Royal India

Royal India: A Descriptive and Historical Study of India?s Fifteen Principal States and Their Rulers is a non-fiction work by Maud Diver, first published in 1942. The book offers an illustrated survey of India’s major princely states under British rule, combining historical narrative with descriptive writing to present the origins, traditions, and political roles of fifteen leading states, alongside profiles of their ruling dynasties.

Diver outlines the development of the princely system and the relationships between Indian rulers and the British Crown, highlighting court life, ceremonial practices, governance, and regional culture. The work portrays the princely states as both political entities and centres of social and cultural identity. Written for a general readership, it reflects contemporary British perspectives on empire, monarchy, and loyalty within the Raj.

Royal India is characteristic of early twentieth-century imperial literature, blending history, travel, and political commentary. The book remains of interest today as a historical document, providing insight into how India’s princely states and their rulers were represented to British audiences during the final decades of colonial rule.