BEHIND THE ATLAS
A date.
Many histories.
An atlas that makes its evidence—and its gaps—visible.
What does the date mean?
Our snapshot is the end of 16 August 1947. India was a Dominion. We distinguish former British provinces, princely states and European possessions, and separately record political status. A princely state could have acceded while retaining its own administration.
Signing, acceptance, administrative takeover and merger are recorded as different events. Later events appear in a territory’s story; they do not change its status in the August snapshot.
Reading the boundaries
The default map uses 226 polygon features from a 1941 administrative dataset: green for former British provinces, blue for princely states reported acceded to India, amber for states not acceded to India, violet for European possessions, and hatching for uncertain or special territories. Hover or select an area to see its name. Princely-state colours refer to the end of 16 August 1947. Most accession classifications follow the government’s collective account; they do not verify every individual instrument. Bhopal, Indore and ambiguous or mixed groups remain hatched where a completed accession for the snapshot is not established. Colours do not certify the geometry or resolve sovereignty disputes.
The geometry was digitized by India State Stories from the Census of India Administrative Atlas and distributed by ramSeraph. Its external outline follows later Government of India norms. It does not cover all pre-Partition India or establish control in contested areas. Punjab, Bengal, Assam and Jammu and Kashmir require particular care; 1947 reconciliation is pending.
District polygons are dissolved into their parent province or major princely state. Separate princely-state features retain their boundaries and enclaves. Agency and group features remain explicitly grouped, rather than being presented as individual states. Unnamed source records stay unnamed. Pondicherry and Karikal are corrected from the source’s British-district classification to French possessions, using the French-establishments transfer agreement. Sikkim is marked as a special treaty/statehood case rather than ordinary princely accession.
The 1947 reference layer
Switch to “1947 source map” to inspect the Survey of India’s second-edition scan. It includes the Partition boundary announced on 17 August, so it is a retrospective reference, not a reconstruction of everything publicly known on the 16th. Its numbered pins identify the eight pilot story locations. The 1941 vectors and 1947 scan are separate views; they are not registered overlays.
What this edition includes
All 226 displayed features have a research dossier covering the ruler or governing authority, integration route, participants, dates and sources. 13 retain specific evidence gaps and 8 provide group-level context. Eight longer pilot stories remain available. Browse the complete research register.
Polygon hover and selection now work across the 1941 reference features. An audited 1947 territory inventory, verified boundaries, resolution of the explicitly listed evidence gaps and independent historical review remain ahead. Smaller enclaves, the northeast, islands, other states and possessions require further mapping and research.
Evidence and uncertainty
Each entry links to sources and states what remains to be checked. Some are original legal texts or official accounts; others are secondary summaries. Official narratives do not by themselves resolve competing interpretations. Junagadh’s snapshot status remains under review, and Mysore’s acceptance date needs an original-document check.
Map credit
Survey of India, India showing Provinces, States and Districts, second edition, 1947. Scan via Wikimedia Commons; image metadata credits the British Library. Commons labels the work public domain in India and flags missing US copyright justification. Scan reproduction terms remain a public-release checklist item.
The territory research register includes the expanded White Paper, ruler chronology and regional sources. This shorter list documents the original eight stories.
Original story sources
- Indian Independence Act 1947 ↗UK legislation archive
Sections 1–4: the Dominions and the division of Bengal and Punjab; section 7: the lapse of paramountcy.
- Partition of British India ↗The National Archives, UK
Boundary announcement on 17 August 1947 and contemporary documents.
- India showing Provinces, States and Districts, 1947 ↗Survey of India / Wikimedia Commons
Second edition. Retrospective reference including the Radcliffe line. Public-domain-in-India label; scan reproduction terms need review before publication.
- Maharaja Sri Jaya Chamaraja Wadiyar — Post-Independence ↗JCRW Foundation
Reports signing on 9 August and acceptance on 16 August. Secondary account; original instrument check pending.
- Commemoration of Hyderabad Liberation Day ↗Press Information Bureau, 3 September 2022
Official retrospective account of Operation Polo and 17 September 1948; not a complete social history.
- Instrument of Accession of Jammu and Kashmir State ↗Document transcription hosted by Citizens for Justice and Peace
Reproduces the instrument dated 26 October and acceptance dated 27 October 1947. Archival original and historiography review pending.
- White Paper on Indian States (1950), paragraph 223 ↗Ministry of States, Government of India / Wikisource
Indian government account: takeover, referendum and Saurashtra transfer. Its interpretation must be considered alongside other accounts.
- Milestones of Goa ↗Government of Goa, Department of Information and Publicity
Dates Operation Vijay and the end of Portuguese rule to 19 December 1961.
- Puducherry laws, volume I ↗Government of Puducherry
Agreement on the de facto transfer of the French establishments; article 1 specifies 1 November 1954.
- Rural Development — historical introduction ↗Government of Puducherry
Distinguishes the 1954 administrative transfer from the de jure transfer on 16 August 1962.
