Sovereignty, International Law, and the Princely States of Colonial South Asia

Sovereignty,International Law,and the Princely States of Colonial South Asia delves into the history of sovereignty through an analysis of the jurisdictional politics involving a set of historical legal entities. It explores how the language of sovereignty shaped the discourse surrounding the legal status of the princely states and how it constructed political imagination in colonial South Asia and the framework of the modern Indian state.

Format: Hardback
Length: 272 pages
Publication date: 09 June 2023
Publisher: Oxford University Press

This question has been at the heart of international law for centuries. Sovereignty, International Law, and the Princely States of Colonial South Asia offers a compelling exploration of the history of sovereignty through an analysis of the jurisdictional politics involving a specific set of historical legal entities. Governed by local rulers, the princely states of colonial South Asia were subject to British paramountcy while remaining legally distinct from directly ruled British India. Their legal status and the extent of their rights remained the subject of feverish debates throughout British colonial rule. This book traces the ways in which the language of sovereignty shaped the discourse surrounding the legal status of the princely states to illustrate how the doctrine of sovereignty came to structure political imagination in colonial South Asia and the framework of the modern Indian state.

Opening with a survey of the place of the princely states in the colonial structures of South Asia, Sovereignty, International Law, and the Princely States of Colonial South Asia goes on to illustrate how international lawyers, British politicians, colonial officials, rulers, and bureaucrats of princely states, and anti-colonial nationalists in British India used definitions of sovereignty to construct political orders in line with their interests and aspirations. By invoking the vernacular of sovereignty in contrasting ways to support their differing visions of imperial and world order, these actors also attempted to reconfigure the boundaries among the spheres of the national, the imperial, and the international.

Throughout the eighteenth, nineteenth, and early twentieth centuries, debates and disputes over sovereignty continued to shape the political landscape of colonial South Asia. The British government sought to assert its authority over the princely states, while the states themselves sought to maintain their autonomy and independence. The legal status of the princely states was a subject of ongoing debate, with some arguing that they should be treated as fully independent nations, while others argued that they should be incorporated into British India.

The concept of sovereignty played a crucial role in the construction of the modern Indian state. The Indian Independence Act of 1947 granted independence to India, but it also recognized the princely states as autonomous entities. The states were allowed to maintain their own constitutions, laws, and customs, and they were granted a certain degree of autonomy in domestic affairs. However, the British government retained control over foreign affairs, defense, and currency.

The legacy of the princely states continues to be felt in contemporary India. Many of the states have transitioned to democratic governments, while others remain under the control of hereditary rulers. The states have also played a significant role in India's economic development, particularly in the areas of agriculture and industry.

In conclusion, Sovereignty, International Law, and the Princely States of Colonial South Asia provides a valuable insight into the history of sovereignty and its impact on the political landscape of colonial South Asia. The book explores the ways in which the language of sovereignty shaped the discourse surrounding the legal status of the princely states, and how this doctrine came to structure political imagination in colonial South Asia and the framework of the modern Indian state. The legacy of the princely states continues to be felt in contemporary India, and the book offers a valuable contribution to our understanding of the complex history and politics of the region.

Weight: 534g
Dimension: 240 x 164 x 20 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780192866585