What was the situation regarding democracy in most of the Princely States?

The Princely States lacked democracy and the rulers denied democratic rights.

The correct answer is Option 3 - The Princely States lacked democracy and the rulers denied democratic rights.

Prior to Independence, the British announced that with the end of their rule, the paramountcy of the British crown over the Princely States would also end.
This meant that the Princely States, numbering 565, would become legally independent and could choose to join India, and Pakistan, or remain independent.
The decision of joining India or Pakistan was left to the princely rulers, rather than being determined by the people.
This posed a significant challenge as it could potentially lead to the fragmentation of India into smaller states and threatened the unity of the newly formed nation.
This situation created the possibility of further divisions and the formation of multiple small countries within India.
The prospects of democracy in these states seemed bleak as most of them were governed in a non-democratic manner, with rulers unwilling to grant democratic rights to their populations.
This situation was contradictory to the goals of Indian independence, which aimed for unity, self-determination, and democracy.