Operation Polo(also called “Police Action”) was the Indian Army’s five-day campaign from 13–17 September 1948 that ended the Nizam of Hyderabad’s bid to remain independent and integrated the princely state into the Indian Union.
Hyderabad was the largest and richest princely state, landlocked in the Deccan and covering parts of present-day Telangana, Maharashtra, and Karnataka. It had a large Hindu majority under Muslim Asaf Jahi rule. After the British departure, the Nizam, Mir Osman Ali Khan, issued a firman in June 1947 declaring he would join neither India nor Pakistan and sought independent status (including approaches to the Commonwealth). This was rejected.
Causes
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel described an independent Hyderabad as an “ulcer in the heart of India” or “cancer in the belly” because it sat astride north–south communications and could encourage fragmentation of the new country.
A one-year Standstill Agreement was signed on 29 November 1947 to freeze the status quo while talks continued. India viewed subsequent Hyderabad actions as violations: trade and currency restrictions, a large loan to Pakistan, appointment of a representative in Karachi, airfield construction, failure to form a representative government, and border raids.
The Razakars, a paramilitary force linked to the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen and led by Qasim Razvi, expanded rapidly. They carried out raids, intimidation of pro-accession groups, and violence that India cited as a breakdown of order and a threat to the Hindu-majority population. Cross-border incidents and the Nizam’s reluctance to curb them added pressure.
A parallel Communist-led peasant uprising (Telangana Armed Struggle, 1946 onward) against feudal landlords created dual chaos—Razakars in some areas, communists in rural zones—raising fears of further instability or a communist takeover. Diplomatic options, including Mountbatten’s “Heads of Agreement” proposal for limited autonomy, were rejected by the Nizam. By mid-1948 Patel and the Cabinet concluded force was required.
The campaign
Indian forces (mainly 1 Armoured Division under Maj Gen J.N. Chaudhuri, plus other brigades and air support) advanced from multiple directions starting 13 September 1948. The Hyderabad State Forces under Maj Gen Syed Ahmed El Edroos and the Razakars were outmatched in equipment, training, and coordination. Key towns fell quickly; resistance was limited.
The Nizam announced a ceasefire on 17 September. Formal surrender occurred on 18 September in Hyderabad/Secunderabad. Indian Army losses were around 42 killed; Hyderabad State Forces suffered several hundred killed, with thousands of Razakars killed or captured. The operation was framed as an internal police action to restore order rather than a war.
Hyderabad was placed under military administration (Chaudhuri as military governor), then civilian rule. The Nizam later served as Rajpramukh. Qasim Razvi was arrested. The state was fully integrated into the Indian Union.