Question
Give an account of the inclusion of Hyderabad within India.
Answer
Hyderabad, a princely state in India, was ruled by the Nizams who refused to accede to either India or Pakistan after the partition in 1947. The Indian government saw Hyderabad as a threat due to its geographical location, and also because it was a prosperous and independent state. Tensions between India and Hyderabad began to rise in the early 1950s.
In 1948, the Indian army was sent to Hyderabad to restore order after a group of rebels, known as the Razakars, started attacking non-Muslims in the state. In 1950, the Indian government began negotiations with the Nizam for the integration of Hyderabad into India. However, these talks failed as the Nizam was not willing to accede to India.
In 1951, the Indian government launched Operation Polo, a military operation aimed at annexing Hyderabad. Indian forces, led by Major General Jayanto Nath Chaudhuri, quickly overpowered the forces of the Nizam and Razakars, and by September 17, 1951, Hyderabad was fully integrated into India.
