| Nizam-ul-Mulk ofHyderabad Deccan | |
|---|---|
 Coat of Arms of theHyderabad | |
 | |
| Details | |
| Style | His Exalted Highness |
| First monarch | Chin Qilich Khan |
| Last monarch | Mir Osman Ali Khan |
| Formation | 31 July 1724 |
| Abolition | 17 September 1948 |
| Residence | Chowmahalla Palace |
| Appointer | Hereditary |
| Pretender | Azmet Jah |
Nizam of Hyderabad was the title of the ruler ofHyderabad State (now[update] part of the Indian state ofTelangana, theMarathwada Region of Maharashtra, and theKalyana-Karnataka region ofKarnataka).Nizam is a shortened form ofNiẓām ul-Mulk (Persian:نظام الملک;lit. 'Administrator of the Realm'), and was the title bestowed uponAsaf Jah I when he was appointedViceroy of the Deccan by the Mughal emperorFarrukhsiyar. In addition to being the Mughal viceroy (Naib) of the Deccan, Asaf Jah I was also the premiercourtier of the Mughal Empire until 1724, when he established an independentrealm based inHyderabad, but in practice, continued to recognise the nominal authority of emperor.
TheAsaf Jahi dynasty was founded byChin Qilich Khan (Asaf Jah I), who served as aNaib of theDeccan sultanates under theMughal Empire from 1713 to 1721. He intermittently ruled the region after EmperorAurangzeb's death in 1707. In 1724 Mughal control weakened, and Asaf Jah became virtually independent.[1][2][3] The titular Nizamsfought with the Marathas since the 1720s, which resulted in the Nizam paying a regular tax (Chauth) to the Marathas.[4] The Nizam later accepted Britishsuzerainty afterdefeat at Kharda and supported the Britishin its war against the Marathas.
When theEnglish East India Company achievedparamountcy over theIndian subcontinent, they allowed the Nizams to continue to rule their princely states as client kings. The Nizams retained internal power overHyderabad State until 17 September 1948, when Hyderabad was integrated into the new Indian Union.[5]
The Asaf Jahi dynasty had only seven recognized rulers, but there was a period of 13 unstable years after the rule of the first Nizam when two of his sons,Nasir Jung andSalabath Jung, and his grandson, Muzafur Jung, ruled. They were never officially recognised[by whom?] as rulers. The seventh and last Nizam,Mir Osman Ali Khan, fell from power when India annexed Hyderabad State in 1948 inOperation Polo.[6] Today, the title is held by his great grandson,pretenderAzmet Jah.[7]
The titleNizam comes from thePersian نظام /nɪˈzɑːm/, which itself is derived fromArabicniẓām which means "order" or "arrangement", and was typically given to high ranking state officials.[8]
According toSir Roper Lethbridge inThe Golden Book of India (1893), the Nizams are lineally descended from theFirst CaliphAbu Bakr, the successor of the Islamic prophetMuhammed.[9] The family of Nizams inIndia is descended fromAbid Khan, aPersian fromSamarkand, whose lineage is traced to SufiShihab-ud-Din Suhrawardi (1154–91) ofSuhraward in Iran. In the early 1650s, on his way tohajj, Abid Khan stopped in Deccan, where the young princeAurangzeb, then Governor of Deccan, cultivated him. Abid Khan returned to the service of Aurangzeb to fight in the succession wars of 1657–58. After Aurangzeb's enthronement, Abid Khan was richly rewarded and became Aurangzeb's favourite nobleman. His sonGhazi Uddin Khan was married to Safiya Khanum, the daughter of the former imperialGrand Vizier (prime minister)Sa'dullah Khan.Mir Qamaruddin Khan, the founder of the line of Nizams, was born of the couple, thus descending from two prominent families of the Mughal court.[10]
Ghazi Uddin Khan rose to become a General of theEmperor Aurangzeb and played a vital role in conqueringBijapur andGolconda Sultanates of Southern India in 1686.[11] He also played a key role in thwarting the rebellion byPrince Akbar and alleged rebellion byPrince Mu`azzam.[12]
