Asalute state was aprincely state under theBritish Raj that had been granted agun salute by theBritish Crown (asparamount ruler); i.e., the protocolary privilege for its ruler to be greeted—originally byRoyal Navy ships, later also on land—with a number of cannon shots, in graduations of two salutes from three to 21, as recognition of the state's relative status. The gun-salute system of recognition was first instituted during the time of theEast India Company in the late 18th century and was continued under direct Crown rule from 1858.
As with the other princely states, the salute states varied greatly in size and importance. The states ofHyderabad andJammu and Kashmir, both with a 21-gun salute, were each over 200,000 square kilometres (77,000 sq mi) in size, or slightly larger than the whole ofGreat Britain; in 1941, Hyderabad had a population of over 16,000,000, comparable to the population ofRomania at the time, while Jammu and Kashmir had a population of slightly over 4 million, comparable to that ofSwitzerland. At the other end of the scale,Janjira andSachin (11 and 9 guns, respectively, and both ruled by branches of the same dynasty) were respectively 137 and 127 square kilometres (53 and 49 sq mi) in size, or slightly larger than the island ofJersey; in 1941, Janjira had a population of nearly 14,000, the smallest of the salute states[1] on the subcontinent.
For varying periods of time, a number of salute states in South Asia (Afghanistan), on the Indian subcontinent (Nepal,Bhutan,Sikkim) or in the Middle East (the Gulf/Trucial States and various states in theAden Protectorate) were also under the British Raj asprotectorates or protected states. As with the Indian principalities, those states received varying numbers of gun salutes and varied tremendously in terms of autonomy. Afghanistan and Nepal were both Britishprotected states from the 19th century until 1921 and 1923, respectively, after which they were sovereign nations in direct relations with the British Foreign Office; while protected states, both enjoyed autonomy in internal affairs, though control of foreign affairs was left to the British. The states under thePersian Gulf Residency and theAden Protectorate (part of theBombay Presidency until 1937) ranged from Oman, a 21-gun-rated sultanate under a limited protectorate, to the 3-gunTrucial States which were near-total protectorates.
Following their independence in 1947, the new Indian and Pakistani governments maintained the gun-salute system until 1971 (in India) and 1972 (in Pakistan), when the former ruling families were officially derecognised. The Aden Protectorate was transferred to the control of the British Foreign Office in 1937 and eventually became the independent state ofSouth Yemen in 1967, resulting in the abolition of its salute states the same year. Just prior to Indian independence in 1947, the Persian Gulf Residency was likewise transferred to Foreign Office control, remaining in existence until the Trucial States became fully independent in December 1971, forming theUnited Arab Emirates (UAE) in early 1972.
When the ruler of aprincely state arrived at the Indian capital (originally atCalcutta (Kolkata), then atDelhi), he was greeted with a number of gun-firings. The number of these consecutive "gun salutes" changed from time to time, be increased or reduced depending on the degree of honour which the British chose to accord to a given ruler. The number of gun salutes accorded to a ruler was usually a reflection of the state of his relations with the British and/or his perceived degree of political power; a 21-gun salute was considered the highest. The King (or Queen) of the United Kingdom (who until 1948 was also the Emperor of India) was accorded a 101-gun salute, and 31 guns were used to salute theViceroy of India.
The number of guns in a salute assumed particular importance at the time of holding of the Coronation Durbar in Delhi in the month of December 1911. The Durbar was held to commemorate the Coronation of KingGeorge V with guns firing almost all day. At that time there were three Princely States that were given 21 gun salutes. These were:
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In 1917, theMaharajaScindia ofGwalior was upgraded to a permanent and hereditary 21-gun salute, and the Maharaja ofJammu and Kashmir was granted the same in 1921. Both were granted the increased ranks as a result of the meritorious services of their soldiers in theFirst World War.
Apart from these, no other Princely State received a 21-gun salute. Three of the most prominent princes, however, enjoyed a local salute of 21 guns within the limits of their own state and 19 guns in the rest of India. They were the Nawab (Begum) ofBhopal, the MaharajaHolkar ofIndore and the Maharana ofUdaipur.
TheNizam, Maharajas, Princes, etc. were all deeply keen on protocol and ensured that it was practised as a matter of faith. Any departure from it was not taken kindly by them. Salute of guns was one such protocol that was strictly followed.
