The First Official Flag of “Free India”: The Government Sends the Maharajas and Governments of the Princely States Official Notice

A momentous moment in history, as the Indian government rises and the princely states adopt their new national identity

Prior to independence, India was divided into provinces, accounting for 60% of the territory, and hundreds of princely states ruled by maharajas, accounting for 40%. These princely states were not fully and formally part of British India but were British protectorates and had indirect British rule. One of these states was Gondal, now in the state of Gujarat, which was Gandhi’s native region. Gondal was ruled by Maharaja Thakur Sahib Bhagvatsinhji for 75 years, and then he was succeeded in 1944 by Maharaja Shree Bhojrajji, who ruled until after Indian independence, when ruling authority passed to the Indian government.

The Constituent Assembly of India was elected in 1946 in preparation for the British leaving, and tasked with writing a Constitution. Following Indian independence in 1947, its members served as the nation’s first Parliament. The Indian Independence Act was based upon the June 3, 1947 plan of the last Viceroy of India, Lord Mountbatten, and was passed by the British Parliament on July 5.

It received royal assent on July 18. It provided for two dominion states: India and Pakistan. The authority of the British Crown over the princely states ceased and they were free to join either India or Pakistan or remain independent. Both the dominions of India and Pakistan were to have Governors General to be appointed by the British King. The Governor General was invested with power until March 1948 to issue orders for effective implementation of the provisions of the Indian Independence Act. On the midnight of August 14 – 15, 1947, British India was dissolved, and India and Pakistan came into existence. The Indian Constituent Assembly then appointed Lord Mountbatten as the First Governor General of the Indian Dominion. In the Morning of August 15, 1947, a new cabinet headed by Jawaharlal Nehru was sworn in.

All but five princely states elected to merge into India. Among those approving the merger was Gondal, though it was February 15, 1948 before Maharaja Shree Bhojrajji officially signed the instrument of accession.

On July 22, 1947, the Constituent Assembly of India had adopted a flag. The resolution, moved by Nehru himself, read: “Resolved that the National Flag of India shall be a horizontal tricolor of deep saffron (Kesari), white and dark green in equal proportion. In the center of the white band, there shall be a wheel in navy blue to represent Chakra [a wheel]. The design of the wheel shall be that of the wheel Chakra which appears on the Abacus of the Sarnath Lion Capital of Asaka. The diameter of the wheel shall approximate to the width of the white band. The ratio of the width to the length of the flag shall be 2:3.” The Sarnath Lion Capital of Asaka is four lions standing back to back, and it became the official emblem of India in 1950.

Because of apparent confusion about the details of the flag, the public relations office of the Constituent Assembly of India determined to provide the princely state maharajas and their governments with official copies of the flag and resolution adopting it.

This is the letter sent as official notification of the new National Flag to the Majahara and government of Gondal. Letter signed, on a sheet headed Constituent Assembly of India, Council House, New Delhi, November 6, 1947, to “All Prime Ministers acceded to the Dominion of India”. “Since adoption of the National Flag by the Constituent Assembly of India, it has been brought to our notice that the flags displayed by different authorities on various ceremonial occasions, in many cases, do not quite comform with the official design and pattern. In order to avoid this, this office has published an authorized design and I am directed to send you sample copies of this. It is hoped that the approved design sent herewith will be found useful and whenever on any ceremonial occasion the national flag has to be displayed in your state, it will conform to the design and pattern.” It is signed by Dharam Yash Dev, Director of Publicity.

The letter is stamped as received by the Dewan, or prime minister, of Gondal. At the bottom he has instructed his aide to send another official a copy, and on November 18, 1947 wrote: “Copy forwarded to the Bandhkam Adhikari for information. One sample copy is forwarded herewith for his office record.” A note in pencil on the side indicates this, and specifies that the items sent included a “sample copy of the National Flag”.

A unique memento of a turning point in history.