Letter from the Ruler of Mangrol to M.A. Jinnah

Sub title : On State Accession and Autonomy from Junagadh

Subject: Mangrol State | Princely State Accession | Junagadh Suzerainty | M.A. Jinnah | Pakistan | Geographical Contiguity

Date of publication: 1947

Language: English

Page: 2p.

Source: National Archives of Pakistan

Serial no: 28020

Keyword: Mangrol State -- Junagadh -- M.A. Jinnah -- Princely State Accession -- August 1947 -- Pakistan | Kathiawar -- Paramountcy -- Hindu Majority State -- Sea Access -- Diplomatic Advice

Abstract: A confidential letter dated 3 August 1947 from the ruler of Mangrol State to M.A. Jinnah, seeking urgent advice on the state's political future. The writer explains Mangrol's "peculiar and unique status"—possessing full civil and criminal jurisdiction as an Indian State but being placed under Junagadh State. Facing the lapse of British paramountcy and Junagadh's uncooperative stance, the ruler is caught in a dilemma. Despite a majority Hindu population, Mangrol claims geographical contiguity with Pakistan via the sea. The letter encloses a detailed note on the dispute and earnestly requests Jinnah's guidance on how to accede to Pakistan while preserving Mangrol's autonomy and entity against Junagadh's expansionist ambitions.

Description: This file contains a poignant letter from the ruler of the small princely state of Mangrol to M.A. Jinnah, written just days before the independence of India and Pakistan. It reveals the intricate and often overlooked dilemmas faced by smaller states during Partition. The document highlights the conflict between legal suzerainty (under Junagadh) and the desire for independent political choice. The ruler's willingness to "join Pakistan even at the cost of some sacrifice," despite a Hindu-majority population, underscores the complex calculus of geography, sovereignty, and survival that defined the accession process. This letter is a significant primary source for understanding the micro-diplomacy, regional tensions, and personal appeals that characterized the integration of Kathiawar's princely states in 1947. SCANNED BY: NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF PAKISTAN.

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