4/3/24, 9:45 AM United Provinces (1937–1950) - Wikipedia

United Provinces (1937–1950)

The United Provinces (UP) was a province of British India and, subsequently, independent India.

United Provinces
Province of
British India (1937–1947)
Dominion of India (1947–1950)

1937–1950

Flag

Map of the United Provinces

Capital Lucknow

History
• Established 1937
• Disestablished 1950

Preceded by Succeeded by
United Provinces of Agra and Oudh Uttar Pradesh
Rampur State
Benares State
Garhwal Kingdom

Today part of Uttar Pradesh

Uttarakhand

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History

It came into existence on 1 April 1937 as a result of the shortening of the name of the "United
Provinces of British India". It corresponded approximately to the combined regions of the
present-day Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.[1]

Provincial autonomy

The Government of India Act 1935 enlarged the elected provincial legislature and expanded
provincial autonomy vis-a-vis the central government.

In the elections held in 1937, the Indian National Congress won the majority seats, but declined
to form a government. Therefore, on 1 April 1937, and the Nawab of Chhatari, the leader of the
National Agriculturist Parties, was invited to form a minority provisional government.[2]

Minister Portfolio

Nawab of Chhatari Home Affairs

Sir Muhammad Yusuf Local Self-Government and Health

Jwala Prasad Srivastava Finance

Raja Syed Ahmad Alvi of Salempur Education

Raja Maheshwar Dayal Seth Home and Agricultural

Maharajkumar of Vizianagram Justice

Raja Durga Narayan Singh of Tirwa Industries and Communications

The Congress reversed its decision and resolved to accept office in July 1937. Therefore, the
Governor Sir Harry Graham Haig invited Govind Ballabh Pant to form the government.[3][4]

Minister Portfolio

Govind Ballabh Pant Premier, Home and Finance

Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Revenue and Jails

Kailash Nath Katju Justice, Development, Agriculture and Veterinary

Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit Local Self-government and Health

Muhammad Ibrahim Communication and Irrigation

P. L. Sharma

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In 1939, all of the Congress ministries in British Indian provinces resigned and the United
Provinces were placed under the Governor's rule. In 1945, the British Labour government ordered
new elections to the Provincial legislatures. The Congress won a majority in the 1946 elections in
the United Provinces and Pant was again the Premier, continuing even after India's independence
in 1947.

Post-independence

Following independence in 1947, the princely states of Rampur, Banares and Tehri-Garwal were
merged into the United Provinces. On 25 January 1950, this unit was renamed as Uttar Pradesh.
In 2000, the separate state of Uttaranchal, now known as Uttarakhand, was carved out of Uttar
Pradesh.

See also

Presidencies and provinces of British India

References

1. "Provinces of British India" (https://www.worldstatesmen.org/India_BrProvinces.htm) .

www.worldstatesmen.org.

2. "PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENTS (MINISTERS). (Hansard, 19 April 1937)" (https://api.parliament.uk/histori

c-hansard/commons/1937/apr/19/provincial-governments-ministers) . Parliamentary Debates
(Hansard). 19 April 1937.

3. AFTERMATH OF THE ELECTIONS (https://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/17221/9/09_chapt

er%202.pdf) (PDF). Shodganga.

4. Indian Information Series, Volumes 4-5 (https://books.google.com/books?id=CeQVAQAAMAAJ) .

1939.

External links

The interesting story on how United Province became Uttar Pradesh (https://wap.business-stan
dard.com/article-amp/current-affairs/up-diwas-the-interesting-story-on-how-united-province-
became-uttar-pradesh-118012400555_1.html) at Business Standard

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed.
(1911). "United Provinces of Agra and Oudh". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge
University Press.

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