Junagadh State

Junagarh or Junagadh was a princely state in Gujarat ruled by the Muslim Babi dynasty in India, which acceded to the Dominion of Pakistan after the Partition of British India. Subsequently, the Union of India annexed Junagadh in 1948, legitimized through a plebiscite held the same year.

Pakistan claims sovereignty over the erstwhile princely state to this day.

History


Muhammad Sher Khan Babai was the founder of the Babi Pashtun dynasty of Junagarh in 1654. His descendants, the Babi Nawabs of Junagarh, conquered large territories in southern Saurashtra.

However, during the collapse of the Mughal Empire, the Babis became involved in a struggle with the Gaekwad dynasty of the Maratha Empire over control of Gujarat during the reign of the local Mohammad Mahabat Khanji I. Mohammad Khan Bahadur Khanji I declared independence from the Mughal governor of Gujarat subah, and founded the state of Junagarh in 1730. This allowed the Babi to retain sovereignty of Junagarh and other princely states. During the reign of his heir Junagarh was a tributary to the Maratha Empire, until it came under British suzerainty in 1807 under Mohammad Hamid Khanji I, following the Second Anglo-Maratha War.

In 1807, Junagarh became a British protectorate and the East India Company took control of the state. By 1818, the Saurashtra area, along with other princely states of Kathiawar, were separately administered under the Kathiawar Agency by British India.

In 1947, during the partition of India, the last Babi dynasty ruler of the state, Muhammad Mahabat Khanji III, decided to accede to the Dominion of Pakistan but Junagarh was annexed by India which was followed by a plebiscite in which the locals voted to stay with India.

Rulers
The Nawabs of Junagarh belonged to Pathan Babi or Babai (Pashtun tribe). They were granted a 13 gun salute by the British authorities:


 * 1730–1758 : Mohammad Bahadur Khanji I or Mohammad Sher Khan Babai
 * 1758–1774: Mohammad Mahabat Khan I
 * 1774–1811: Mohammad Hamid Khan I
 * 1811–1840: Mohammad Bahadur Khan II
 * 1840–1851: Mohammad Hamid Khan II
 * 1851–1882: Mohammad Mahabat Khan II
 * 1882–1892: Mohammad Bahadur Khan III
 * 1892–1911: Mohammad Rasul Khan
 * 1911–1948: Mohammad Mahabat Khan III (last ruler before the integration of Junagarh into India)

Koli Rebellion
There was a Koli rebellion in Junagarh by Mansa Khant during the reign of Nawab Sher Khan the first ruler of Junagarh. He was against Mughal Rule. Uparkot Fort was his centre. He made a series of raids into the surrounding villages and cities. Nawab Sher Khan was unsuccessful in suppressing the rebellion. Mansa Khant occupied Uparkot for 13 months and continued to carry out numerous raids mostly in the countryside. Nawab was assisted by the King of Gondal State Thakur Sahib Haloji Jadeja and Arab Jamadar Sheikh Abdullah Zubeidi in his campaign against the rebellion. The combined forces defeated the Khant and captured Uparkot and burnt down the rebellion.

Annexation by India
In 1947, Shah Nawaz Bhutto joined the council of ministers of Nawab Muhammad Mahabat Khan III, and in May became his dewan or prime minister.

With the partition of India in 1947, the princely states were left by the British to decide whether to accede to one of the newly independent Union of India or Dominion of Pakistan, or become a separate country.

The Constitutional Advisor to the Nawab, Nabi Baksh, indicated to Lord Mountbatten that he was recommending that Junagarh should join India. However, upon the advice of Dewan Bhutto, on 15 August 1947, the Nawab announced that Junagarh had acceded to Pakistan. On 16 September, the Government of Pakistan accepted the accession.

India sent its military into Junagarh while the Nawab of Junagarh was in Pakistan and captured the State of Junagarh. The Annexation of Junagarh by India led the Nawab Muhammad Mahabat Khan III of Junagarh (of the erstwhile Babi Nawab dynasty of Junagarh) to continue to live in Sindh, Pakistan.

Pakistan's claim
Pakistan's government has maintained its territorial claim on Junagadh, along with Manavadar and Sir Creek in Gujarat, on its official political maps.