September 13, 2024 marks the 76th anniversary of Operation Polo, the military action launched by the Indian Army on September 13, 1948, to integrate the princely state of Hyderabad.
Key Points about Operation Polo
- The Nizam of Hyderabad was dithering on joining India ever since Independence on August 15, 1947.
- The military offensive in Hyderabad state was termed as ‘Police Action’ at the time by the then home minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
- The Nizam’s forces surrendered to the Indian Army by September 18.
Background of Operation Polo
- The Nizam of Hyderabad state, Mir Osman Ali Shah, had the intention of keeping his state as an independent entity and did not join India or Pakistanafter Independence.
- The Nizam took advantage of the fact that the Indian government got preoccupied with the Kashmir war soon after Independence
- The Nizam signed a standstill agreement with India in November 1947.
- This essentially meant that a status quo would be maintained between the Indian dominion and the Hyderabad state till a solution was found
- The agreement was signed for a period of one year during which the Indian government would not exercise any authority over Hyderabad and all conditions prevalent at the time of signing the agreement would continue.
Why Was Operation Polo Launched?
- Hyderabad was one of the most populous and richest states and had 17 districts
- The landlocked state had a majority Hindu population with the state administration almost entirely run by its Muslim rulers.
- There was no common border with Pakistan but the Nizam had every intention to have fraternal relations with that country.
- The Nizam’s forces, especially the Razakars, escalated tensions with their actions, including cross-border raids and overtures to Pakistan and the intention to establish an independent country in the heart of India were the reasons why the Indian government decided to act against Hyderabad and remove the threat of secession.
What Happened During Operation Polo?
- In terms of military strength, the Nizam’s forces numbered less than 25,000, and only a fraction of them were well-trained.
- The Razakars, though numerous, posed a minor military challenge.
- The Nizam had boasted of a much larger force, but this turned out to be an empty claim, and Hyderabad’s resistance crumbled within the first two days of the offensive.
- Operation Polo was conducted primarily by Maj Gen Jayanto Nath Chaudhuri’s 1 Armoured Division, with subsidiary thrusts from the north, south, and east of the state.
- The operation was a success, and the Nizam announced a ceasefire on September 17, with the formal surrender taking place on September 18.
- Maj Gen Chaudhuri became the Military Governor of Hyderabad, and the state was integrated into India.
Hyderabad’s Historical Significance
- Hyderabad, was founded by Nizam al-Mulk (Āṣaf Jāh), who was intermittently viceroy of the Deccan (peninsular India) under the Mughal emperors from 1713 to 1721
- Following the decline of the Mughal power, the region of Deccan saw the rise of Maratha Empire.
- The Nizam himself saw many invasions by the Marathas in the 1720s
- Following the conquest of Deccan by Bajirao I and the imposition of chauth by him, Nizam remained a tributary of the Marathas for all intent and purposes.
- In 1763, the Nizam shifted the capital to the city of Hyderabad.
- In 1798, Nizam Ali Khan (Asaf Jah II) was forced to enter into an agreement that put Hyderabad under British protection. He was the first Indian prince to sign such an agreement.
- By the end of the eighteenth century, Hyderabad represented a relatively new political system with a whole range of new participants, who had diverse origins and social background
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