After Aurangzeb's death and during the war of succession, Qamaruddin and his father remained neutral thus escaping the risk of being on the losing side; they remained marginal players in the Mughal court during the reigns ofBahadur Shah I (1707–12) andJahandar Shah (1712–13). Their successorFarrukhsiyar (1713–19) appointed Qamaruddin the governor of Deccan in 1713, awarding him the titleNizam-ul-Mulk. However, the governorship was taken away two years later and Qamaruddin withdrew to his estate inMoradabad. Under the next emperor,Muhammad Shah (1719–48), Qamaruddin accepted the governorship of Deccan for the second time in 1721. The next year, following the death of his uncleMuhammad Amin Khan, a power-broker in the Mughal Court, Qamaruddin returned to Delhi and was made thewazir (prime minister). According to historian Faruqui, his tenure as prime minister was undermined by his opponents and a rebellion in Deccan was engineered against him. In 1724, the Nizam returned to Deccan to reclaim his base, in the process making a transition to a semi-independent ruler.[13]
In 1724, Asaf Jah I defeatedMubariz Khan to establish autonomy over theDeccan Suba, named the regionHyderabad Deccan, and started what came to be known as theAsaf Jahi dynasty. Subsequent rulers retained the titleNizam ul-Mulk and were referred to as Asaf Jahi Nizams, or Nizams of Hyderabad.[14][15] Nizam I never formally declared independence from the Mughals; he still flew the Mughal flag, and was never crowned. In Friday prayers, the sermon would be conducted in the name of Aurangzeb, and this tradition continued until the end of Hyderabad State in 1948. The death ofAsaf Jah I in 1748 resulted in a period of political unrest as his sons, backed by opportunistic neighbouring states and colonial foreign forces, contended for the throne. The accession ofAsif Jah II, who reigned from 1762 to 1803, ended the instability. In 1768, he signed the treaty ofMachilipatnam, surrendering the coastal region to theEast India Company in return for a fixed annual rent.[16]
Following the decline of the Mughal power, the region of Deccan saw the rise of theMaratha Empire. The titular Nizams themselves fought during theMughal-Maratha Wars since the 1720s, which resulted in the Nizam paying a regular tax (Chauth) to the Marathas. The major battles fought between the Marathas and the Nizam includePalkhed,Bhopal, Rakshasbhuvan, andKharda, in all of which the Nizam lost.[17][18] Following the conquest of Deccan byBajirao I and the imposition ofChauth by him, the Nizam essentially remained a tributary of the Marathas.[19]
In 1805, after the East India Company's victory in theSecond Anglo-Maratha War, the Nizam of Hyderabad came under their protection.[citation needed]. In 1858, the state of Hyderabad became part of theBritish Indian Empire as aprincely state with full autonomy albeit under colonial rule and was subject to the British Crown.
From 1876 to 1948, the Nizam recognisedthe Crown as paramount ruler of India as themonarch of the United Kingdom simultaneously held the title ofemperor of India (first held byQueen Victoria as empress and the last beingGeorge VI as emperor)
In 1903, theBerar region of the state was separated and merged into the Central Provinces ofBritish India, to form theCentral Provinces and Berar.
During theSecond World War, 80,000 men who were raised by the Nizam to form a personal army under theIndian State Forces, known as the19th Hyderabad Regiment served in Malaya, North Africa, Persia, Singapore and Burma
The last Nizam of Hyderabad state,Mir Osman Ali Khan crowned in 1911, had been the richest man in the world in his time.[20] The Nizams developed the railway, introduced electricity, and developed roads, airways, irrigation and reservoirs; in fact, all major public buildings in Hyderabad City were built during his reign during the period ofBritish rule in India. He pushed education, science, and the establishment ofOsmania University forward.
In 1947, at the time of thepartition of India, theBritish government offered the 565princely states in the sub-continent the options of acceding to either India or Pakistan or remaining independent.
