Salute state

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A Salute state was a princely state (i.e. reigned by a native ruler of princely rank) which the British colonial paramount ruler has granted a gun salute; i.e., the protocollary privilege for its ruler to be greeted - originally by Royal Navy ships, later also on land - with a number of gun shots, as recognition of the state's relative status.

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[edit] British India's salute states and equivalents

[edit] Salute states in present India

When the ruler of a princely state arrived at Delhi the capital of India, he was greeted with number of gun-fires.This number of gun fires changed from time to time.It could be enhanced or reduced according to wish of colonial British rulers.Later in independent India the system continued till 1971. Salute of 21 guns was considered the highest. Of course, the King Emperor of British Empire was given 101 gun salutes. And 36 (or 37) were for the Viceroy of India. The number of gun salutes 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 H.I.M. George V. At that time there were three Princely States that were given 21 gun salutes.These were: H.H. The Nizam of Hyderabad; H.H. The Maharaja (Gaekwar) of Baroda; H.H. The Maharaja of Mysore. Apart from these three, no other Princely State was given 21 gun salutes. There were, however, other Princely States, which enjoyed a salute of 21 gun within the limits of their own state and 19 guns in the rest of India. For example, H.H. the Maharaja of Kashmir and Jamu (sic); H.H. The Maharaja (Sindhia) of Gwalior; H.H. The Maharaja (Holkar) of Indore. The Nizam, Maharajas, Princes, etc were all deeply keen on protocol and ensured that it was practiced 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 adhered to. The gun salutes enjoyed by the states that later acceded to the Union of India as on 14th of August 1947, were:

