The Indian Princely States in the Global Nineteenth Century

Abstract

The Indian princely states are largely overlooked in the global history of the nineteenth century. These territories under the indirect rule of the British empire have often been understood as isolated spaces that were unconnected with the rest of the world. In recent years, however, a new wave of scholarly contributions has revaluated these views, arguing that princely states were intensely linked with the world beyond their borders. The article reviews the historiography of these new ‘connected histories’ of the states by examining two key areas of enquiry: the global connections forged personally by Indian princes and the equally global circulation of people and ideas that tied the states with the world. The article argues that, because of these varied linkages, the princely states must be taken into account to develop a nuanced understanding of the nineteenth century.