States Reorganisation Act, 1956
Act of the Parliament of India, of reformation pertaining to the boundaries of states and territories
The States Reorganisation Act, 1956 was a major reform of the boundaries of India's states and territories, organising them along linguistic lines. Although additional changes to India's state boundaries have been made since 1956, it remains the most extensive change in state boundaries since the independence of India. The Act came into effect at the same time as the Constitution (Seventh Amendment) Act, 1956, which restructured the constitutional framework for India's existing states and the requirements to pass the States Reorganisation Act, 1956 under the provisions of Part I of the Constitution of India, Article 3.
The movement reached a turning point in 1952 when Potti Sreeramulu died following a 56 day hunger strike for a separate Telugu-speaking state. His martyrdom triggered widespread unrest, forcing the Indian government to create Andhra State in 1953, the first in India established on a linguistic basis. This set a precedent for other linguistic groups, leading to the appointment of the States Reorganisation Commission (SRC) in 1953, chaired by Fazal Ali, which ultimately provided the framework for the 1956 Act.
Background
Political integration after independence
British India, which included present-day India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar, was divided into two types of territories: the Provinces of British India, which were governed directly by British officials responsible to the Governor-General of India; and the Indian States, under the rule of local hereditary rulers who recognised British suzerainty in return for continued authority over their own realms, in most cases as established by treaty. As a result of the reforms of the early 20th century, most of the British provinces had directly elected legislatures as well as governors, although some of the smaller provinces were governed by a chief commissioner appointed by the Governor-General. Major reforms put forward by the British in the 1930s also recognised the principle of federalism, which was carried forward into the governance of independent India.
On 15 August 1947, British India was granted independence as the separate dominions of India and Pakistan.
The public source identifies “States Reorganisation Act, 1956” as act of the Parliament of India, of reformation pertaining to the boundaries of states and territories. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around States, Reorganisation and Parliament.
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Contemporary correspondence, administrative files and participant testimony can test how later narratives organized the event or institution. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 11, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q2305282. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1956, 1952, 1953 and 1947.
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