Instrument of Accession

E77517

The Instrument of Accession was a legal document used during the partition of British India that allowed princely states to join either India or Pakistan by ceding specified powers to the chosen dominion.


Statements (46)
Predicate Object
instanceOf constitutional document
legal instrument
appliesIn Dominion of India
Dominion of Pakistan
appliesTo princely states of British India
bindingOn successors of the signing ruler
category constitutional history of India
constitutional history of Pakistan
documents of the partition of India
constitutionalRole basis for federal relationship between dominion and princely state
counterparty Governor-General of India
Governor-General of Pakistan
createdBy British Government
createdUnder Indian Independence Act 1947
dateIntroduced 1947
definedIn Government of India Act 1935 as adapted
followedBy Covenant of Merger
Merger Agreement
historicalContext end of British paramountcy
transfer of power in 1947
jurisdictionTransferred executive powers in specified subjects
judicial powers in specified subjects
legislative powers in specified subjects
language English
legalEffect cession of specified powers to a dominion
establishment of constitutional relationship with a dominion
legalNature act of state by the ruler
voluntary agreement
limitedBy reservation of internal autonomy to the princely state
primaryPurpose to determine constitutional position of princely states in new dominions
relatedConcept paramountcy
princely state autonomy
relatedDocument Standstill Agreement
relatedTo accession of Jammu and Kashmir to India
integration of princely states into India
integration of princely states into Pakistan
requires acceptance by the Governor-General
scopeOfPowers communications
defence
external affairs
specified ancillary matters
signatory ruler of a princely state
usedDuring Indian independence process
partition of British India
usedFor accession of princely states to India
accession of princely states to Pakistan

Referenced by (3)
Subject (surface form when different) Predicate
Hyderabad State ("Instrument of Accession to India")
accessionInstrument
Jammu and Kashmir ("Instrument of Accession to India in 1947")
historicalEvent
Indian princely states
integrationMechanism

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