At the time of Indian independence and partition in 1947, 118 (113 inIndia, 4 inPakistan, plusSikkim) of the roughly 565 princely states were classified as "salute states."
The salute states were broadly divided into two categories: the five premier states with a permanent 21-gun salute and with an individual resident, or envoy, stationed in each, and the remaining 113 states incorporated within political agencies (groups of states) under a political agent. The salutes were themselves organised in a strict hierarchy. Each ruling house of a salute state was entitled to apermanent hereditary salute. In some instances, one of three sub-categories consisting of an increase of 2 gun salutes could be awarded as follows:
As a religious head, theAga Khan received a personal 11-gun salute. In certain cases, a ruler of a non-salute state or a junior member of a princely family could merit a personal salute or the personal style ofHighness.
| Number of guns | Recipients |
|---|---|
| 101 (Imperial Salute) | |
| 31 (Royal Salute)[note 2] |
|
| 21 |
|
| 19 |
|
| 17[note 4] |
|
| 15 |
|
| 13 |
|
| 11 |
|
| 9 |
|
At independence in 1947, the gun salutes enjoyed by the 112 states that acceded to the Union of India were as follows:
The system of gun salutes continued in the Republic of India until 1971.[citation needed]
Although salutes with many more guns have been used for Western Monarchs (and dynastic and other associated occasions), the21-gun salute has in modern times become customary for Sovereign Monarchs (hence also known as 'royal salute') and republic.[citation needed]
Some of the rulers not listed above were granted increased gun salutes after the independence, e.g. theMaharana ofMewar (atUdaipur,Maharajpramukh inRajasthan) was raised to first place in the Order of Precedence, displacing the Nizam of Hyderabad and Berar, and all 9-gun states were permitted the use of the style of Highness. However, it has not been possible to obtain complete details for all the rulers.[citation needed]
This system continued till 1971 when privileges andPrivy Purses of ex-rulers were abolished by the Government of India.[citation needed]
Between August 1947 and March 1948, thirteen Muslim princely states in western Indiaacceded to the newDominion of Pakistan, created fromBritish India by theIndian Independence Act 1947, thus becoming thePrincely states of Pakistan. Between 1955 and 1974, they were all amalgamated into larger federations and provinces. All of the princely states were in the western part of the country, so all were merged into the eventualWest Pakistan, which constitutes (since the breakaway ofBangla Desh) the present-day Republic of Pakistan.[citation needed]
The states retained internal autonomy so long as they existed, but all had lost this by 1974. The styles and titles enjoyed by the former ruling families ceased to be officially recognised by the Government of Pakistan, mostly in January 1972, with the exception of the small states ofHunza andNagar, which were shortly after incorporated into theNorthern Areas of Pakistan in October 1974.[citation needed]
Four salute states acceded to Pakistan between 3 October 1947 and 27 March 1948. In order of precedence, they were as follows:
| Serial No. | Hereditary salute No. of guns | Personal or local salute No. of guns | Title of Ruler | Name of state | Clan of Ruler | Present Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 19 | – | TheKhan of |  Kalat | Muslim Balochi | Balochistan |
| 2. | 17 | – | TheNawab of |  Bahawalpur | Muslim Abbasi | Punjab |
| 3. | 15 | 17 (local) | TheMir of |  Khairpur | Muslim Balochi | Sindh |
| 4. | 11 | – | TheMehtar of |  Chitral | MuslimKatoor | Khyber Pakhtunkhwa |
Afterseveral promotions and two further post-colonial awarding under the republic – which India did not do – the gun salutes enjoyed by the states in Pakistan were as follows in 1966:
The following list of gun salutes is as they stood in 1947.
| Hereditary salute No. of guns | Personal or local salute No. of guns | Title of Ruler | Name of state | Clan of Ruler | Present Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | – | The King of[note 9] |  Afghanistan | Barakzai | Afghanistan |
In 1890,Abdur Rahman Khan, the Emir of Afghanistan, accepted for his kingdom the status of a British protected state under the British Raj, retaining internal autonomy while placing the state's foreign affairs under British control. In 1905, his son and successor,Habibullah Khan, negotiated the Anglo-Afghan Treaty with the British, by which Afghanistan wasde jure styled as a sovereign monarchy and the ruler recognised as King of Afghanistan (Shah-e-Afghanistan) with the style ofHis Majesty, while remaining a protected state of Britain. In May 1919, King Habibullah's successor, King Amanullah, declared the country a wholly sovereign kingdom, which resulted in theThird Anglo-Afghan War. Despite a British victory, the British recognised the total sovereignty of Afghanistan in the Anglo-Afghan Treaty of Kabul in 1921; thereafter, Afghanistan continued to exist as a sovereign monarchy until the fall of the monarchy in 1973.
