The Price of Loyalty: Bahawalpur’s Accession and the Failure of Federal Trust in Pakistan (1947-1955)

Abstract

This article examines the historical trajectory of the former princely state of Bahawalpur, from its establishment in 1727 through its integration into Pakistan and subsequent dissolution. As a sovereign entity under British suzerainty, Bahawalpur maintained distinct administrative, judicial, and financial systems, functioning as a self-sufficient state with its own mint, army, and governance structures. The state's strategic geographic position along the Sutlej and Indus rivers rendered it a vital buffer zone and defensive bulwark for the Punjab region. Upon Pakistan's creation in 1947, Bahawalpur became the first princely state to accede to the new federation, providing indispensable financial and military support during a critical period of national vulnerability. The 1951 Supplementary Instrument formally elevated Bahawalpur to provincial status, creating a model of cooperative federalism that balanced local autonomy with federal unity. However, the 1955 One Unit scheme and the subsequent 1970 executive merger into Punjab violated explicit political commitments, triggering enduring grievances and restoration movements. The article argues that Bahawalpur's dissolution represents a foundational case of federal betrayal in Pakistan's history, whereby a loyal federating unit was systematically deprived of its distinct identity and autonomous institutions. Contemporary demands for provincial restoration, whether through the historical-administrative Bahawalpur movement or the ethno-lingual Saraiki movement, reflect legitimate responses to this breach of federal trust. The case of Bahawalpur underscores fundamental tensions in Pakistani federalism regarding centre-periphery relations and the treatment of historically autonomous regions.