After theIndependence of India in 1947, the Nizam of Hyderabad chose to join neither theDominion of India nor theDominion of Pakistan. He later declared Hyderabad an independent state as the third Dominion, attempting to become an independent monarchy in theBritish Commonwealth, sharing King George VI as head of state (since at that time members were required to share the king as head of state). Not only the Government of India, butGeorge VI who was head of the organization, the lastemperor of India before independence and most crucially, the incumbentmonarch of India rejected the notion. After attempts by India to persuade the Nizam to accede to India failed, and due to large-scale atrocities committed byRazakars (who wanted the Nizam to accede Hyderabad to Pakistan) on the Hindu populace,[21] the Indian government finally launched a military operation namedOperation Polo. TheIndian Army invaded Hyderabad on 13 September 1948 and defeated his untrained forces. The Nizam capitulated on 17 September 1948; that same afternoon he broadcast the news over the State radio network. The Nizam was forced to accept accession to the new Union of India. His abdication on 17 September 1948 ended the dynasty's ambitions. Nevertheless, he became theRajpramukh postindependence based on public vote.[22] He died on Friday, 24 February 1967.
All Nizams are buried in royal graves at theMakkah Masjid nearCharminar in Hyderabad excepting thelast, who wished to be buried beside his mother, in the graveyard ofJudi Mosque facingKing Kothi Palace.[23][24]
During the period of the Nizams' rule,Hyderabad became wealthy - thanks to theGolconda mines which were the only sources of diamonds in the world market at that time (apart from South African mines) making the 7th Nizam the richest person in the world.Osman Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VII and his family includingSalar Jung I were taught by Nawab Sarwar Ul Mulk and Agha Mirza Baig Bahadur, who was his political advisor,[25] and the senior-mostsalute state among the Indianprincely states. It was spread over 223,000 km2 (86,000 sq mi) in the Deccan, ruled by the Asaf Jahi dynasty. The Nizams were conferred with the title ofHis Exalted Highness, and "Faithful Ally of the British Government" for their roles in theSecond andThird Anglo-Mysore Wars and theIndian Rebellion of 1857,[26] becoming the only Indian prince to be given both these titles.[27]
One example of the wealth of the Nizams is theJewels of the Nizams, an international tourist attraction once displayed inSalar Jung Museum, but now locked in aReserve Bank of India vault in Delhi.[28] In 1948 Hyderabad state had an estimated population of 17 million (1.7crore), and it generated an estimated annual revenue of £90,029,000.[26]
The state had its currency known as theHyderabadi rupee, until 1951.[29] The pace at which the last NizamMir Osman Ali Khan amassed wealth made him one of the world's richest men in 1937, also known for his miserliness.[27] He was estimated to be worth₹ 660 crores (roughlyUS$2 billion by the then exchange rates).[30] According to theForbes All-Time Wealthiest List of 2008, Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan is the fifth richest man in recorded history per the figures, with an estimated worth ofUS$210.8 billion adjusted by Forbes as per the growth of the US GDP since that period and the present exchange rate of the US dollar against the Indian rupee.[29]
The Nizams set up numerous institutions in the name of the dynasty including hospitals, schools, colleges, and universities that imparted education in Urdu.[29] Inspired by theIndian Civil Service, the Nizams established their own localHyderabad Civil Service.
The Nizams commissioned engineering projects such as large reservoirs likeOsman Sagar andHimayat Sagar. Survey work on theNagarjuna Sagar Dam was also initiated during this time, although the actual work was completed under the aegis of theGovernment of India in 1969.[31][32]
They also gave Hyderabad its railway network - theNizam's Guaranteed State Railway[33] which helped in setting up various industries.
