AUTONOMOUS STATES

AUTONOMOUS STATES

The states that emerged at the decline of the Mughal authority may be classified into the following three broad categories.
(i) Successor States These were the states that broke away from the Mughal empire. Avadh, Bengal and Hyderabad belong to this category. These provinces were directly under the control of the Mughal administration. Though they did not challenge the sovereignty of the Mughal empire, the establishment of virtually independent and hereditary authority by their governors showed the emergence of autonomous polity in these territories.
(ii) Independent Kingdoms Mysore, the Rajput states and Kerala fall in this category. These states came into existence primarily due to destabilisation of the Mughal control over the provinces.
(iii) The New States These were the states which were set up by the rebels against the Mughals. The Marathas, the Sikh and the Jat states belong to this category.