How do you access Princely States 1939 data?

Princely States 1939 is labeled “Open download” on this guide. Open the access portal or documentation links on the record for the current host process—do not assume open download if registration or a DUA is required.

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Princely states

Database of Princely States in British India 1939

Name: Database of Princely States in British India 1939
Creator: India State Stories / FLAME University

The 1939 princely-states inventory is used to study indirect rule, salute states, and pre-integration political geography.

Open downloadCore referenceMedium

Shivakumar Jolad; Gaurav Kalyani · 2026 · Harvard Dataverse

governance history

Host / institution

Harvard Dataverse · India State Stories / FLAME University

Geography

India, princely state / estate

Time coverage

1939 (metrics from 1931 census where sourced)

Update frequency

v1 deposit (2026)

What this is best for

Indirect-rule geography and princely-state inventories on the eve of independence

Main limitations

Snapshot from Memoranda on Indian States 1939; not a time series

Quick answers

Short research-facing answers derived from this catalog record.

What is Princely States 1939 used for?: Indirect-rule geography and princely-state inventories on the eve of independence
How do you access Princely States 1939 data?: Princely States 1939 is labeled “Open download” on this guide. Open the access portal or documentation links on the record for the current host process—do not assume open download if registration or a DUA is required.
What geography and time does Princely States 1939 cover?: Geography: India, princely state / estate. Time coverage: 1939 (metrics from 1931 census where sourced).
What are the main limitations of Princely States 1939?: Snapshot from Memoranda on Indian States 1939; not a time series

Guides for using this data

Official portals, user guides, codebooks, and tutorials for access and analysis.

1 link

PortalHarvard Dataversedoi.org/10.7910/DVN/2ES4C1

Variables5

Representative fields from Harvard Dataverse materials (confirm full dictionary on the official portal). Representative fields for the page table — verify the full dictionary on the official site.

Open official dictionary

Name / code	Description	Group
state / estate name	State / estate name	Representative fields
agency	Agency	Representative fields
area and population	Area and population	Representative fields
jurisdiction type	Jurisdiction type	Representative fields
salute status	Salute status	Representative fields

Formats

tabular

Technical tags

historicalopen downloadreference

Example uses

State capacity and integration histories; spatial joins to modern units

Academic identifiers

Data DOI: 10.7910/DVN/2ES4C1

Open access portal Data DOI

Pairs well with

Many Indian data problems need survey + administrative combinations.