Other landmarks include theTelangana High Court,City College,Public Gardens (formerlyBagh-e-Aaam),Jubilee Hall,Asafia Library,The Assembly building,Niloufer Hospital, theOsmania Arts College and theOsmania Medical College.[34]
The 7th Nizam of Hyderabad,Mir Osman Ali Khan, was noted for his philanthropic support to Interfaith philanthropy specifically temples across the state. He donated ₹82,825 to theSri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple at Yadagirigutta near Bhongir and ₹29,999 to theSita Ramachandraswamy Temple at Bhadrachalam.[35] He also provided an annual grant of ₹8,000 to theTirupati Balaji Temple[36] and contributed ₹50,000 towards the reconstruction of theSitarambagh Temple in Hyderabad’s old city.[37]
In addition, the 7th Nizam endowed approximately 1,525 acres of land to the Sita Rama Swami Temple at Devaryamjal.[38] Beyond these individual grants, historical sources note that the Nizam donated over ₹97,000 in total and more than two lakh acres of land to various Hindu temples, reflecting his policy of interfaith patronage. His support extended to educational and religious institutions as well, including a donation of ₹1 lakh toBanaras Hindu University in 1939 and smaller annual grants to other temples and cultural organizations.
In 1932, there was a need for money for the publication ofMahabharata in theBhandarkar Oriental Research Institute located in Pune. A formal request was made to the 7th Nizam, who granted Rs. 1000 per year for 11 years.[39]
He also gave Rs 50,000 for construction of the guest house which stands today as"Nizam's guest house".[40][41]
In addition to Hindu institutions and organizations, the 7th Nizam provided financial and land grants to churches, and gurudwaras. Notably, he laid the foundation stone for theShrine of Our Lady of Health in Hyderabad in 1954 and supported its construction and land allocation for the church, which was inaugurated in 1959‑60.[42] Contemporary accounts also record that he provided grants for the conservation of Sikh gurudwaras
The Asaf Jahis were prolific builders. Their palaces are listed below:
| Portrait | Titular name | Personal name | Date of birth | Nizam from | Nizam until | Date of death |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Nizam-ul-Mulk, Asaf Jah I نظامالملک آصف جاہ | Mir Qamar-ud-din Khan | 20 August 1671 | 31 July 1724 | 1 June 1748 | |
 | Nasir Jung نصیرجنگ | Mir Ahmed Ali Khan | 26 February 1712 | 1 June 1748 | 16 December 1750 | |
 | Muzaffar Jung مظفرجنگ | Mir Hidayat Muhi-ud-din Sa'adullah Khan | ? | 16 December 1750 | 13 February 1751 | |
 | Salabat Jung صلابت جنگ | Mir Sa'id Muhammad Khan | 24 November 1718 | 13 February 1751 | 8 July 1762 (deposed) | 16 September 1763 |
 | Nizam-ul-Mulk, Asaf Jah II نظامالملک آصف جاہ دوم | Mir Nizam Ali Khan | 7 March 1734 | 8 July 1762 | 6 August 1803 | |
 | Sikander Jah, Asaf Jah III سکندر جاہ ،آصف جاہ سوم | Mir Akbar Ali Khan | 11 November 1768 | 6 August 1803 | 21 May 1829 | |
 | Nasir-ud-Daula, Asaf Jah IV ناصر الدولہ ،آصف جاہ چہارم | Mir Farqunda Ali Khan | 25 April 1794 | 21 May 1829 | 16 May 1857 | |
 | Afzal-ud-Daula, Asaf Jah V افضال الدولہ ،آصف جاہ پنجم | Mir Tahniyath Ali Khan | 11 October 1827 | 16 May 1857 | 26 February 1869 | |
 | Asaf Jah VI آصف جاہ ششم | Mir Mahbub Ali Khan | 17 August 1866 | 26 February 1869 | 29 August 1911 | |
| Asaf Jah VII آصف جاہ ہفتم | Mir Osman Ali Khan | 6 April 1886 | 29 August 1911 | 17 September 1948 (deposed) | 24 February 1967 |
