Before the Republic of India was established on 26 January 1950, all Indian subjects of the princely states and Indian rulers were entitled to substantive knighthoods (the Order of the Star of India and the Order of the Indian Empire).
The following is a partial list of honorary British knighthoods as given to Indian rulers and members of the ruling families up to 1947 (the Order of the Star of India and the Order of the Indian Empire were considered substantive). Rulers of states that are presently part of what is now Pakistan are included in this article. The order moves from the most prestigious states (21-guns) to least prestigious (9-guns).
Note that this list does not include knighthoods awarded by the various Royal Houses in India, which are described in the articles of the individual princely states. This list also does not include orders of knighthood granted to Indian rulers by other foreign countries, such as France.
Rulers by Indian princely state 21-gun salute Hyderabad Mir Mahbub Ali Khan - GCB (1902) Asaf Jah VII - GBE (1917) Azam Jah - GBE (1943)
Mysore Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV - GBE (1917) Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar - GCB (1946)
Jammu and Kashmir Ram Singh of Jammu and Kashmir - KCB (1895) Partab Singh of Kashmir - GBE (1918) Hari Singh - GCVO (1946), KCVO (1922) Khan Bahhadur Akram Ali Khan. - GBE (1940)
Gwalior Jayajirao Scindia - GCB (1877) Madho Rao Scindia - GCVO (1902), GBE (1917)
19-gun salute
Bhopal Sultan Kaikhusrau Jahan Begum - GBE (1917)
Kolhapur Shahu IV - GCVO (1903)
17-gun salute
Kotah Umed Singhji II - GBE (1918)
Bahawalpur (now in Pakistan) Sadeq Mohammad Khan V - KCVO (1922)
Bikaner Ganga Singh - GCVO(1919), GBE (1921), KCB (1918)
Cutch Vijayaraji - GBE (1945)
Jodhpur Sumair Singh - KBE (1918) Umaid Singh - KCVO (1922)
Patiala Bhupinder Singh - GCVO (1922), GBE (1918) Yadavindra Singh - GBE (1942)
15-gun salute
Dholpur Udaybhanu Singh - KCVO (1922)
Dhar Udajirao II - KCVO (1922), KBE (1917)
Idar Pratap Singh of Idar - GCB (1918), KCB (1901), GCVO (1911)
Rampur Hamid Ali Khan Bahadur - GCVO (1911)
Swat (now part of Pakistan) Abdul Wadud - KBE (1930)
13-gun salute
Kapurthala Jagatjit Singh Bahadur - GBE (1927)
Nawanagar K.S. Ranjitsinhji - GBE (1919)
Ratlam Sajjan Singh of Ratlam - KCVO (1922)
Jaora Muhammad Ifthikar Ali Khan Bahadur - GBE (1937)
Palanpur Taley Muhammad Khan Bahadur - KCVO (1922)
Rajpipla Vijaysinhji Chhatrasinhji - GBE (1945)
Tripura Bir Bikram Kishore - GBE (1946)
11-gun salute
Assam
Hiralal Phukan -1917(A.D.)
Received the Order of British India First Class in the Delhi Durbar.
Narendra Nath Phukan -1941
For fighting courageous in the Second World War. And, also received the Indian Recruiting Badge.
Morvi Lakhdhiraji Waghji - GBE (1939)
Narsingarh Jodhpuriji Shri Huzur Rani Bapu Shiv Kanwarji Sahiba, Rani of Narsingarh - DBE (1924)
Religious heads
The Aga Khan
As a religious head, the Aga Khan is not a monarch per se, but until 1947 merited a 13-gun salute, and is entitled to a royal style
Aga Khan III-GCMG, GCVO Aga Khan IV-KBE (2003)
Political pensioners
Those ruling families had lost ruling rights by the 20th century.
Murshidabad (entitled to a 19-gun personal salute) Nawab Sayyid Wasif Ali Mirza Khan-KCVO (1912)
See also
Order of the Sun Order of the Star of Honour
References