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:
- 21 guns for Khudadad, i.e. Tippu Sultan's Muslim empire, starting from the usurped Mysore throne (also 21 guns), meant to replace Delhi's (Mughal) Padshah-i Hind
- 19 guns (only personal and local) for the Nawab of Murshidabad, as heirs of greater Bengal (including present Bangladesh, Bihar, Orissa and West Bengal)
- 15 guns (until 1899) for HH the Nawab (later restyled Prince) of Arcot, i.e. the Carnatic
- 9 guns for HH the Nawab of Banganapalle
- 4 guns for Manyam Zamindar of Yanam (French India)
[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):