From international to imperial: The Indian princely states, international law, and the ends of empire in South Asia

The term protectorates went out of fashion at the turn of the twentieth century and the term Native States or Indian States acquired more acceptability.This is best evidenced by the fact that William Lee-Warner's 1894 book Protected Princes of India was published with the new title of The Native States of India in 1910 (more later).But theoretically, the Indian state retained the character of a protectorate, or more accurately a vassal state in relationship with a suzerain.