The Hyderabad State Forces were the armed forces of the princely state of Hyderabad . People from both India and abroad were recruited into the Forces. Among these groups were Arab nationals like Chaush and African nationals like Siddis who now stay in Barkas and A. C. Guards areas of Hyderabad respectively. The Hyderabad cavalry was chiefly composed of Muslim castes such as Mughals, Pathans, Syeds, Sheikhs and Balochs. They were principally recruited from the Deccan , but Delhi , Lucknow , Shahjahanpur , Sindh and Balochistan also supplied recruits to bolster ranks. These non-indigenous soldiers were known as the "Rohollas". The Hindus made a very small portion of the cavalry. The Nizam of Hyderabad also had about 1200 Sikh guards. Other battalions within the army were referred to with the suffix "-walas". Some troops were also supplied by the Europeans for the security of the Nizam.
98-690: Three different corps were commanded by three different independent commanders. The Nizam , the Diwan, and an important officer in the Nizam's government, Shangal Umara or "Amin Kabir", each maintained their own separate divisions. During the time of Operation Polo, the Hyderabad State Forces consisted of six infantry battalions, two Cavalry regiments, and 1,500 armed irregulars. The army had two light armored regiments and one field battery. In total,
196-458: A faqir . In 1645, he was barred from the court for seven months. It is reported that he mentioned his grief about this to fellow Mughal commanders. Thereafter, Shah Jahan appointed him governor of Gujarat . His rule in Gujarat was marked with religious disputes but he was rewarded for bringing stability. In 1647, Shah Jahan moved Aurangzeb from Gujarat to be governor of Balkh , replacing
294-456: A war elephant stampeded through the Mughal imperial encampment. Aurangzeb rode against the elephant and threw his spear at its head. He was unhorsed but escaped death. For his courage, Aurangzeb's father conferred on him the title of Bahadur (brave) and presented him with gifts. When chided for his recklessness, Aurangzeb replied: If the fight had ended fatally for me it would not have been
392-469: A companion to Dara Shukoh. In the same year, 1637, Aurangzeb was placed in charge of annexing the small Rajput kingdom of Baglana , which he did with ease. In 1638, Aurangzeb married Nawab Bai , later known as Rahmat al-Nisa. That same year, Aurangzeb dispatched an army to subdue the Portuguese coastal fortress of Daman , however his forces met stubborn resistance and were eventually repulsed at
490-457: A complete ban on music. He sought to codify Hanafi law by the work of several hundred jurists, called Fatawa 'Alamgiri . It is possible the War of Succession and continued incursions combined with Shah Jahan's spending made cultural expenditure impossible. He learnt that at Multan , Thatta , and particularly at Varanasi , the teachings of Hindu Brahmins attracted numerous Muslims. He ordered
588-438: A consequence of his return. The Deccan was a relatively impoverished area, this caused him to lose out financially. The area required grants were required from Malwa and Gujarat in order to maintain the administration. The situation caused ill-feeling between him and his father Shah Jahan who insisted that things could be improved if Aurangzeb made efforts to develop cultivation. Aurangzeb appointed Murshid Quli Khan to extend to
686-471: A gurudwara at Dehradun, Balaji temple of Chitrakoot , Umananda Temple of Guwahati and the Shatrunjaya Jain temples, among others. Numerous new temples were built, as well. Contemporary court-chronicles mention hundreds of temple which were demolished by Aurangzab or his chieftains, upon his order. In September 1669, he ordered the destruction of Vishvanath Temple at Varanasi, which
784-544: A higher tax burden on Hindu merchants at the rate of 5% (as against 2.5% on Muslim merchants), which led to considerable dislike of Aurangzeb's economic policies; a sharp turn from Akbar's uniform tax code. According to Marc Jason Gilbert, Aurangzeb ordered the jizya fees to be paid in person, in front of a tax collector, where the non Muslims were to recite a verse in the Quran which referred to their inferior status as non Muslims. This decision led to protests and lamentations among
882-469: A late stage, a vast sum of money had been expended for little gain. Further unsuccessful military involvements followed, as Aurangzeb was appointed governor of Multan and Sindh . His efforts in 1649 and 1652 to dislodge the Safavids at Kandahar which they had recently retaken after a decade of Mughal control, both ended in failure as winter approached. The logistical problems of supplying an army at
