Which of the following Princely States were reluctant to sign the Instru ment of Accession with India?

The correct option is Hyderabad, Junagadh, Kashmir.

At the time of India's independence in 1947, there were over 560 princely states under British suzerainty. The Indian Independence Act of 1947 gave these states the choice to accede to either the Dominion of India or the Dominion of Pakistan, or to remain independent. The legal document used to execute this accession was called the Instrument of Accession.

While the vast majority of these states signed the Instrument of Accession with India before August 15, 1947, three major princely states were highly reluctant and presented significant integration challenges:
1. Hyderabad: The Nizam of Hyderabad, Mir Osman Ali Khan, ruled a state with a majority Hindu population but wished to remain independent or align with Pakistan. Due to internal unrest and the rise of the radical Razakars, India initiated a military action known as Operation Polo in September 1948, leading to Hyderabad's integration into the Indian Union.
2. Junagadh: Situated in southwestern Gujarat, the Nawab of Junagadh, Muhammad Mahabat Khanji III, chose to accede to Pakistan despite the state being surrounded by Indian territory and having a Hindu majority. After a popular uprising and the Nawab's flight to Pakistan, Indian troops entered Junagadh, and a plebiscite was conducted in February 1948, resulting in an overwhelming vote to join India.
3. Kashmir (Jammu and Kashmir): Maharaja Hari Singh, the Hindu ruler of a Muslim-majority state, initially hoped to keep Kashmir independent of both India and Pakistan. However, after armed tribesmen supported by the Pakistani military invaded the territory in October 1947, the Maharaja turned to India for military support and signed the Instrument of Accession on October 26, 1947.

Therefore, the princely states that were reluctant to sign the Instrument of Accession with India were Hyderabad, Junagadh, and Kashmir.