Privileges of Former Rulers of Indian States (Omitted)
Official heading: “[Rights and privileges of Rulers of Indian States.]”
At constitutional commencement in 1950, Article 362 directed Parliament and State Legislatures to have due regard to the personal rights, privileges, and dignities guaranteed to former princely rulers under accession covenants. As part of democratic egalitarian reforms, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s government enacted the Twenty-sixth Amendment in 1971, which formally abolished privy purses (Article 363A) and omitted Article 362.
- Source edition
- The Constitution of India (as on 1 May 2026)
- Source locator
- Part XIX, Article 362, printed page 221
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1. In One Sentence
Article 362 formerly directed legislatures to respect personal privileges of former princely rulers, and was omitted in 1971.
2. What It Means in Everyday Language
In 1950, Article 362 preserved the customary personal privileges, titles, gun salutes, and tax exemptions of former rulers of Indian princely states.
As India’s democratic consciousness matured, these inherited monarchical privileges were recognized as incompatible with republican equality and Article 14.
The Constitution (Twenty-sixth Amendment) Act, 1971 omitted Article 362 in its entirety, extinguishing all special legal statuses for former rulers and establishing uniform civic equality.
3. Practical Illustrative Example
A descendant of a former princely ruler claims exemption from local property taxes citing historical accession covenants.
4. Important Limits, Qualifications & Exceptions
Article 362 reflects the transition from princely privileges to constitutional egalitarianism.
- Historical origin: Preserved personal privileges agreed during the 1947–1949 integration of princely states.
- Twenty-sixth Amendment abolition: Omitted on 28 December 1971 alongside the abolition of privy purses.
- Affirmation of equality: Reinforced that all Indian citizens, regardless of aristocratic lineage, stand equal before the law.
5. Historical constitutional wording — not operative
6. Sources & Historical Assembly Deliberations
Assembly quotations are withheld until wording, dates, and attribution have been checked against the primary record.
- •Government of India (Legislative Department, Ministry of Law and Justice) • Part XIX, Article 362, printed page 221 • Human source-link check pending
Primary PDF accessed and transcribed with AI assistance on 14 October 2026. Formatting and amendment annotation markers are omitted; operative wording is retained. This is not human legal review. Later amendments and commencement notifications have not been comprehensively checked.