The last Nizam had 34 children, including 16 sons and 18 daughters[43][44][45][46][47][48]
TheAsaf Jahi dynasty followed the order of precedence ofmale primogeniture regardless of the mother's marital status or rank.[49]
His eldest son wasAzam Jah (21 February 1907 – 9 October 1970), was the Prince ofBerar.[50]
Whereas, his second sonMoazzam Jah, marriedPrincess Niloufer, a princess of theOttoman Empire.[51]
I.Asaf Jah I, Yamin us-Sultanat, Rukn us-Sultanat, Jumlat ul-Mulk, Madar ul-Maham, Nizam ul-Mulk, Nizam ud-Daula, Khan-i-Dauran, Nawab Mir Ghazi ud-din Siddiqi, Khan Bahadur, Fath Jang, Sipah Salar, NawabSubedar of the Deccan, 1stNizam of Hyderabad (cr. 1720) (20 August 1671 – 1 June 1748). A senior governor and counsellor in the Imperial government. Defeated the Imperial forces on 19 June 1720 at Hasanpur and formed an independent state of his own. Confirmed in his possessions by Imperialfirman and crowned on 31 July. Named Vice-Regent of the Mughal Empire by EmperorMuhammad Shah on 8 February 1722, secured the province of Berar on 11 October 1724 and formally madeHyderabad City his new capital on 7 December 1724.II. Humayun Jah, Nizam ud-Daula, Nawab Mir Ahmad 'Ali Siddiqi, Khan Bahadur, Nasir Jang, Nawab Subedar of the Deccan, 2nd Nizam of Hyderabad (26 February 1712 – k. by the Nawab of Kadapa 16 December 1750; r. 1 June 1748 – 16 December 1750).III. Nawab Hidayat Muhi ud-din Sa'adu'llah Siddiqi, Khan Bahadur, Muzaffar Jang, Nawab Subedar of the Deccan, 3rd Nizam of Hyderabad (k. by the Nawab of Kurnool 13 February 1751; r. 16 December 1750 – 13 February 1751).IV. Amir ul-Mamalik, Asaf ud-Daula, Nawab Said Muhammad Siddiqi, Khan Bahadur, Zaffar Jang, Nawab Subadar of the Deccan, 4th Nizam of Hyderabad (November 1718 – 16 September 1763; r. 13 February 1751 – 8 July 1762). Deposed by his younger brother on 8 July 1762 and killed in prison the following year, aged 44.V.Asaf Jah II, Nizam ul-Mulk, Nizam ud-Daula, Nawab Mir Nizam 'Ali Siddiqi, Khan Bahadur, Fath Jang, Sipah Salar, Nawab Subadar of the Deccan, 5th Nizam of Hyderabad (7 March 1734 – 6 August 1803; r. 8 July 1762 – 6 August 1803)VI.Asaf Jah III, Muzaffar ul-Mamaluk, Nizam ul-Mulk, Nizam ud-Daula, Nawab Mir Akbar 'Ali Siddiqi, Khan Bahadur, Fulad Jang, 6th Nizam of Hyderabad (11 November 1768 – 21 May 1829; r. 6 August 1803 – 21 May 1829). The first of the dynasty to be officially granted the title ofNizam.VII. Rustam-i-Dauran, Aristu-i-Zaman,Asaf Jah IV, Muzaffar ul-Mamaluk, Nizam ul-Mulk, Nizam ud-Daula, Nawab Mir Farkhanda 'Ali Siddiqi, Khan Bahadur [Gufran Manzil], Sipah Salar, Fath Jang, Ayn Waffadar Fidvi-i-Senliena, Iqtidar-i-Kishwarsitan Muhammad Akbar Shah Padshah-i-Ghazi, 7th Nizam of Hyderabad (25 April 1794 – 16 May 1857; r. 21 May 1829 – 16 May 1857).VIII.Asaf Jah V, Nizam ul-Mulk, Afzal ud-Daula, Nawab Mir Tahniyat 'Ali Siddiqi, Khan Bahadur, 8th Nizam of Hyderabad,GCSI (11 October 1827 – 26 February 1869; r. 16 May 1857 – 26 February 1869). The first of the dynasty to come under British rule.IX. Rustam-i-Dauran, Arustu-i-Zaman, Wal Mamaluk,Asaf Jah VI, Muzaffar ul-Mamaluk, Nizam ul-Mulk, Nizam ud-Daula, Nawab Mir Mahbub 'Ali Siddiqi, Khan Bahadur, Sipah Salar, Fath Jang, 6th Nizam of HyderabadGCB,GCSI (17 August 1866 – 31 August 1911; r. 26 February 1869 – 31 August 1911). Succeeded his father on 26 February 1869, ruled under a regency