistani militants had directly killed 165 Hindus and Nirankaris , as well as 39 Sikhs opposed to Bhindranwale, while a total of 410 were killed and 1,180 injured as

8888-686: The solution to the downfall among India's religious communities was a grassroots religious revival." As the British Empire began to dissolve in the 1930s, Sikhs made their first call for a Sikh homeland. When the Lahore Resolution of the Muslim League demanded Punjab be made into a Muslim state, the Akalis viewed it as an attempt to usurp a historically Sikh territory. In response, the Sikh party Shiromani Akali Dal argued for

8989-518: The states and their dynasties. As heads of a state, certain princely rulers were entitled to be saluted by the firing of an odd number of guns between three and 21, with a greater number of guns indicating greater prestige. Generally, the number of guns remained the same for all successive rulers of a particular state, but individual princes were sometimes granted additional guns on a personal basis. Furthermore, rulers were sometimes granted additional gun salutes within their own territories only, constituting

9090-687: The states of Rampur and Benares , formerly with Agents under the authority of the United Provinces, were placed under the Gwalior Residency in 1936. The princely states of Sandur and Banganapalle in Mysore Presidency were transferred to the agency of the Mysore Resident in 1939. The native states in 1947 included five large states that were in "direct political relations" with the Government of India. For

9191-482: The suzerainty of Her Majesty exercised through the Governor-General of India, or through any governor or other officer subordinate to the Governor-General of India. In general the term " British India " had been used (and is still used) also to refer to the regions under the rule of the East India Company in India from 1774 to 1858. The British Crown 's suzerainty over 175 princely states, generally

9292-449: The throne. Many of these were appointed as an aide-de-camp , either to the ruling prince of their own house (in the case of relatives of such rulers) or to British monarchs. Many saw active service , both on the subcontinent and on other fronts, during both World Wars. Apart from those members of the princely houses who entered military service and who distinguished themselves, a good number of princes received honorary ranks as officers in

9393-612: The time of Indian independence, only five rulers – the Nizam of Hyderabad , the Maharaja of Mysore , the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir state , the Maharaja Gaekwad of Baroda and the Maharaja Scindia of Gwalior – were entitled to a 21-gun salute. Six more – the Nawab of Bhopal , the Maharaja Holkar of Indore , the Maharaja of Bharatpur , the Maharana of Udaipur , the Maharaja of Kolhapur ,

9494-545: The year 1984 (from 1 January to 3 June) saw 775 violent incidents, resulting in 298 people killed and 525 injured. Though it was common knowledge that those responsible for such bombings and murders were taking shelter in gurdwaras , the INC Government of India declared that it could not enter these places of worship, for the fear of hurting Sikh sentiments. Even as detailed reports on the open shipping of arms-laden trucks were sent to Prime Minister Indira Gandhi ,

9595-412: Was a sovereign state (i.e. Khalistan), while its minimal position was to have an autonomous state within India. The issues raised during the Punjabi Suba movement were later used as a premise for the creation of a separate Sikh country by proponents of Khalistan. As the religious-based partition of India led to much bloodshed, the Indian government initially rejected the demand, concerned that creating

9696-812: Was attended by less than 20 people and he was labelled as a madman, receiving only one person's support. Parmar continued his efforts despite the lack of following, eventually raising the Khalistani flag in Birmingham in the 1970s. In 1969, two years after losing the Punjab Assembly elections, Indian politician Jagjit Singh Chohan moved to the United Kingdom to start his campaign for the creation of Khalistan. Chohan's proposal included Punjab, Himachal, Haryana, as well as some parts of Rajasthan . Parmar and Chohan met in 1970 and formally announced

9797-439: Was both larger and more populous than Karauli State , but the Maharaja of Karauli was entitled to a 17-gun salute and the Maharaja of Surguja was not entitled to any gun salute at all. A number of princes, in the broadest sense of the term, were not even acknowledged as such. On the other hand, the dynasties of certain defunct states were allowed to keep their princely status – they were known as political pensioners , such as

9898-399: Was entitled to a set number of gun salutes on ceremonial occasions. The princely states varied greatly in status, size, and wealth; the premier 21-gun salute states of Hyderabad and Jammu and Kashmir were each over 200,000 km (77,000 sq mi) in size. In 1941, Hyderabad had a population of over 16 million, while Jammu and Kashmir had a population of slightly over 4 million. At

9999-540: Was generally imagined to be carved out from one of various historical constructions of the Punjab. Established on 14 December 1920, Akali Dal was a Sikh political party that sought to form a government in Punjab. Following the 1947 independence of India, the Punjabi Suba movement , led by the Akali Dal, sought the creation of a province ( suba ) for Punjabi people . The Akali Dal's maximal position of demands

10100-399: Was the doctrine of lapse , a policy under which lands whose feudal ruler died (or otherwise became unfit to rule) without a male biological heir (as opposed to an adopted son) would become directly controlled by the company and an adopted son would not become the ruler of the princely state. This policy went counter to Indian tradition where, unlike Europe, it was far more the accepted norm for

10201-649: Was used. There were also compound titles, such as (Maha)rajadhiraj, Raj-i-rajgan, often relics from an elaborate system of hierarchical titles under the Mughal emperors . For example, the addition of the adjective Bahadur (from Persian, literally meaning "brave") raised the status of the titleholder one level. Furthermore, most dynasties used a variety of additional titles such as Varma in South India. This should not be confused with various titles and suffixes not specific to princes but used by entire (sub)castes. This

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