num_pages: 511
description: When on August 1947 India became an Independent Dominion in the British Commonwealth of Nations, one of the largest unresolved problems facing it was the presence of 554 princely states within its boundaries. The British Government had announced that with their departure these States would become independent. It was widely feared that the new Dominion would break up on this account. Yet by the time the new constitution came into force on 26 January 1950, all the states  had been integrated into the pattern of the Republic. The book is first authoritative account of that magnificent achievement.
title: The Story of the Integration of the Indian States
publisher: Arno Press