The Hyderabad State Congress was a political party in the princely state of Hyderabad

Hyderabad State

-After Indian independence :When India gained independence in 1947 and Pakistan came into existence in 1947, the British left the local rulers of the princely states the choice of whether to join one of the new dominions or to remain independent...

 that sought civil rights

Civil rights

Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...

, representative democracy

Representative democracy

Representative democracy is a form of government founded on the principle of elected individuals representing the people, as opposed to autocracy and direct democracy...

 and the union of Hyderabad with the Republic of India. It opposed the autocratic rule of the Nizam of Hyderabad and the militancy of the Muslim

Muslim

A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...

 Razakars

Razakars (Hyderabad)

Razakars were a private militia organized by Qasim Razvi to support the rule of Osman Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VII and resist the integration of Hyderabad State in India....

.

History

Although technically outside British India, Hyderabad State was closely allied with the British government, with its Nizam having the title of the "Most Faithful Ally of the British Government." Although more than 80% of Hyderabad State's population was Hindu

Hindu

Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...

, the Nizam's bureaucracy, military and court were dominated by Muslims. There was widespread discrimination against Hindus. The Nizam gave patronage to the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, a party dedicated to preserving Islamic rule in the state, and allowed its militant wing, the Razakars

Razakars (Hyderabad)

Razakars were a private militia organized by Qasim Razvi to support the rule of Osman Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VII and resist the integration of Hyderabad State in India....

, to operate freely. Its leaders Bahadur Yar Jung

Bahadur Yar Jung

Muhammad Bahadur Khan , alias Nawab Nisar Ahmed Khan and Saadi Khan. Titles Bahadur Yar Jung and Quaid-e-Millath was an Hyderabadi Muslim who argued for the formation of Muslim states in India during the British Occupation in the 1930s and 1940s.-Early life:He was born in 1905 to Nawab Nasib...

 and Qasim Razvi

Qasim Razvi

Syed Kasim Razvi also Qasim Razvi was the Razakars chief of Hyderabad State, a local Muslim militia. They blocked accession into post-partition India of the predominantly Hindu region of Hyderabad. He fought against the Indian forces during Operation Polo, on behalf of the Nizam.-Career:Kasim Razvi...

 became close advisers to the Nizam.

Formation

In 1937, the Hyderabad People's Convention was launched, a precursor to the Congress that called for responsible, representative government in the state. The Hyderabad State Congress was founded in 1938. Although its philosophy and objectives were akin to the Indian National Congress

Indian National Congress

The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...

, the largest pro-independence organisation in British India, its organisation and leadership were distinct. Under the leadership of Swami Ramanand Tirtha

Swami Ramanand Tirtha

Swami Ramanand Tirtha or Swami Ramanand Teerth,, , was an Indian educator and social activist who led the Hyderabad liberation struggle, during the reign of the last Nizam...

, it became a broadly Indian nationalist

Indian nationalism

Indian nationalism refers to the many underlying forces that molded the Indian independence movement, and strongly continue to influence the politics of India, as well as being the heart of many contrasting ideologies that have caused ethnic and religious conflict in Indian society...

, secular political party. Amongst its members and younger leaders was P.V. Narasimha Rao - the future Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh and Prime Minister of India

Prime Minister of India

The Prime Minister of India , as addressed to in the Constitution of India — Prime Minister for the Union, is the chief of government, head of the Council of Ministers and the leader of the majority party in parliament...

.

Satyagraha

Since its formation in 1938, the State Congress conducted non-violent protests against the Nizam's banning of the organisation. In 1942, the leaders of the Hyderabad Congress launched a non-violent campaign of civil disobedience

Civil disobedience

Civil disobedience is the active, professed refusal to obey certain laws, demands, and commands of a government, or of an occupying international power. Civil disobedience is commonly, though not always, defined as being nonviolent resistance. It is one form of civil resistance...

, a satyagraha

Satyagraha

Satyagraha , loosely translated as "insistence on truth satya agraha soul force" or "truth force" is a particular philosophy and practice within the broader overall category generally known as nonviolent resistance or civil resistance. The term "satyagraha" was conceived and developed by Mahatma...

, for civil rights, representative democracy alongside the Quit India movement

Quit India Movement

The Quit India Movement , or the August Movement was a civil disobedience movement launched in India in August 1942 in response to Mohandas Gandhi's call for immediate independence. Gandhi hoped to bring the British government to the negotiating table...

 led by the Indian National Congress. The Nizam's government finally ended the ban on the State Congress in April, 1946 after the end of the Quit India struggle in British India and the beginning of the process of granting independence to India from British rule.

Union with India

The Hyderabad State Congress began actively campaigning for the state of Hyderabad to join the Union of India upon independence, which the Nizam was resisting. The State Congress called for August 7, 1947 to be observed as "Join Indian Union" Day. Protests, strikes and flag-hoisting broke out across the state, and the Nizam's government banned the Congress again and conducted mass arrests. The Razakars in turn threatened to mass pogroms against Hindu civilians in Hyderabad and provoke violence across India. The crisis continued until September, 1948 when the Indian government authorised the Indian Army

Indian Army

The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...

 to annex Hyderabad.