Opinion: Hyderabad’s Day of Deliverance
Hyderabad’s integration after Operation Polo marked India’s true independence and unity
By KSS Seshan
When the entire Indian subcontinent zealously celebrated independence from the British on 15 August 1947 by hoisting the tricolour, the Hyderabad State remained outside these festivities as it continued under the monarchical regime of the Nizam. Hyderabad had to wait another year, one month and two days to witness such a celebration, which came after the State’s integration with India. That hour of pride arrived on 17 September 1948, drawing the curtains on 224 years of Hyderabad’s separate existence (1724-1948). The rule of the Nizams ended through a military action popularly known by its code name, Operation Polo, which lasted for five days, from 13 to 17 September 1948.
Also Read
The Hyderabad State, under the Nizams, covered a vast area in the Deccan region in south-central India. It extended over an area of 2 lakh square km and, at its peak, had a population of 163 lakh. It had three distinct geographical regions — the Telugu-speaking Telangana, the Kannada-speaking Kalyana Karnatic of Karnataka, and the Marathi-speaking Marathwada. The State was centred on Hyderabad city, its capital, though Aurangabad was also a major political nucleus in the initial years.
Hyderabad became the first princely State to come under the indirect rule of the British when Wellesley’s Subsidiary Alliance was signed by the Nizam on 12 October 1800. Under British paramountcy, Hyderabad enjoyed unprecedented importance. The Nizam was kept in good humour by the British and was known as ‘Our Faithful Ally’. As a unique honour, he was addressed as ‘His Exalted Highness’. The Nizam was the only native ruler in princely India, who was accorded a 21-gun salute.
Ban on Celebrations
On 15 August 1947, people in Hyderabad were prohibited even from hoisting the Indian national flag. Prohibitory orders were clamped in advance for any procession or celebration. The orders were so draconian that Badri Vishal Pitti, a wealthy merchant, staunch nationalist and freedom fighter from Hyderabad, hired a special train to travel to Bombay with 300 fellow freedom fighters just to hoist the tricolour at Chowpatty on Independence Day. (Pitti later became the lone Socialist legislator in Andhra Pradesh when the new State was formed in 1956. He also spearheaded the Angrezi Hatao movement.)
India may have got independence, but Hyderabad, which produced several top-ranking nationalists like Sarojini Naidu and Mir Akbar Ali Khan, remained under the Nizam’s rule, with its people denied even the right to fly the national flag.
At the time of partition, the British gave the princely States the option to join either India or Pakistan or remain independent. Taking advantage of this, the Nizam of Hyderabad issued a declaration on 11 June 1947 that he had decided to remain independent. He even declared that his State would become a separate country named Osmanistan, on the lines of Hindustan and Pakistan. When someone asked how Hyderabad, a landlocked region, could be a separate country without a coastline, the Nizam is reported to have curtly retorted that he would buy Goa from the Portuguese!
Direct Action
In November 1947, India and Hyderabad signed a ‘Standstill Agreement,’ which allowed Hyderabad to maintain independence for one year. However, the Nizam continued to resist joining India. Violence and communal riots escalated, with reports of killings, loot, and arson. Appeals for help poured into the Indian government from both Hindus and Muslims in Hyderabad.
On September 9, 1948, the government of India issued an ultimatum demanding that the Nizam disband the Razakar militia, release political prisoners, and join the Indian Union. His refusal, coupled with his support for the Razakars under Qasim Razvi, led to further widespread violence and unrest. The Razakars terrorised both Hindus and Muslims who supported integration. Left with no option, the government of India decided to launch direct military action.
The operation was planned at the highest level with Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, Home Minister Sardar Patel, and General Rajendrasinhji Jadeja, the Chief of Army Staff, in decision-making roles. At Sardar Patel’s initiative, the Indian Army deployed multiple brigades around Hyderabad State. The Air Force provided crucial support for bombing key targets.
At 4 am on 13 September 1948, India’s military campaign under the code name ‘Operation Polo’ began. Indian troops under General JN Chowdhury marched rapidly towards Hyderabad from several sides. The armoured division entered from Naidurg in the west, another brigade entered Medak in the north, and a third contingent entered Bhongir in the east. Key battles were fought at Naidurg, Medak, Bidar, and elsewhere.
Appeal to UN
On the very day the Indian military began its action, the Nizam’s government sent a Cablegram to the United Nations Security Council, complaining that Hyderabad State had been invaded by India. It appealed for immediate intervention, citing the Standstill Agreement between the ‘two countries’. However, efforts failed as Hyderabad was not recognised as a sovereign nation by the international community.
Final Assault
On 17 September, the Indian army tanks rolled into Hyderabad, sparking jubilation among citizens. By 5 pm, the Nizam, Mir Osman Ali Khan, announced his surrender. An immediate ceasefire followed. To make the surrender less humiliating, the Nizam’s elder son, Azam Jah, who was the Honorary Commandant General of the Nizam’s army, signed the instrument of surrender before his troops in the presence of Major General Ahmed El Edroos, Commander-in-Chief of the Nizam’s forces. This ceremony was held at the Cavalry headquarters at Bolaram (now Rashtrapati Nilayam, the President’s winter retreat).
Hyderabad State was formally integrated into the Indian Union, ending the Nizam’s rule. Major General JN Choudhuri was appointed as the military Governor of Hyderabad to normalise law and order. The Nizam was retained as Rajpramukh (Governor) of the new State, while ICS officer MK Vellodi oversaw the administrative transition.
The military rule that lasted for a year ensured a smooth transition. In 1952, after the first Assembly elections, Burgula Ramakrishna Rao became the first Chief Minister of Hyderabad State, winning Shadnagar.
Operation Polo has remained a subject of debate, even decades later. Yet, post-independence Indian history offers ample evidence that this bold initiative was essential for preserving the nation’s unity and integrity.
(The writer is a retired Professor of History at the University of Hyderabad)
