Question

The Maharaja of which of the following states signed the instrument of accession only after a last-minute theatrical show of defiance?
1. Hyderabad
2. Bhopal
3. Jaisalmer
4. Jodhpur

Answer 1

Correct Answer - Option 4 : Jodhpur

The instrument of Accession was an accession treaty i.e the state will come under the Dominion of India.

Jodhpur

• The Rajput princely state of Jodhpur was a strange case of tilting towards Pakistan despite having a Hindu king and a large Hindu population while the prince, Maharaja Hanvant Singh, was strong in his willingness to join India, he somehow got the idea that it might be more beneficial for him to join Pakistan on account of the fact that his state shared border with the soon to be born country.
• Further, he was lured into joining Pakistan by Jinnah who offered him full port facilities in Karachi along with military and agrarian support.
• However, when Vallabhbhai Patel was made aware of the possibility of Jodhpur going to Pakistan, he immediately contacted the prince and offered him sufficient benefits and explained to him the problems of joining a Muslim state an eventually the Jodhpur prince was won back.
• The Maharaja of Jodhpur states signed the instrument of accession only after a last-minute theatrical show of defiance.

• The last ruler of the Jodhpur state was Hanwant Singh.
• He ascended the throne in 1947.
• He was a descendent of the Rathore dynasty.
• He was the son of Maharaja Umaid Singh
• He delayed signing the Instrument of Accession to India and briefly considered joining Pakistan.
• But thanks to the effective persuasion of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Lord Mountbatten, the maharajah of Jodhpur in agreement to the accession of his state to the new Dominion of India.
• He formed a new political party Akhil Bhartiya Ramrajya Parishad in 1952 after Independence.
• He died in a plane crash in 1952.​