"If you threaten us with violence, swords will be met with swords". Sardar Patel's words indicated the temperature of India's relationship with the State of Hyderabad.
Under the provisions of the Indian Independence Act, 1947, princely states had a choice between acceding to Pakistan, acceding to India, and remaining independent. As of July 1948, 561 out of the 562 princely states had either joined India or Pakistan. Hyderabad however, held on to its position.
The Nizam of Hyderabad however, refused to merge Hyderabad with the Indian Union and the Razakars, the private army of the Nizam, turned hostile to the Union of India, vowing to hoist the Asafia flag (the flag of the Hyderabad State) on the Red Fort in Delhi. The army terrorised the majority community of the State.
With its own railways, postal system, and currency, Hyderabad was a modern princely state. The Nizam of Hyderabad was the richest man in the world. The State of Hyderabad also had a landmass larger than England and Scotland put together, and its total domestic production was greater than that of Belgium.
Unlike Kashmir, Hyderabad had a majority Hindu population and the ruler was Muslim. The people of Hyderabad wanted to join India but the ruler was against that. In September 1947 the Nizam approached Pakistan, but the geographical position made the direct involvement of the latter difficult. After this, the Nizam approached the British emperor in 1948 and offered to remain a dominion under the Commonwealth. Lord Mountbatten however, influenced by Nehru, stepped in to demolish the Nizam's dream.
Meanwhile, Pakistan showed its interest again, and in order to deviate India's attention from Kashmir, started advocating a second independent Muslim state in South Asia. Hyderabad shipped in weapons and artillery from Pakistan. In response, in July 1948 India blocked all the routes to Hyderabad, which resulted in the collapse of its economy.
Sardar Patel had two apprehensions - the fear of communal riots in the State of Hyderabad and Hyderabad's support for Pakistan during the Indo-Pak war. India and Hyderabad entered into the Standstill Agreement on November 29, 1947, which ensured status quo until Hyderabad would join or cooperate with Pakistan. The Nizam however, was keep on receiving the supply of arms from Pakistan and Potuguese administration of Goa.
Ambitious and influenced by Pakistan, the Nizam of Hyderabad asked for the intervention of the United Nations on August 24, 1948, and also approached the President of the United States Harry S. Truman to intervene in 1948, but was unsuccessful. The State of Hyderabad however, continued to have faith in its army of 50,000 soldiers and the group of Razakars.
Despite the Standstill Agreement, the Razakars raided trains passing through Hyderabad. For Patel, this was the reason he was looking for. On September 12, 1948, Operation Polo commenced, and Indian troops opened the front against Nizam, and within five days, the Nizam surrendered. The Nizam's army suffered heavy casualties of 2,000 soldiers, and the Indian army lost thirty-two soldiers.
Local Hindus welcomed the Indian army and on September 17, Nizam Osman Ali Khan Asaf Jah the Seventh signed the surrender documents, ending the 235-year rule of the Asaf Jha Dynasty. After the merger, he was appointed the Rajyapramukh of the State of Hyderabad. Operation Polo therefore, completed the political unification of India.