Serial No. Hereditary salute No. of guns Personal or Local salute No. of guns Title of Rais Name of state Clan of Rais Present Location
1. 21 - H.E.H. the Nizam of Hyderabad and Berar Pathan Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra
2. 21 - H.H. the Maharaja of Mysore Rajput Yadav Karnataka
3. 21 - H.H. the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir Rajput Dogra Jammu and Kashmir
4. 21 - H.H. the Maharaja Gaekwar of Baroda Maratha Gujarat
5. 21 - H.H. the Maharaja Scindia of Gwalior Maratha Madhya Pradesh
6. 19 21 (Local) H.H. the Nawab of Bhopal Mirasi Khel Afghan Madhya Pradesh
7. 19 21 (Local) H.H. the Maharaja Holkar of Indore Maratha Madhya Pradesh
8. 19 21 (Local) H.H. the Maharana of Udaipur (Mewar) Rajput Sisodia Rajasthan
9. 19 - H.H. the Maharaja of Kolhapur Maratha Maharashtra
10. 19 - H.H. the Maharaja of Travancore Malayala Kshatriya Kerala
11. 17 19 (Personal) H.H. the Maharao of Kotah Rajput, Chauhan, Hada Rajasthan
12. 17 19 (Local) H.H. the Maharaja of Bharatpur Jat Rajasthan
13. 17 19 (Local) H.H. the Maharaja of Bikaner Rajput, Rathore Rajasthan
14. 17 19 (Local) H.H. the Mirza Maharao of Cutch Rajput, Jadeja Gujarat
15. 17 19 (Local) H.H. the Maharaja of Jaipur Rajput, Kachwaha Rajasthan
16. 17 19 (Local) H.H. the Maharaja of Jodhpur Rajput, Rathore Rajasthan
17. 17 19 (Local) H.H. the Maharaja of Patiala Sikh Punjab
18. 17 - H.H. the Maharao of Bundi Rajput, Chauhan,Hada Rajasthan
19. 17 - H.H. the Maharaja of Kochi (India) Malayala Kshatriya Kerala
20. 17 - H.H. the Maharaja of Karauli Rajput Jadon Rajasthan
21. 17 - H.H. the Maharaja of Rewa Rajput, Baghela Madhya Pradesh
22. 17 - H.H. the Nawab of Tonk Pathan Rajasthan
23. 15 17 (Personal) H.H. the Maharaj Rana of Dholpur Jat Rajasthan
24. 15 17 (Local) H.H. the Maharaja of Alwar Rajput, Kachwaha Rajasthan
25. 15 - H.H. the Maharawal of Banswara Rajput, Sisodia Rajasthan
26. 15 - H.H. the Maharaja of Datia Rajput, Bundela Madhya Pradesh
27. 15 - H.H. the Raja of Dewas Senior Rajput Panwar Madhya Pradesh
28. 15 - H.H. the Raja of Dewas Junior Rajput Panwar Madhya Pradesh
29. 15 - H.H. the Maharaja of Dhar Rajput Panwar Madhya Pradesh
30. 15 - H.H. the Maharawal of Dungarpur Rajput Sisodia Rajasthan
31 15 - H.H. the Maharaja of Idar Rajput Rathore Gujarat
32 15 - H.H. the Maharaja of Jaisalmer Rajput, Bhati Rajasthan
33 15 - H.H. the Maharaja of Kishangarh Rajput, Rathore Rajasthan
34 15 - H.H. the Maharaja of Orcha Rajput, Bundela Madhya Pradesh
35 15 - H.H. the Maharawat of Pratapgarh Rajput, Sisodia Rajasthan
36 15 - H.H. the Nawab of Rampur Pathan Madhya Pradesh
37. 15 - H.H. the Raja of Sikkim Tipihar Sikkim
38 15 - H.H. the Maharaol of Sirohi Rajput, Chauhan,Devda Rajasthan
39 13 - H.H. the Thakore Sahib of Bhavnagar Rajput, Gohil Gujarat
40 13 15 (Personal and Local) H.H. the Maharaja of Jind Sikh Punjab
41 13 15 (Personal and Local) H.H. the Nawab of Junagadh Babi (Muslim) Gujarat
42 13 15 (Personal and Local) H.H. the Maharaja of Kapurthala Sikh Punjab
43 13 15 (Local) H.H. the Maharaja of Benares Brahmin Goutam Uttar Pradesh
44 13 15 (Local) H.H. the Thakur of Bhavnagar Rajput, Gohil Gujarat
45 13 15 (Local) H.H. the Raja of Nabha Sikh Punjab
46 13 15 (Local) H.H. the Jam Sahib of Nawanagar Rajput, Jadeja Gujarat
47 13 15 (Local) H.H. the Raja of Ratlam Rajput, Rathore Madhya Pradesh
48 13 - H.H. the Maharaja of Cooch Behar Rajput, Rajvanshi West Bengal
49 13 - H.H. the Raja of Dhrangadhra Rajput, Jhala Gujarat
50 13 - H.H. the Nawab of Jaora Pathan Madhya Pradesh
51 13 - H.H. the Maharaj Rana of Jhalawar Rajput, Jhala Rajasthan
52 13 - H.H. the Deewan of Palanpur Afghan Gujarat
53 13 - H.H. the Rana Sahib of Porbandar Rajput, Jethwa Gujarat
54 13 - H.H. the Raja of Rajpipla Rajput, Gohil Gujarat
55 13 - H.H. the Raja of Tipra Kshatriya Tripura
56 11 13 (Local) H.H. the Nawab of Janjira Siddi (Muslim) Maharashtra
