Patiala and East Punjab States Union

The Princely States of Punjab (or Punjab States) were far less crowded and lesser complicated than those in other parts of India, particularly Central India and Gujarat. The major Princely State of Patiala had its enclaves spread out in the neighbouring districts of British Punjab that merged into a single union after independence - the Patiala and East Punjab States Union. Punjab was partitioned between the two new Unions of India and Pakistan and for the initial few years, the capital of Punjab swung between Patiala, Simla till finally a new (and current) capital was constructed, Chandigarh. This swinging was for the only reason that the age-old capital of Punjab, Lahore, was now part of Pakistan. 

Punjab States was stretched from Khairpur and Bahawalpur in the west to the hills of Chamba and even covered Tehri-Garhwal in the east. With Pakistan's creation, Bahawalpur and Khairpur were transferred to the new nation, leaving the eastern portion to India. The following were the only districts that were automatically part of the Indian Union on 15th August 1947:

1. Ferozepore or Firozpur (with its enclaves)
2. Jullundur (Jalandhar)
3. Ludhiana (with its enclaves)
4. Hoshiarpur
5. Kangra
6. Ambala
7. Hissar (Hisar)
8. Karnal
9. Rohtak
10. Gurgaon (Gurugram)

The eight Princely States that formed together the union are as follows:

1. Kapurthala
2. Patiala
3. Jind (today part of Haryana)
4. Nabha (today part of Punjab)
5. Kalsia (in Ludhiana district, Punjab)
6. Faridkot
7. Nalagarh (in Solan district, Himachal Pradesh)
8. Malerkotla (in Sangrur district, Punjab)

The merger of these Princely States happened over a period of time between 1947 to 1950. Loharu was taken over by the East Punjab government on 17th Feb. 1948, the next month a conference was held between Prime Minister Nehru and the Punjab Hill States (which was decided at the same time as merging into a single unit - Himachal Pradesh). This was followed by the merger of Pataudi in the same month and in May 1948, various names were proposed for the new union. After rejecting names such as Union of the East Punjab States and Patiala Union, the name Patiala & East Punjab States Union (PEPSU) adhered on the 2nd of May 1948. 

Patiala has always been the important Princely States even before independence. The Maharaja of Patiala was one of the Standing Committee members of the Chamber of Princes, a union of Princely States that would talk its terms and conditions with the British after they leave from India. It was the last Maharaja of Patiala, Sir Yadavindra Singh, who played an instrumental role in convincing the various Princely States to merge with the Indian Union. Patiala also served as the temporary capital of PEPSU before it shifted to Shimla, which would be the seat of East Punjab's government till 1960. An age-old branch of the State Bank of India, the State Bank of Patiala, functioned for 100 years between 1917 to 2017.

Below here is a recreated map of the PEPSU, that existed between 1948 to 1956.