13–17 September 1948 · Indian Military Campaign · Ceasefire on 17 September · Formal Surrender on 18 September
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Hyderabad was one of the largest princely states in British India by area and population. It covered approximately 214,190 square kilometres and had a population of about 16.34 million according to the 1941 census. After British paramountcy ended in 1947, the Nizam, Mir Osman Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VII, sought to preserve Hyderabad's separate position.
Political tensions intensified as the Razakars, an armed volunteer organization associated with the Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen and led by Qasim Razvi, opposed integration with India.
On 13 September 1948, Indian armed forces launched Operation Polo, also known as the Hyderabad Police Action. The principal military campaign lasted five days. On 17 September, the Nizam announced a ceasefire. The formal surrender of Hyderabad State Forces followed on 18 September 1948.
The Sunderlal Committee subsequently estimated that between 27,000 and 40,000 people died during and after the Police Action. This estimate concerns the wider violence and reprisals surrounding the intervention and must not be confused with military casualties during the campaign.
The Asaf Jahi dynasty was established in 1724 by Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jah. The last Nizam, Mir Osman Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VII, ruled during the transition of Hyderabad State in 1948. Hyderabad covered approximately 214,190 square kilometres and had a population of approximately 16.34 million in the 1941 census. Its population included Telugu-, Marathi-, Kannada- and Urdu-speaking communities, with Hindus forming the majority.
Qasim Razvi became the leading figure of the Razakars, an armed volunteer organization associated with the Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen. The organization opposed Hyderabad's integration with India and supported continuation of the existing political order.
India and Hyderabad signed the Standstill Agreement on 29 November 1947. It was intended to preserve existing administrative arrangements while negotiations continued.
During 1948, the Government of India raised concerns about Hyderabad's political and military policies, the activities of the Razakars and other disputed matters. Negotiations failed to resolve Hyderabad's constitutional position.
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel played a central role in the Government of India's approach to the integration of Hyderabad. The continued separate position of the State became a major issue in the political consolidation of the Indian Union.
13 September: Operation Polo began as Indian forces entered Hyderabad State. Fighting was reported in the western sector, including around Naldurg.
14–15 September: The advance continued across several sectors. Published accounts describe significant resistance around Osmanabad.
16 September: Indian columns continued their advance toward Hyderabad as resistance by Hyderabad State Forces and Razakar units weakened.
17 September: The Nizam announced a ceasefire and ordered Hyderabad State Forces to stop fighting. The principal armed resistance came to an end.
18 September: The formal surrender of Hyderabad State Forces took place. Major General S. A. El-Edroos surrendered to Major General J. N. Chaudhuri.
On 17 September 1948, the Nizam announced a ceasefire and ordered Hyderabad State Forces to stop fighting. On 18 September, Major General S. A. El-Edroos formally surrendered the State forces to Major General J. N. Chaudhuri.
The end of the military campaign did not immediately end violence. Communal killings, reprisals, looting and other abuses occurred in parts of Hyderabad State during and after the Police Action.
The Sunderlal Committee, appointed to investigate conditions in Hyderabad, estimated that between 27,000 and 40,000 people died during and after the Police Action.
This estimate must be interpreted carefully. It is not a count of battlefield deaths during the five-day military campaign. It concerns the wider period of communal violence and reprisals surrounding and following the intervention.
Following the military administration, Hyderabad moved toward civilian government. M. K. Vellodi headed the subsequent civilian administration. On 26 January 1950, Hyderabad became a Part B state, with the Nizam serving as Rajpramukh.
Hyderabad State continued as a separate administrative unit until the States Reorganisation Act of 1956. On 1 November 1956, its Telugu-speaking Telangana region was merged with Andhra State to form Andhra Pradesh. The Marathi-speaking and Kannada-speaking regions were transferred to neighbouring states.
The Sunderlal Committee estimated that between 27,000 and 40,000 people died during and after the Police Action. The precise total remains uncertain.
The estimate should not be treated as a count of deaths caused exclusively during the five days of Operation Polo. It concerns the broader period of communal violence and reprisals. The report remained unpublished for decades before becoming publicly available.
The relationship between the Nizam's government and the Razakars remains a complex historical question. Contemporary records and later studies discuss the organization's political influence, allegations of official support or tolerance, and the government's ability to control its activities.
Historical accounts differ in how they assess the Nizam's personal responsibility. It is important to distinguish documented Razakar activity from allegations about government support and interpretations of the Nizam's role.
NIOS reports 490 Hyderabad State Forces killed, 122 injured and approximately 1,647 captured. It also reports 1,373 Razakars killed and 1,911 captured.
Other published accounts provide different figures, especially for Razakar losses. The figures should be identified by source and not combined without explanation.
Operation Polo was a decisive turning point in Hyderabad's political history. It brought the State under Indian Union control and ended its attempt to maintain a separate sovereign position.
The operation was followed by administrative and political changes. Agrarian reforms and changes to older feudal institutions developed over subsequent years and should not all be attributed directly to the five-day campaign.
The history of Hyderabad's integration includes the end of British paramountcy, the Standstill Agreement, the rise of the Razakars, negotiations with India, military intervention, communal violence and reprisals, constitutional transition and the reorganisation of Hyderabad State in 1956.
Chronology and Milestones
Places Associated with Operation Polo
Naldurg – A fortified position in the western operational sector associated with the opening phase of the campaign.
Osmanabad – An important location in the western sector where fighting occurred.
Latur – A town in the western region of Hyderabad State associated with the wider political and social events of 1947–48.
Zahirabad – A location in the western approaches to Hyderabad.
Bidar – A strategically important location in the northwestern part of Hyderabad State during the campaign.
Hyderabad and Secunderabad – The principal political and administrative centres associated with the end of the campaign and the surrender process.
Summary: Operation Polo and Hyderabad's Integration
Operation Polo was the Indian military campaign against Hyderabad State beginning on 13 September 1948. The principal hostilities lasted through 17 September, when the Nizam announced a ceasefire. The formal surrender of Hyderabad State Forces followed on 18 September 1948.
The campaign brought Hyderabad State under Indian Union control. The constitutional transition continued into 1950, when the Nizam signed the Instrument of Accession on 25 January and Hyderabad became a Part B state on 26 January.
The human cost remains an essential part of this history. The Sunderlal Committee estimated that between 27,000 and 40,000 people died during and after the Police Action. This estimate concerns the wider violence and reprisals surrounding the intervention rather than battlefield deaths during the five-day campaign.
Hyderabad State remained a separate administrative unit until 1 November 1956, when linguistic reorganisation divided its territories among neighbouring states. The history of Operation Polo therefore extends beyond the military campaign to include the political crisis of 1947–48, Razakar activity, communal violence and reprisals, constitutional transition and the reorganisation of Hyderabad State.
- National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) – Operation Polo and Hyderabad Police Action
- India Today – Nehru's telegrams and the integration of Hyderabad
- BBC – Historical reporting on the violence in Hyderabad in 1948
- India Today – The Sunderlal Committee report and the aftermath of the Police Action
- V. P. Menon, The Story of the Integration of the Indian States.
- Lucien D. Benichou, From Autocracy to Integration: Political Developments in Hyderabad State, 1938–1948.
- A. G. Noorani, The Destruction of Hyderabad.
- Government of India, States Reorganisation Act, 1956.
- Wikipedia – Operation Polo, for additional leads to historical references.
Historical note: Casualty figures for Operation Polo vary among sources. The Sunderlal Committee's estimate concerns deaths during and after the Police Action, not exclusively battlefield casualties during the five-day campaign. Interpretations of the Nizam's responsibility for Razakar activity also differ across historical accounts.
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