Hyderabad State (1948–1956)

Operation Polo was the code name of the Hyderabad "police action" in September 1948,[3] by the then newly independent Dominion of India against the Hyderabad State.[4] It was a military operation in which the Indian Armed Forces invaded the Nizam-ruled princely state, annexing it into the Indian Union.[5]

At the time of Partition in 1947, the princely states of India, who in principle had self-government within their own territories, were subject to subsidiary alliances with the British, giving them control of their external relations. In the Indian Independence Act 1947 the British abandoned all such alliances, leaving the states with the option of opting for full independence.[6][7] However, by 1948 almost all had acceded to either India or Pakistan. One major exception was that of the wealthiest and most powerful principality, Hyderabad, where the Nizam, Mir Sir Osman Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VII, a Muslim ruler who presided over a largely Hindu population, chose independence and hoped to maintain this with an irregular army recruited from the Muslim aristocracy, known as the Razakars.[8]^:224 The Nizam was also beset by the Telangana uprising, which he was unable to subjugate.[8]^:224

In November 1947, Hyderabad signed a standstill agreement with the dominion of India, continuing all previous arrangements except for the stationing of Indian troops in the state. However, with the rise of militant razakars, India found it necessary to station Indian troops and invaded the state in September 1948 to compel the Nizam.[9] Subsequently, the Nizam signed an instrument of accession, joining India.[10]

The operation led to massive violence on communal lines. The Indian prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, appointed a commission known as the Sunderlal Committee. Its report, which was not released until 2013, concluded that "as a very reasonable & modest estimate...the total number of deaths in the state...somewhere between 30,000 & 40,000."[11] Other responsible observers estimated the number of deaths to be 200,000 or higher.[12]

Major General El Edroos (at right) offers his surrender of the Hyderabad State Forces to Major General (later General and Army Chief) J. N. Chaudhuri at Secunderabad.

After the Annexation into the Indian Union, Major General J. N. Chaudhuri who led Operation Polo stayed on as Military Governor till December 1949.

The state witnessed Mulkhi agitation in 1952 by the locals after government jobs meant for the locals were given to non-locals.

Hyderabad State had its last Nizam, HEH Mir Osman Ali Khan (1886–1967) as Rajpramukh from 26 January 1950 to 31 October 1956.

After the Annexation of Hyderabad State into India, M. K. Vellodi was appointed the Chief Minister of the state on 26 January 1950. He was a Senior Civil servant in the Government of India. He administered the state with the help of bureaucrats from Madras state and Bombay state.

The 7th Nizam – Mir Osman Ali Khan was given the ceremonial position of "Raj Pramukh" or "Governor".

In the first State Assembly election in India, 1952, Dr. Burgula Ramakrishna Rao was elected Chief minister of Hyderabad State. During this time there were violent agitations by some Telanganites to send back bureaucrats from Madras state, and to strictly implement 'Mulki-rules'(Local jobs for locals only), which was part of Hyderabad state law since 1919.[13]

Administratively, Hyderabad State was made up of sixteen districts, grouped into four divisions:

• Aurangabad Division included Aurangabad, Beed, Nanded, and Parbhani districts;
• Gulbarga Division included Bidar District, Gulbarga, Osmanabad (present Latur district was part of Osmanabad district) and Raichur District;
• Gulshanabad Division or Medak Division included Atraf-i-Baldah (Hyderabad), Mahbubnagar district, Medak district, Nalgonda district (Nalgundah), and Nizamabad districts, and
• Warangal Division included Adilabad, Karimnagar, and Warangal districts (present Khammam district was part of Warangal district).

In 1956 during the Reorganisation of the Indian States based along linguistic lines, the Telugu-speaking region of the state of Hyderabad State was merged with Andhra State. The Marathi speaking region was merged with Bombay state and Kannada speaking region with Mysore State.

The States Reorganisation Commission (SRC) was not in favour of an immediate merger of Telugu speaking Telangana region of Hyderabad state with Andhra state, despite their common language. Para 378 of the SRC report said One of the principal causes of opposition of Vishalandhra also seems to be the apprehension felt by the educationally backward people of Telangana that they may be swamped and exploited by the more advanced people of the coastal areas.

Andhra state and Hyderabad State were merged to form Andhra Pradesh on 1 November 1956, after providing safeguards to Telangana in the form of Gentlemen's agreement. But in June 2014, Telangana re-emerged as a separate state. Hyderabad City will continue to be the capital of both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana for 10 years.

• Major General Choudhary – Military Governor 1948–49
• M. K. Vellodi – 1950–1952 (appointed by Government of India)
• Burgula Ramakrishna Rao – 1953–1956 (elected)