Q1. Given below are two statements: Statement (I): The British announced just before India gained independence that the British Crown's supreme authority over the princely states would not lapse upon the end of British authority. Statement (II): The British government took the view that all these states were free to join either India or Pakistan or remain independent if they so wished. In light of the above statements, choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below.
Explanation
The correct pairing is that Statement I is incorrect while Statement II is correct. In 1947, British paramountcy over the princely states was to lapse with the end of British rule; it was not to continue as an obligation of the Crown. At the same time, the British position created the claim that princely states could choose accession to India or Pakistan, and some rulers also interpreted the lapse of paramountcy as allowing independence. Therefore the answer saying both statements are correct misreads the first statement, while the answers rejecting the second statement do not match the transfer-of-power context.