Hari Singh

Maharaja Hari Singh was the last monarch of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, reigning from 1925 to 1947. As ruler, he held sovereignty over the region when India was gaining independence from British rule. In 1947, faced with the partition of India, he was given the choice to join either India or Pakistan. Initially hesitant, he ultimately signed an Instrument of Accession to India amid unrest, leading to the state's integration into India. His decisions significantly shaped the political history of Jammu and Kashmir, a region whose status remains complex and sensitive.