Another, and scarcely less serious, problem faced by the new nation was that of the princely states. As one contemporary observer remarked, some maharajas now began "to luxuriate in wild dreams of independent power in an India of many partitions". The members of the Constituent Assembly were not elected on the basis of universal franchise. The Constituent Assembly that came into being was dominated by one party: the Congress. But the League chose to boycott the Constituent Assembly, pressing its demand for Pakistan with a separate constitution.
What do the missing lines say about the position of the nawabs and maharajas during the period of the Raj?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → They owed allegiance to the British Crown but were mostly free to rule
Option (1) They were ruled directly by British officials and kept their titles — Incorrect. The princes kept control of their own territory under the Crown. Direct rule by British officials applied to the provinces.
Option (2) They paid revenue to the provinces and sat in the provincial legislatures — Incorrect. The princes did not sit in the provincial legislatures. Their states lay outside the British provinces.
Option (3) They owed allegiance to the British Crown but were mostly free to rule — Correct. The nawabs and maharajas owed allegiance to the British Crown, but were left mostly free to rule their territory as they wished.
Option (4) They ruled as governors appointed by the Viceroy for fixed terms — Incorrect. Governors were officials of British provinces. The princes were hereditary rulers of their own states.
NCERT (2026-27): “1. A Tumultuous Time … |