57 11 - H.H. the Maharaja of Ajaigarh Rajput, Bundela Madhya Pradesh
58 11 - H.H. the Maharana of Ali Rajpur Rajput, Sisodia Madhya Pradesh
59 11 - H.H. the Nawab of Baoni Pathan Madhya Pradesh
60 11 - H.H. the Rana of Barwani Rajput, Sisodia Madhya Pradesh
61 11 - H.H. the Sawai Maharaja of Bijawar Rajput, Bundela Madhya Pradesh
62 11 - H.H. the Nawab of Cambay (Khambhat) Pathan Gujarat
63 11 - H.H. the Raja of Chamba Rajput Himachal Pradesh
64 11 - H.H. the Maharaja of Charakhari Rajput, Bundela Madhya Pradesh
65 11 - H.H. the Maharaja of Chhatarpur Rajput, Panwar Madhya Pradesh
66 11 - H.H. the Raja of Faridkot Jat Punjab
67 11 - H.H. the Thakur of Gondal Rajput, Jadeja Gujarat
68 11 - H.H. the Raja of Bilaspur Rajput Himachal Pradesh
69 11 - H.H. the Raja of Jhabua Rajput Rathore Madhya Pradesh
70 11 - H.H. the Nawab of Maler Kotla Afghan Punjab
71 11 - H.H. the Raja of Mandi Rajput Chandravanshi Punjab
72 11 - H.H. the Maharaja of Manipur Kshatriya Manipur
73 11 - H.H. the Thakur of Morvi Rajput Jadeja Gujarat
74 11 - H.H. the Raja of Narsinghgarh Rajput, Umat Madhya Pradesh
75 11 - H.H. the Maharaja of Panna Rajput Bundela Madhya Pradesh
76 11 - H.H. the Raja of Pudukkottai Tondiman Tamilnadu
77 11 - H.H. the Nawab of Radhanpur Irani (Muslim) Gujarat
78 11 - H.H. the Nawab of Rajgarh Muslim Madhya Pradesh
79 11 - H.H. the Raja of Sailana Rajput Rathore Madhya Pradesh
80 11 - H.H. the Raja of Samthar Rajput Bundela Madhya Pradesh
81 11 - H.H. the Raja of Sirmaur (Nahan) Rajput, Bhati Himachal Pradesh
82 11 - H.H. the Raja of Sitamau Rajput Rathore Madhya Pradesh
83 11 - H.H. the Raja of Suket (SunderNagar) Rajput Chandravanshi Himachal Pradesh
84 11 - H.H. the Maharaja of Tehri Garhwal Rajput, Panwar Uttarakhand
85 11 - H.H. the Maharana Raj Sahib of Wankaner Rajput, Jhala Gujarat
86 9 11 (Personal) H.H. the Maharaol of Baria Rajput, Chauhan Gujarat
87 9 11 (Personal) H.H. the Raja of Dharampur Rajput, Sisodia Gujarat
88 9 11 (Personal) H.H. the Raja of Sangli Brahmin, (Patwardhan) Maharashtra
89 9 11 (Local) H.H. the Sar Desai of Sawantwadi Maratha Maharashtra
90 9 - H.H. the Thakore Sahib of Badwan Rajput Jhala Gujarat
91 9 - H.H. the Nawab Babi of Balasinor Irani (Muslim) Gujarat
92 9 - H.H. the Nawab of Banganapalle (Muslim Shia) Tamilnadu
93 9 - H.H. the Maharawal of Bansda Rajput Solanki Gujarat
94 9 - H.H. the Raja of Baraundha Rajput Raghuvanshi Madhya Pradesh
95 9 - H.H. the Raja of Bhor Brahmin Maharashtra
96 9 - H.H. the Raja of Chota Udaipur Rajput, Chauhan Gujarat
97 9 - H.H. the Maharana of Danta Rajput, Paramara Gujarat
98 9 - H.H. the Thakore Sahib of Dhrol Rajput, Jadeja Gujarat
99 9 - H.H. the Maharaja of Jawhar Maratha (Mukne) Maharashtra
100 9 - H.H. the Raja of Kalahandi(Karod) Rajput, (Gangavanshi) Orissa
101 9 - H.H. the Rao of Khilchipur Rajput, Chauhan,(Khinchi) Madhya Pradesh
102 9 - H.H. the Thakore Sahib of Limbdi Rajput, Jhala Gujarat
103 9 - H.H. the Nawab of Loharu (Muslim) Haryana
104 9 - H.H. the Maharana of Lunawara Rajput, Solanki Gujarat
105 9 - H.H. the Raja of Maihar Rajput, Kachwaha Madhya Pradesh
106 9 - H.H. the Maharaja of Mayurbhanj Rajput, (Bhanj) Orissa
107 9 - H.H. the Raja of Mudhol Maratha Bhonsle Karnataka
108 9 - H.H. the Raja of Nagod Rajput, Parihar Madhya Pradesh
109 9 - H.H. the Thakore Sahib of Palitana Rajput, Gohil Gujarat
110 9 - H.H. the Maharaja of Patna Rajput, Chauhan Orissa
111 9 - H.H. the Thakore Sahib of Rajkot Rajput, Jadeja Gujarat
112 9 - H.H. the Nawab of Sachin (princely state) Siddi (Muslim) Gujarat
113 9 - H.H. the Maharana of Sant Rajput, Panwar Gujarat
114 9 - H.H. the Rajadhiraj of Shahpura Rajput, Sisodia Rajasthan
115 9 - H.H. the Maharaja of Sonepur Rajput Orissa
116 9 - H.H. the Maharana of Wadhwan Rajput Gujarat
117 - 9 (Personal) The Raja of Bashahr Rajput Himachal Pradesh

