Bahawalpur was a princely state, stretching along the southern bank of the Sutlej and Indus Rivers, with its capital city at Bahawalpur. The state was counted amongst the Rajputana states. After one century of British rule, the state opted to become a part of Pakistan in 1947 at freedom. In 1941, the state had a population of 1,341,209 living in an area of 45,911 sq km (17,494 sq mi).

The state was founded in 1802 by Nawab Mohammad Bahawal Khan II after the break up of the Durrani Empire. Nawab Mohammad Bahawal Khan III signed the state's first treaty with the British on 22 February 1833, guaranteeing the semi autonomous rule of the Nawab under British Raj. The state acceded to Pakistan on 7 October 1947. It was merged into the province of West Pakistan on 14 October 1955.