Hyderabad Before Independence
- Hyderabad had a feudal setup. ~10% of land was reserved for the Nizam and 30% given out as jagirs. Muslims received preferential treatment and non-Muslims were even persecuted.
- Political agitations first reached state on the Khilafat issue. Khilafat merged with the issue of a responsible government in the state and enhanced civil liberties.
- A cultural movement started in Telangana under the leadership of Andhra Mahasabha which advocated Telugu language and literature and promoted press.
- In 1938, all the major associations in the state merged together to call Hyderabad State Congress (not a branch of INC).
- Hyderabad State Congress had close connections with INC and used the methods of satyagraha, INC leaders too had personal interest including Gandhiji.
- Gandhiji actively guided the 1938 satyagraha and also wrote to Hyderabad government to agree to their demands.
- However, due to a launch of a parallel satyagraha by Arya Samaj, Gandhiji urged Hyderabad State Congress to withdraw their satyagraha so that it doesn't get associated with a communal agitation.
Hyderabad- After Independence
- Patel was in no hurry to force an accession on Hyderabad since the Nizam had made a secret commitment not to join Pakistan and also British had refused to give the dominion status to Hyderabad. o Moreover, Mountbatten himself was involved in negotiations with the Nizam. So, Patel felt that time was on his side. But at the same time, he made it clear that India will not tolerate an 'island' in the middle of its territory.
- In November 1947, the Nizam signed a standstill agreement with GoI which called for immediate restoration of peace.
o Behind signing this standstill agreement while GoI hoped that Nizam would be made to see the reality and could be forced to accept a representative government in his state, Nizam hoped to build up his military strength and force the GoI to accept his sovereignty. So, he hoped to prolong the negotiations.
- While negotiations were on, violence kept on increasing. Nizam had organized a Muslim communal organization which had an armed wing called Razakars.
- On 7 August 1947, the state congress unit launched a powerful satyagraha to force the Nizam to accept a representative government.
- Nizam unleashed a reign of terror on the people through his band of Razakars leading to merciless communal prosecution. o As a result, CPI was able to expand its cadre in Hyderabad and powerful peasant struggles began to come up and the CPI led struggle turned violent. o Peasant groups began to be formed to resist with arms the attack of Razakars.
- The GoI restrained for several months but as the negotiations and killings showed no signs of ending, it had to send in the Indian army in September 1948.
