India State Story | French & Portuguese Colonies | A2 size poster
- Visual story of the evolution of each state (or combination of states/ UTs for joint posters) pre and post Independence , along with key figures involved
- Map of district evolution for large states and UTs
- Interesting features on name changes and district splits
- Alluvial chart tracing the changes in districts from 1951 onwards
- Interesting, did you know.
Visual Story of Goa, Daman & Diu, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, and Puducherry’s Evolution
This poster narrates the journey of India’s former Portuguese and French territories, each with distinct colonial legacies and integration timelines. The Portuguese ruled Goa, Daman, Diu, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli for over four centuries, with resistance movements like the Quit Goa Movement and Operation Vijay (1961) eventually leading to their liberation and merger into India. Goa became a Union Territory first and later achieved statehood in 1987 following the historic 1967 Opinion Poll, which rejected its merger with Maharashtra. Dadra & Nagar Haveli, liberated in 1954, was merged with Daman & Diu in 2019 as a single Union Territory. Simultaneously, French colonies like Puducherry, Mahé, Yanam, and Karaikal followed a different path—culminating in a peaceful merger with India by 1954, ratified fully in 1962.
Spatial Dynamics and District Evolution
The poster showcases the administrative paths of these territories through maps and timelines, highlighting key moments like referendums in French colonies, the 1963 Union Territories Act, and the 2006 renaming of Pondicherry to Puducherry. It also explores the cultural imprints—Portuguese architecture in Daman, the Battle of Diu (1509), and the use of Portuguese and French languages in older generations. “Did You Know?” sections reveal rare facts—such as IAS officer KG Badlani’s one-day tenure as PM of Dadra & Nagar Haveli, and Puducherry hosting INC sessions when British India restricted them. These territories, though small, represent powerful stories of decolonization, identity assertion, and federal integration within India’s diverse map.
