The Princely States of Pakistan
When Pakistan got its independence in 1947, there were a number of princely states on the land that would become Pakistan. These princely states were ruled by local monarchs or nawabs, who were technically under the control of the British Raj but had a certain amount of freedom in running their own affairs.
At the time Pakistan got its independence from the British Empire, it was made up of the following princely states:
Bahawalpur: It was a princely state that was in what is now the province of Punjab. It was run by the Abbasi family.
Khairpur: It was a princely state in what is now the province of Sindh. It was run by the Talpur family.
Chitral: This princely state was located in present-day Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and was ruled by the Katur family.
Hunza: This princely state was in what is now Gilgit-Baltistan, and the Mirs of Hunza were in charge of it.
Nagar: This princely state was in what is now Gilgit-Baltistan, and the Mirs of Nagar were in charge of it.
Swat: A princely state in what is now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The Wali of Swat was in charge of the state.
Dir: A princely state in what is now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The Nawabs of Dir were in charge of it.
Amb: The Nawabs of Amb ruled this princely state, which was in what is now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Phulra: This princely state was in what is now the province of Balochistan and was ruled by the Jamot tribe.
Las Bela: A princely state in what is now Balochistan province. The Wali of Las Bela was in charge of the state.
The integration of the princely states into Pakistan was a complex process that involved negotiations and diplomacy between the local rulers and the new government of Pakistan. While some states initially expressed a desire to remain independent, most eventually agreed to accede to Pakistan.