Correspondence from the Ruler of Pathari State and an Appeal for an All India Muslim States Federation to M.A. Jinnah

Sub title : Proposal for a United Front of Muslim Princely States

Subject: Princely State Accession | Muslim States Federation | M.A. Jinnah | Pakistan | 1947 Partition

Date of publication: 1947

Language: English

Page: 5p.

Source: National Archives of Pakistan

Serial no: 28025

Keyword: Pathari State -- M.A. Jinnah -- Accession to Pakistan -- Muslim States Federation | Princely States -- July 1947 -- Partition | Muslim Rulers -- Sovereignty -- Islamic Unity

Abstract: This file contains two primary documents from July 1947. The first is a direct letter from the Ruler of Pathari State (C.I.) to M.A. Jinnah, formally announcing his decision to accede to Pakistan regarding defence, foreign affairs, and communications. The second is a detailed appeal titled "An Appeal to the Muslim Rulers of the Indian States," which argues for the formation of an "All India Muslim States Federation" to safeguard the interests, sovereignty, and Islamic identity of Muslim-ruled princely states in the face of impending partition and potential political upheaval. The appeal poses critical questions about the future and urges unity among major Muslim states like Hyderabad, Bhopal, Junagadh, and others.

Description: This file comprises significant political communications from the immediate pre-Partition period. The personal letter from the Nawab of Pathari to Jinnah is a concrete example of a princely state committing to Pakistan, reflecting the practical implementation of the Instrument of Accession. The accompanying appeal document presents a broader, strategic vision for the collective survival of Muslim-ruled states, highlighting the anxieties and political calculations of the era. It calls for a federation that would include major states like Hyderabad and Bhopal, emphasizing Islamic solidarity as a counterweight to a potentially hostile central government. Together, these documents illustrate the dual narrative of individual state action and pan-Islamic political imagination during the tumultuous summer of 1947. SCANNED BY: NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF PAKISTAN.

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