India Map 1946 CE — Historical Map & Timeline

Who ruled India in 1946 CE?

In 1946 CE, power in the subcontinent was shared among 6 major states and dynasties. Dates are conventional estimates.

• British Raj
  British India and hundreds of princely states. Direct Crown rule after the Revolt of 1857, until independence and Partition. Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica — British raj · Read: The Revolt of 1857
• Hyderabad State (Nizams)
  Deccan; capital Hyderabad. Asaf Jahi Nizams, the most populous princely state, integrated into India in 1948. Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica — Hyderabad historical state India
• Kingdom of Mysore
  Southern Karnataka. Wodeyar kingdom, independent of Vijayanagara from about 1610; under Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan from 1761 to 1799. Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica — Wadiyars
• Mewar (Sisodia Rajputs)
  Southern Rajasthan; capitals Chittor, later Udaipur. Rajput kingdom of Rana Kumbha, Rana Sanga and Maharana Pratap; a princely state under British paramountcy from 1818, merged into Rajasthan in 1949. Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica — Udaipur (historical state)
• Portuguese India (Goa, Daman and Diu)
  Goa and coastal enclaves. Goa was taken in 1510 and remained Portuguese until 1961. Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica — Goa
• Travancore
  Southern Kerala. Kingdom of Marthanda Varma; merged into Travancore-Cochin in 1949. Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica — Travancore

What happened in India around 1946 CE?

• 1931 CE: Gandhi-Irwin Pact is signed
• 1942–1945: Quit India and the INA intensify the final phase. After the Congress leadership was arrested in August 1942, local protest, underground networks and parallel governments continued with varying methods. In Southeast Asia, Subhas Chandra Bose led the Indian National Army against British power; the INA trials later stirred public and military opinion in India. Source: Ministry of Culture — Quit India Movement
• 1943 CE: Azad Hind government proclaimed
• 1946 CE: Cabinet Mission proposes a transfer
• 17 August 1947: Boundary awards are published. The announcement of the boundaries followed independence, deepening uncertainty in the affected areas. Source: The National Archives — Partition of British India
• 30 Jan 1948: Mahatma Gandhi is assassinated in Delhi. Mahatma Gandhi was shot while walking to his evening prayer meeting at Birla House on 30 January 1948, after spending his final months opposing communal violence. His death confronted the new republic with the loss of its most influential advocate of non-violence. Source: Gandhi Smriti: Chronology of Mahatma Gandhi
• 1949–50: The Constitution creates a democratic republic. Adopted in 1949 and effective from 26 January 1950, the Constitution established parliamentary government, federal institutions and justiciable fundamental rights. It has been amended repeatedly while remaining the republic’s legal framework. Source: Legislative Department: Constitution of India

Major Historical Milestones in 1946 CE

• 1946 CE: Cabinet Mission proposes a transfer