Who Were the Razakars? How the Nizam’s Paramilitary Force Resisted Hyderabad’s Integration With India Before Operation Polo

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WHEN INDIA got its independence from British colonial rule on August 15, 1947, one of the biggest issues that the country faced was the integration of princely states. In pre-independent India, princely states covered 40 to 48% of the total land area. After the British Rule ended, these states were given the choice to either join India, join Pakistan, or remain independent. Some states agreed to become a part of India, while several others resisted, which became a major challenge for the nation’s leaders including the Iron Man of India Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

One such princely state was Hyderabad, which was ruled by the Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan. The large and wealthy south Indian state wanted to remain completely independent, and for that, they tried to import arms illegally through Europe and Pakistan, along with hiring an Australian aviator named Sidney Cotton to fly the contraband weapons into the state.

This is also where the Razakars come into the picture. The Hyderabad Nizam also included the Razakars, a private paramilitary militia associated with the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM), which was a political party of the princely state of Hyderabad. So, let’s see who these Razakars were and how Hyderabad became part of India.

Who Were the Razakars in Hyderabad?

The word Razakar literally means ‘volunteer’ or ‘helper’ in Urdu and Persian. They were a radical Islamic paramilitary wing under the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM), an Islamic political party in the princely state of Hyderabad in British India. The group was formed by an MIM leader, Bahadur Yar Jung, in 1938 as a volunteer organization.

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Later, the leadership changed after Bahadur Yar Jung died, and Qasim Razvi became the head. Under him, the group became fierce, and this was the time when Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel decided to make Hyderabad a part of India. The primary objective of the group was to see that the Muslim Nizam of Hyderabad ruled the state and prevent its integration withIndia. During this time of accession, they committed widespread atrocities against the Hindu community living in the state, progressive Muslims, and communists.

In Bangladesh, formerly East Pakistan, there was another group of Razakars that was a locally recruited paramilitary force created by the Pakistani army. Their goal in Bangladesh was to suppress the Bengali nationalist movement and maintain a united Pakistan. Later, after Bangladesh won the independence struggle in 1971, the group was disbanded and the term became a derogatory word there.

The Struggle to Integrate Hyderabad Princely State With India

After India got independence, the 565 princely states were given the choice of joining India, joining Pakistan or remaining independent under the Indian Independence Act, 1947. While most rulers signed the legal document agreeing to be part of the Indian Union, others became a problem, and Hyderabad was one of them. The princely state decided to remain independent. While the state had 85% Hindu population, the people in administrative authority were Muslims.

Hyderabad Princely State was the wealthiest and largest princely state of British India, making its integration a vital point for territorial integrity. Patel also said that Hyderabad’s independence would leave a major problem for national security and the political survival of the newly independent India. 

Another reason was the political and economic significance of the state for India. The place had economic resources because the Nizam of Hyderabad was one of the world's richest men and had connections with the Ottoman dynasty. The state had its own independent army, railway network, postal system, currency, air force, telegraph, etc. Because of all these reasons, Hyderabad became even more important, and hence, the Iron Man of India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, started his work to integrate the southern state into India.

In August 1947, there was an uprising because Hyderabad had a very big Hindu population. The public demanded that Hyderabad become part of India, but the Nizam rejected it. A campaign was also launched as the Join Indian Union Movement. After Independence, on November 29, 1947, the Nizam signed a temporary Standstill Agreement with the Government of India. Under the agreement, the Nizam was supposed to maintain the status quo and continue the existing administrative arrangements for one year while negotiations continued.

India was supposed to manage external affairs, defence and other matters, while the internal domestic administration of the state would be handled by the Nizam for one year. While this provision did not solve the question of Hyderabad's annexation, it helped with better negotiations between India and Hyderabad and paused immediate political integration. But despite the agreement, the Hyderabad Nizam started acquiring arms and got external support, including appealing to the United Nations.

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Operation Polo: Hyderabad’s Integration Into India

When India became aware that the Nizam was seeking foreign political and military help, it viewed the actions as a direct violation of the agreement under which Hyderabad had surrendered defense, communication, and foreign affairs to India. After that Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, officially withdrew any previous flexible terms and, along with the Secretary of Ministry of States, V.P. Menon firmly announced that the only option Hyderabad had was accession to India.

After that, India started to work on imposing an economic blockade to stop foreign funding and international arms deals by the Hyderabad Nizam. Later, when the internal security of the state collapsed because of the Razakars' atrocities, India finally decided that its patience had run out. On September 13, 1948, an operation was launched with the code name Operation Polo.

The military operation continued between September 13 and September 17, 1948, and the campaign was described as “Police Action” because India considered Hyderabad an internal constitutional matter. Nearly 36,000 Indian troops were deployed, with the operation involving military offensives, strategic captures, aerial operations, and rapid territorial advances.

On September 13, 1948, the Indian forces entered Hyderabad State and captured Naldurg Fort on the Solapur-Secunderabad Highway. Over the next few days, the Indian military advanced through many regions of Hyderabad, including Rajeshwar, Latur, Mominabad, Bidar, and other areas. The army faced resistance from the Razakars, with some Hyderabad forces also fighting against India.

While the operation was underway in Hyderabad, the Indian government declared a state of emergency, fearing communal disturbances elsewhere in India. By September 17, 1948, Hyderabad forces had been defeated by the Indian Army on multiple fronts, leading to the Nizam’s ceasefire announcement and bringing the armed action to an end. 

(Edited by Harsh Pandey)

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