| Hereditary salute No. of guns | Personal or local salute No. of guns | Title of Ruler | Name of state | Clan of Ruler | Present Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | 51 | The Maharajadhiraja of[note 10] |  Nepal | Shah dynasty | Nepal |
| 21[3][7][note 11] | 31 | The Shree Teen Maharajah of[note 12] |  Lamjang and Kaski | Rana dynasty | Nepal |
TheAnglo-Nepalese War of 1816, which led to the defeat of the Gorkha Shah monarchy of Nepal, resulted in the kingdom becoming ade jure protectorate, but ade facto protected state of theEast India Company. Following the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and the dissolution of the East India Company in 1858, the protectorate was transferred to the British crown through the British Raj, which recognised the monarch as "King of Nepal" with the style ofHis Majesty in 1919 and theRanaMaharaja was styled asHis Highness, due to the country's contributions to the Allied cause in the First World War. In 1923, the British government ended its protectorate and recognised Nepal as a wholly sovereign monarchy.[3] While the semi-sovereign Rana oligarchy held power as hereditaryShree Teen Maharajas of Nepal until its deposition in 1951, the Nepalese monarchy continued until its abolition in 2008.
| Hereditary salute No. of guns | Personal or local salute No. of guns | Title of Ruler | Name of state | Clan of Ruler | Present Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15[8][note 13] | – | The MaharajaDruk Gyalpo of[note 14] |  Bhutan | Wangchuck | Bhutan |
A brief war between Bhutan and the British Raj in 1864 resulted in theTreaty of Sinchula, which forced Bhutan to relinquish territory and defined its relationship with the British. A loose agglomeration of semi-independent districts until 1907, Bhutan was unified in that year as a hereditary monarchy represented byUgyen Wangchuck, thepenlop (or governor) of the district of Tongsa, who was proclaimed theMaharaja andDruk Gyalpo (Dragon King) of Bhutan. In 1910, Bhutan signed theTreaty of Punakha, under which the British Raj guaranteed Bhutan's internal sovereignty, but, as with Sikkim, maintained control over its foreign relations. A British residency was officially installed in Bhutan, with a resident deputed from the Indian Political Service and answerable to the British government in India. The treaty, which established Bhutanese sovereignty, albeit as a protected state, remained in force until Indian independence in 1947; at this time, Bhutan was offered the options of remaining independent or acceding to the new Indian Union. Choosing to maintain its independence, Bhutan formally established relations with India in 1949, signing the India-Bhutan Treaty of Friendship on 8 August 1949; while reaffirming Bhutanese sovereignty, the new treaty gave India control over Bhutan's foreign policy. In 1963, however, Bhutan promulgated a new constitution which replaced the title ofHis Highness the Maharaja withHis Majesty the Druk Gyalpo, formally promoting the country to the status of an independent, sovereign monarchy. In 1971, Bhutan joined theUnited Nations as a full member, and renegotiated the 1949 treaty with India in 2007, legally ending Bhutan's status as a protected state of India.
| Hereditary salute No. of guns | Personal or local salute No. of guns | Title of Ruler | Name of state | Clan of Ruler | Present Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15[note 15] | – | The Maharaja (Chogyal) of[note 15] |  Sikkim | Tipihar | Sikkim |
Though officially considered a princely state under its ruler, the Maharaja Chogyal, Sikkim was given the separate status of a British protectorate in 1861 under theTreaty of Tumlong, by which the British government could intervene in the state's internal affairs and oversee all external matters; despite this, Sikkim maintained a high degree of autonomy in practice. In 1947, the Maharaja Chogyal and his people decided against accession to India and chose to maintain Sikkim's internal sovereignty. The state formally became a protectorate of India in 1950. Following the death of the Maharaja Chogyal in 1963 and his succession by his unpopular son,Palden Thondup Namgyal, popular demands for increased individual rights grew more frequent. After Sikkim's first free general elections in 1974, the Indian Army placed the Chogyal under house arrest. Under military supervision, a controversial referendum was held in 1975, which approved the state's merger with India and the abolition of the monarchy. Sikkim was formally merged into India as its 22nd state on 26 April 1975.
