>>12900883British left 500+ kingdoms not the India you see nowadays. India was united by Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel.
He persuaded the princes of 565 states of the impossibility of independence from the Indian republic, especially in the presence of growing opposition from their subjects. He proposed favourable terms for the merger, including the creation ofprivy pursesfor the rulers' descendants. While encouraging the rulers to act out of patriotism, Patel did not rule out force. Stressing that the princes would need to accede to India in good faith, he set a deadline of 15 August 1947 for them to sign the instrument of accession document. All but three of the states willingly merged into the Indian union; onlyJammu and Kashmir,Junagadh, andHyderabaddid not fall into his basket.
Jammu and Kashmir, junagadh and Hyderabad states were later annexed by India .