until 5 February 1884, when he was invested with full ruling powers by the Viceroy of India.X. Rustam-i-Dauran, Arustu-i-Zaman, Wal Mamaluk,Asaf Jah VII, Muzaffar ul-Mamaluk, Nizam ul-Mulk, Nizam ud-Daula, Nawab Mir Osman 'Ali Siddiqi, Khan Bahadur, Sipah Salar, Fath Jang, Faithful Ally of the British Government, 10th Nizam of Hyderabad and of BerarGCSI,GBE,Royal Victorian Chain,MP (6 April 1886 – 24 January 1967; r. 31 August 1911 – 26 January 1950). Granted the style ofHis Exalted Highness (1 January 1918), the title ofFaithful Ally of the British Government (24 January 1918) andNizam of Hyderabad and of Berar (13 November 1936). The last of the ruling Nizams; ruled absolutely from his accession until 19 September 1948, when the state was formally annexed to theUnion. Maintained semi-ruling and semi-autonomous status from then until 23 November 1949, when he accepted the paramountcy of the new Indian government and Constitution and acceded to the Union. Formally lost his sovereignty, ending 230 years of Asaf Jahi rule, upon the formal promulgation of the Constitution on 26 January 1950. Served asRajpramukh of the new Hyderabad State from 26 January 1950 until 31 October 1956, when the post was abolished. Served as a titular monarch from 26 January 1950 until his death.XI. Rustam-i-Dauran, Arustu-i-Zaman, Wal Mamaluk,Asaf Jah VIII, Muzaffar ul-Mamaluk, Nizam ul-Mulk, Nizam ud-Daula, Nawab Mir Barakat 'Ali Siddiqi, Khan Bahadur, Sipah Salar, Fath Jang, 11th Nizam of Hyderabad and Berar (6 October 1933 – 15 January 2023; 11th Nizam: 24 January 1967 – 28 December 1971; dynastic head and pretender since then).The Nizams' daughters had been married traditionally to young men of thePaigah family. This family belonged to the Sunni sect of Islam.
italics – Considered pretenders by most historians; refrained from exercising traditional authority during their reigns.[citation needed]
Places and things named after the Nizam includeNizamabad, a city and district in the state of Telangana;Jamia Nizamia, a university; theNizam College; theNizam's Museum; theNizam's Guaranteed State Railway; theNizam's Institute of Medical Sciences; theJewels of the Nizams; theNizam Diamond; theNizam Sagar,HMAS Nizam,Nizamia observatory; theNizam Club; theNizam of Hyderabad necklace; theNizam's Contingent; theNizam Gate; theNizam Palace;Government Nizamia General Hospital; andH.E.H. the Nizam's Charitable Trust.
It was Bajirao I who had imposed chauth on the Nizam's dominions and, over a long period, it had accumulated to quite a large amount. To all intents and purposes the Nizam was a tributary of the Marathas; but the Nizam, now strengthened by acquisitions from Tipu's dominions and by his alliance with the British, tried to shake off the Maratha yoke.
{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help){{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
Hyderabad topics | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| History | |||||||||||
| Government | |||||||||||
| Public buildings | |||||||||||
| Tourist attractions |
| ||||||||||
| Education | |||||||||||
| Higher education |
| ||||||||||
| Healthcare | |||||||||||
| Industry | |||||||||||
| Transport |
| ||||||||||
| Culture | |||||||||||
| Water bodies in and around Hyderabad | |||||||||||
| National parks around Hyderabad | |||||||||||
| Monuments and memorials | |||||||||||
| Sport |
| ||||||||||
| Other topics | |||||||||||