The following were constituent states of theAden Protectorate from the late 19th century until their independence and merger withSouth Yemen in 1967 when the states were abolished. The protectorate was under the British Raj and governed as part of theBombay Presidency until 1917 when the protectorate was transferred to the control of the British Foreign Office.
| Hereditary salute No. of guns | Personal or local salute No. of guns | Title of Ruler | Name of state | Clan of Ruler | Present Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 11 (local)[7] | The Sultan of[note 16] |  Lahej | Al-Abdali | Yemen |
| 9 | 11 (local)[7] | The Sultan of[note 17] |  Shihir and Makalla | Al-Qu'aiti | |
| 9[7] | - | The Sultan of[note 17] |  Qishn and Soqotra | Al-Mahri | |
| 9[7] | - | The Sultan of[note 16] |  Fadhli | Al-Fadhli | |
| - | 9 (local)[7] | The Emir of[note 16] |  Dhala | Al-Amiri | |
| - | 9 (local)[7] | The Sultan of[note 16] |  Lower Yafa | Al-Afifi |
The Persian Gulf Residency was established in 1822 during the time of the East India Company, though the company had established a residency at Bushehr in 1763. It was made subordinate to theGovernor of Bombay until 1873. As with the rest of British India, it came under the control of the British Crown in 1858. In 1873, the residency came under the direct control of the British Raj and the India Office. In 1892, it officially assumed a protectorate status over the states of Muscat and Oman, Bahrain and the Trucial States, followed by Kuwait in 1914 and Qatar in 1916. In 1920, theTreaty of Seeb recognised thede jure independence of Oman. The residency was transferred to the charge of the British Foreign Office from the India Office in 1947, shortly before Indian independence. In 1961, Kuwait became the first of the Gulf States to terminate its protectorate and become fully independent, with Muscat and Oman being recognised by Britain as an independent, protected state the following year. With the increasing costs of maintaining an overseas presence, Britain announced in January 1968 that it would end its protectorate over the remaining Gulf states in 1971. The protectorates were finally terminated in December 1971; Muscat and Oman became the modern sultanate ofOman that year, and the erstwhile Trucial States became the United Arab Emirates in 1972.
| Hereditary salute No. of guns | Personal or local salute No. of guns | Title of Ruler | Name of state | Clan of Ruler | Present Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21[7][3][note 18] | - | The Sultan of[note 19] |  Mascat and Oman | Al-Said | Oman |
| - | 7 (local, 11 personal)[7][9][10][note 20] | The Sheikh (Ruler) of[note 21] |  Kuwait | Al-Sabah | Kuwait |
| - | 7 (local, 11 personal)[7][9][10][note 22] | The Sheikh (Ruler) of[10][note 23] |  Bahrain | Al-Khalifa | Bahrain |
| - | 7 (local)[7][10][9][note 24] | The Sheikh (Ruler) of[note 25] |  Qatar | Al-Thani | Qatar |
| - | 3 (local, 5 personal)[7][10] | The Sheikh (Ruler) of[note 26] |  Abu Dhabi | Al-Nahyan | UAE |
| - | 3 (local, 5 personal)[7][11] | The Sheikh (Ruler) of[note 27] |  Sharjah | Al-Qasimi | |
| - | 5 (local)[7][9][note 28] | The Sheikh (Ruler) of[note 27] |  Dubai | Al-Maktoum | |
| - | 3 (local)[7] | The Sheikh (Ruler) of[note 27] |  Ajman | Al-Nuaimi | |
| - | 3 (local)[7] | The Sheikh (Ruler) of[note 27] | Ras al-Khaimah | Al-Qasimi | |
| - | 3 (local)[7] | The Sheikh (Ruler) of | Kalba[note 29] | Al-Qasimi | |
| - | 3 (local)[7] | The Sheikh (Ruler) of[note 27] |  Umm al-Qaiwain | Al-Mu'alla |
