Assistant Professor, Department of Western History, University of Lucknow, India.
When the control of British Colonial Power emerged as the central power in India, the country turned in two sphere of influences under their rule. One part- British India, directly ruled by the Colonial power and other part – Native Princely States, indirectly under the control of British Government. The administration of the princely states presents the real picture of absolute autocracy. Despite being governed by the ‘native’ of the country, the condition of the subjects of the Indian Princely States were sometimes even worse than the British Indian subjects. They had no right to complain against their grievances as their rulers devoid them of any kind of ‘civil liberty’ vis. life, property and freedom of any sort like freedom of expression or writing. In the present research paper, the autocratic attitude of the native rulers and the pitiable condition of their subjects in absence of civil liberties has been discussed.
