Instrument of Accession of Jammu and Kashmir State

On the occasion of completion of  51 years since the Instrument of Accession was signed by Maharaja Hari Singh, then ruler of the state of Jammu & Kashmir, and on popular demand by the viewers of our website we are putting up the salient aspects of the document, as it was accepted by the then Governor-General of India, Lord Mountbatten on 26 October 1947. The following is the text of the actual Instrument of Accession :-

Whereas, the Indian Independence Act, 1947,  provided that as from the fifteenth day of August 1947, there shall be set up an independent dominion known as INDIA, and that the  Government of India Act, 1935, shall, with such omissions, additions, adaptations and modifications as the Governor-General may by order specify, be applicable to the dominion of India.

And whereas the Government of India Act,  1935, as so adapted by the Governor-General provides that an Indian State may accede to the Dominion of India by an Instrument of Accession executed by the Ruler thereof.

Now, therefore, I  Shriman  Indar Mahandar Rajrajeshwar Maharajadhiraj Shri Hari Singhji, Jammu Kashmir Naresh Tatha Tibbet adi Deshadhipathi, Ruler of Jammu and Kashmir State, in the exercise of my sovereignty in and over my said State do hereby execute this my Instrument of Accession and I hereby declare that I accede to the Dominion of India with the intent that the Governor-General of India, the Dominion Legislature, the Federal Court and any other Dominion authority established for the purposes of the Dominion shall, by virtue of this my Instrument of Accession but subject always to the terms thereof, and for the purposes only of the Dominion, exercise in relation to the State of J&K (hereinafter referred to as `this State') such functions as may be vested in them by or under the Government of India Act,  1935, as in force in the Dominion of India, on the 15th day of August 1947 (which Act as so in force in hereafter referred to as "the Act").

I hereby assume the obligation of ensuring that due effect is given to the provisions of the Act within this State so far as they are applicable therein by virtue of this my Instrument of Accession.

I accept the matters specified in the Schedule hereto as the matters with respect to which  the Dominion Legislature may make laws for this State.

I hereby declare that I accede to the Dominion of India on the assurance that if an agreement is made between the Governor-General and the Ruler of this State whereby any functions in relation to the administration in this State of any law of the Dominion Legislature shall be exercised by the Ruler of this State, then any such agreement shall be deemed to form part of this Instrument and shall be construed and have effect accordingly.

The terms of this my Instrument of Accession shall not be varied by any amendment of the Act or of the Indian Independence Act, 1947, unless such amendment of the Act or of the Indian Independence Act 1947, unless such amendment is accepted by me by an Instrument supplementary to this Instrument.

Nothing in this Instrument shall empower the Dominion Legislature to make any law for this State authorizing the compulsory acquisition of land for any purpose, but I hereby undertake that should the Dominion for the purposes of a Dominion law which applies in this State deem it necessary  to acquire any land, I will at their request acquire the land at their expense or if the land belongs to me transfer it to them on such terms as may be agreed, or, in default of agreement, determined by an arbitrator to be appointed by the Chief Justice of India.

Nothing in this Instrument shall be deemed to commit me in any way to acceptance of any future constitution of India or to fetter my discretion to enter into arrangements with the Government of India under any such future constitution.

Nothing in this Instrument affects the continuance of my sovereignty in and over this state, or, save as provided by or under this Instrument, the exercise of any powers, authority and rights now enjoyed by me as Ruler of this State or the validity of any law at present in force in this State.

I hereby declare that I execute this Instrument on behalf of this State and that any reference in this Instrument to me or to the Ruler of the State is to be construed as including a reference to my heirs and successors.

Given under my hand this 26th day of October, Nineteen Hundred and Forty Seven.

Acceptance  of Instrument of Accession of Jammu and Kashmir State by the Governor General of India

I do hereby accept this Instrument of Accession.

Dated this Twenty-Seventh day of October Nineteen Hundred and Forty-Seven.

(Sd).Lord  Mountbatten
Governor General of India

Schedule

The matters with respect to which the Dominion Legislature may make laws for this State.

Defence

The naval, military and air forces of the dominion and any other armed forces raised or maintained by the Dominion; any armed forces, incl forces raised or maintained by an acceding State, which are attached to, or operating with, any of the armed forces of the Dominion.

• Naval, military and air force works, administration of cantonment areas.
• Arms, fire-arms, ammunition.
• Explosives.

External Affairs

• External affairs; the implementing of treaties and agreements with other countries; extradition, including the surrender of criminals and accused persons to parts of His Majesty's Dominions outside India.
• Admission into, and emigration and expulsion from, India including in relation thereto the regulation of the movements in India of persons who are not British subjects domiciled in India or subjects of any acceding State, pilgrimages to places beyond India.
• Naturalization.

Communications

• Posts and Telegraphs, including telephones, wireless, broadcasting, and other like forms of communications.
• Federal Railways; the regulation of all railways other than minor railways in respect of safety, maximum and minimum rates and fare, stn and service terminal charges, interchange of traffic and the responsibility of railway Adm. as carriers of goods and passengers.
• Maritime shipping and navigation, incl shipping and navigation   in tidal waters; Admiralty jurisdiction.
• Port quarantine.
• Maj ports, that is to say, the declaration and delimitation of such ports, and the constitution and powers of Port Authorities therein.
• Ac and air navigation; the provision of aerodromes; regulation and organization of air traffic and of aerodromes.
• Lighthouses, incl lightships, beacons and other provisions for the safety of shipping and ac.
• Carriage of passengers and goods by sea or by air.
• Extension of the powers and jurisdiction of members of the police force belonging to any unit to railway area outside that unit.

Ancillary

• Elections to the Dominion Legislature, subject to the provisions of the Act and of any order made thereunder.
• Offences against laws with respect to any of the aforesaid matters.
• Inquiries and statistics for the purpose of any of the aforesaid matters.
• Jurisdiction and powers of all courts with respect to any of the aforesaid matters but, except with the consent of the Ruler of the Acceding State, not so as to confer any jurisdiction of powers upon any courts other than ordinarily exercising jurisdiction in or in relation to that State.