Junagarh or Junagadh ( ur, ) was a

princely state A princely state (also called native state or Indian state) was a nominally sovereign entity of the British Raj, British Indian Empire that was not directly governed by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule, ...

in Gujarat ruled by the Muslim Babi dynasty in British India, until its integration into the Union of India in 1948.

History

Muhammad Sher Khan Babai was the founder of the Babi Pashtun dynasty of Junagarh in 1654. His descendants, the Babi Nawabs of Junagarh, conquered large territories in southern Saurashtra. However, during the collapse of the Mughal Empire, the Babis became involved in a struggle with the Gaekwad dynasty of the Maratha Empire over control of Gujarat during the reign of the local Mohammad Mahabat Khanji I. Mohammad Khan Bahadur Khanji I declared independence from the Mughal governor of Gujarat subah, and founded the state of Junagarh in 1730. This allowed the Babi to retain sovereignty of Junagarh and other princely states. During the reign of his heir Junagarh was a tributary to the Maratha Empire, until it came under British suzerainty in 1807 under Mohammad Hamid Khanji I, following the Second Anglo-Maratha War. In 1807, Junagarh became a British protectorate and the East India Company took control of the state. By 1818, the Saurashtra area, along with other princely states of Kathiawar, were separately administrated under the Kathiawar Agency by British India. In 1947, upon the independence and

partition of India The Partition of British India in 1947 was the Partition (politics), change of political borders and the division of other assets that accompanied the dissolution of the British Raj in South Asia and the creation of two independent dominions: ...

, the last Babi dynasty ruler of the state, Muhammad Mahabat Khanji III, decided to merge Junagarh into the newly formed Pakistan.

Rulers

The Nawabs of Junagarh belonged to Pathan Babi or

Babai (Pashtun tribe) The Babai ( ps, بابئی) are a Pashtun tribe formerly known as Babi (). Their traditional primary homeland is in Qalat, Zabul, located in Southern Afghanistan and Kandahar. They are a subtribe of the Ghilji Hotak clan of Pashtun people, largel ...

. They were granted a 13 gun salute by the British authorities: * 1730–1758 : Mohammad Bahadur Khanji I or Mohammad Sher Khan Babai * 1758–1774: Mohammad Mahabat Khan I * 1774–1811: Mohammad Hamid Khan I * 1811–1840: Mohammad Bahadur Khan II * 1840–1851: Mohammad Hamid Khan II * 1851–1882: Mohammad Mahabat Khan II * 1882–1892: Mohammad Bahadur Khan III * 1892–1911: Mohammad Rasul Khan * 1911–1948: Mohammad Mahabat Khan III (last ruler before the integration of Junagarh to India) Junagadh Nawab's and state officials, 19th century.jpg, Junagarh Nawabs and state officials, 19th century Mahabat Khan, the Nawab of Junagarh, 1870s.jpg, Mohammad Mahabat Khanji II, the Nawab of Junagarh, with young, Mohammad Bahadur Khanji III, 1870s Bahadur Khanji III, Nawab of Junagadh, and state officials, 1880s.jpg, Bahadur Khanji II (r. 1882–1892), Nawab of Junagarh, and state officials, 1880s Mohammad Rasul Khanji, Nawab of Junagadh, Bahaduddinbhai Hasainbhai, Wazier, Junagadh, 1890s.jpg, Mohammad Rasul Khanji, Nawab of Junagarh, Bahaduddinbhai Hasainbhai, Wazier, Junagarh, 1890s

Rebellion

Koli rebellion in Junagarh raised by Mansa Khant during time of Nawab Sher Khan the first ruler of Junagarh. He was against Mughal Rule, Made Uparkot Fort his centre. He made a series of raids in surrounding villages and cities. Nawab was unsuccessful to control the rebellion. Mansa Khant occupied the Uparkot for thirteen months and carried out numerous raids mostly in countryside. Nawab started campaign against Khant. Nawab was assisted by king of

Gondal State Gondal State is one of the eight first class princely states of Kathiawar Agency, Bombay Presidency in India. the capital of the state is Gondal town. History Gondal State is established in 1634 AD by Thakore Shri Kumbhoji I Meramanji, wh ...

Thakur Sahib Haloji Jadeja and Arab Jamadar Sheikh Abdullah Zubeidi. The combined forces defeated the Khant and captured Uparkot and burnt down the rebellion.

Annexation by India

In 1947, Shah Nawaz Bhutto joined the council of ministers of Nawab Muhammad Mahabat Khan III, and in May became his dewan or prime minister. With the

independence of India The Indian independence movement was a series of historic events with the ultimate aim of ending British Raj, British rule in India. It lasted from 1857 to 1947. The first nationalistic revolutionary movement for Indian independence emerged ...

in 1947, the princely states were left by the British to decide whether to accede to one of the newly independent states of India or Pakistan or to remain independent. The Constitutional Advisor to the Nawab, Nabi Baksh, indicated to

Lord Mountbatten Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma (25 June 1900 – 27 August 1979) was a British naval officer, colonial administrator and close relative of the British royal family. Mountbatten, who was of German ...

that he was recommending that Junagarh should join India. However, upon the advice of Dewan Bhutto, on 15 August 1947, the Nawab announced that Junagarh had acceded to Pakistan. On 16 September, the Government of Pakistan accepted the accession. India sent its military into Junagarh while the Nawab of Junagarh was in Pakistan and captured the state of junagarh overthrowing Nawab and the rights of princely states. The Annexation of Junagarh into India led theGandhi, Rajmohan (1991). Patel: A Life. India: Navajivan. p. 292. Nawab Muhammad Mahabat Khan III of Junagarh (erstwhile Babi Nawab dynasty of Junagarh) left to live in

Sindh Sindh (; ; ur, , ; historically romanized as Sind) is one of the four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the southeastern region of the country, Sindh is the third-largest province of Pakistan by land area and the second-largest province ...

, Pakistan.

Pakistan's claim

Pakistan's government has maintained its territorial claim on Junagadh, along with Manavadar and

Sir Creek Sir Creek ( ), originally Ban Ganga, is a 96-km (60-mi) tidal estuary in the uninhabited marshlands of the Indus River Delta on the border between India and Pakistan. The creek flows into the Arabian Sea and separates Gujarat state in India fro ...

in Gujarat, on its official political maps.

References

External links

*
Classic Gallery of Indian Numismatics
{{coord, 21.52, N, 70.47, E, region:IN_type:landmark_source:kolossus-svwiki, display=title 1730 establishments in India 1948 disestablishments in India Bombay Presidency Former protectorates Historical Indian regions Kathiawar Agency Muslim princely states of India Pashtun dynasties States and territories disestablished in 1948