Although salutes with many more guns have been used for Western Monarchs (and dynastic and other associated occasions), the 21-gun salute has in modern times become customary for Sovereign Monarchs (hence also known as 'royal salute') and republic.

Some of the rulers not listed above were granted increased gun salutes after the independence, e.g. the Maharana of Mewar (Hindu; at Udaipur, Maharajpramukh in Rajasthan) was raised to first place in the Order of Precedence, displacing the Nizam of Hyderabad and Berar (Muslim), 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.

This system continued till 1971, when privileges and privipurses of ex-rulers were abolished by the Government of India.

[edit] Salute states in present Pakistan

Twelve Muslim princely states in western India acceded on 14 August 1947 to the Dominion (a republic since 1956) of Pakistan as devised by independence from British India. Over time, they were amalgamated into larger federations and provinces culminating in the establishment of two large provinces, East and West Pakistan. Most of the princely states in the western part of the country merged into the Province of West Pakistan (the present Pakistan, the only other province then was East Pakistan, present Bangladesh) at is creation on 14 October 1955. Although some frontier states continued to be administered as separate units, these were eliminated in 1971; all styles and titles enjoyed by the former ruling families ceased to be officially recognised by the Government of Pakistan in January 1972.

The order of precedence of the Salute States that acceded to Pakistan in 1947 was as follows:

Serial No. Hereditary salute No. of guns Personal salute No. of guns Title of Rais Name of state Clan of Rais Present Location
1. 19 - H.H. the Khan of Kalat Muslim Balochistan
2. 17 - H.H. the Nawab (later styled Amir) of Bahawalpur Muslim Daud Potra Panjab
3. 15 - H.H. the Mir of Khairpur Muslim Billochi Sindh
4. 11 - H.H. the Mehtar of Chitral Muslim Katur NWFP

After several promotions and two further post-colonial awardings - which India didn't do as a republic - the gun salutes enjoyed by the states in Pakistan were as follows in 1966:

  • Hereditary salute of 21-guns: H.H. the Amir of Bahawalpur
  • Hereditary salute of 19-guns: H.H. the Khan of Kalat
  • Hereditary salute of 17-guns: H.H. the Mir of Khairpur
  • Hereditary salute of 15-guns: H.H. the Mir of Hunza (granted by President Ayub Khan in 1966, previously non-salute)
  • Hereditary salute of 15-guns: H.H. the Wali of Swat (granted by President Ayub Khan in 1966, previously non-salute)
  • Hereditary salute of 11-guns: H.H. the Mehtar of Chitral

[edit] Salute dynasties on the Indian subcontinent without states

Personal salute of 11-guns: only H.H. the Aga Khan (in fact a religious leader of the Nizari Ismaili branch of Islam), the only salute not attached to any territorial principality.

Furthermore salutes were awarded to certain Political pensioners, notably:

[edit] Elsewhere

The information below (quite possibly incomplete) had to be puzzled from different sources, mainly one concerning the 1912 situation which seems to ignore the differences between hereditary, personal and local salutes.

  • 31 guns - This unusual class was reserved for truly sovereign and independent Absolutist oriental monarchies, not under full British control:
    • HH the Muslim King (styled Badshah or Emir) of Afghanistan (Durranni dynasty)
    • HH the Buddhist King of Siam (the present Thailand)
  • 21 guns:
    • HH the Sultan of Mascat [the Ibadi Imamate became a sovereign nation as Sultanate of (Muscat –the core, named after the capital, of modern- and) Oman]
    • HM (since?) the King (a Maharajadhiraja) of Nepal (sovereign, Hindu kingdom in the Himalaya)
    • HM (since?) the Sultan/Hami of Zanzibar (an East African sultanate on the islands now part of Tanzania, set up by a branch of the Omani sultans)
    • HM the native (Indian tribal) King of Mosquito Coast (in present Nicaragua; styled His Majesty, most unusual as HM is normally reserved for the Paramount Ruler and its (independent) peers; under British protectorate since 1688, formalized in 1749 with appointment of a resident Superintendent; Britain relinquished control in 1783-87; Nicaraguan sovereignty was recognized in 1860 under the Treaty of Managua, hence the King considered a mere Chief, in 1894 militarily driven into exile to Jamaica)
  • 19 guns: HH the Dalai lama of Tibet, a semi-sovereign theocratic -Buddhist- nation before annexation by the People’s Republic of China
  • 15 guns: HH the Druk Desi (since 1963 HM the Druk Gyalpo) & (since 1951) Maharaja of Bhutan [a sovereign Buddhist Himalayan nation]
  • 9 guns: the Kabaka (native, tribal king) of Buganda (in [Western] Uganda, granted after (?) 1912, before 1939 permanent grant)
  • 3 guns: all in peninsular Arabia: all in Trucial Oman, known as the ‘Pirate Coast’ (- ?no agency? Persian Gulf residency?; now all among the 7 constitutive emirates of the sovereign nation UAE):

[edit] Sources and references