980-491: A matter of shame. Death drops the curtain even on emperors; it is no dishonor. The shame lay in what my brothers did! Historians have interpreted this as an unjust slur against his brothers. Shuja had also faced the elephant and wounded it with his spear. Dara had been too far away to come to their assistance. Three days later Aurangzeb turned fifteen. Shah Jahan weighed him and presented him with his weight in gold along with other presents worth Rs. 200,000. His bravery against
1078-414: A military tax on non-Muslim subjects in lieu of military service, after an abatement for a span of hundred years, in what was critiqued by many Hindu rulers, family-members of Aurangzeb, and Mughal court-officials. The specific amount varied with the socioeconomic status of a subject and tax-collection were often waived for regions hit by calamities; also, Brahmins, women, children, elders, the handicapped,
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#17327733300441176-508: A period of rapid military expansion, with several dynasties and states being overthrown by the Mughals. The Mughals also surpassed Qing China as the world's largest economy and biggest manufacturing power. The Mughal military gradually improved and became one of the strongest armies in the world. A staunch Muslim, Aurangzeb is credited with the construction of numerous mosques and patronizing works of Arabic calligraphy . He successfully imposed
1274-460: A series of battles, defeats and retreats, Dara was betrayed by one of his generals, who arrested and bound him. In 1658, Aurangzeb arranged his formal coronation in Delhi. On 10 August 1659, Dara was executed on grounds of apostasy and his head was sent to Shah Jahan. This was the first prominent execution of Aurangzeb based on accusations of being influenced by Hinduism, however some sources argue it
1372-531: A younger son, Murad Baksh , who had proved ineffective there. The area was under attack from Uzbek and Turkmen tribes. The Mughal artillery and muskets were matched by the skirmishing skills of their opponents which led to a stalemate. Aurangzeb discovered that his army could not live off the land, which was devastated by war. It is recorded that during the battle against the Uzbeks during this campaign, Aurangzeb dismounted from his elephant ride to recite prayer to
1470-728: The 7th Nizam announced a ceasefire, ending armed action. As a result, Hyderabad was integrated into the Indian Union Nizam of Hyderabad Nizam of Hyderabad was the title of the ruler of Hyderabad State (now part of the Indian state of Telangana , the Marathwada region of Maharashtra and the Kalyana-Karnataka region of Karnataka ). Nizam is a shortened form of Niẓām ul-Mulk ( Persian : نظام الملک ; lit. ' Administrator of
1568-616: The British Commonwealth , sharing King George VI as head of state(since then members are required to share the king as head of state). Not only the Government of India, but George VI who was head of the organization, the last emperor of India before independence and most crucially, the incumbent monarch 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 by Razakars (who wanted
1666-592: The British government offered the 565 princely states in the sub-continent the options of acceding to either India or Pakistan or remaining independent. After the Independence of India in 1947, the Nizam of Hyderabad chose to join neither the Dominion of India nor the Dominion of Pakistan . He later declared Hyderabad an independent state as the third Dominion, attempting to become an independent monarchy in
1764-563: The Fatawa-i Alamgiri as the principal regulating body of the empire and prohibited religiously forbidden activities in Islam. Although Aurangzeb suppressed several local revolts, he maintained cordial relations with foreign governments. Aurangzeb was the longest reigning Mughal Emperor. His empire was also one of the largest in Indian history. However, his emperorship has a complicated legacy. His critics, citing his actions against
1862-831: The Indian subcontinent , they allowed the Nizams to continue to rule their princely states as client kings. The Nizams retained internal power over Hyderabad State until 17 September 1948, when Hyderabad was integrated into the new Indian Union. 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 ,and Salabath Jung , and grandson Muzafur Jung ruled. They were never officially recognised as rulers. The seventh and last Nizam, Mir Osman Ali Khan , fell from power when India annexed Hyderabad State in 1948 in Operation Polo . Today,
1960-858: The Jewels of the Nizams ; the Nizam Diamond ; the Nizam Sagar , HMAS Nizam , Nizamia observatory ; the Nizam Club ; the Nizam of Hyderabad necklace ; the Nizam's Contingent ; the Nizam Gate ; the Nizam Palace ; Government Nizamia General Hospital ; and H.E.H. the Nizam's Charitable Trust . Aurangzeb Muhi al-Din Muhammad (3 November 1618 – 3 March 1707), commonly known by
2058-686: The Nagarjuna Sagar Dam was also initiated during this time, although the actual work was completed under the aegis of the Government of India in 1969. They also gave Hyderabad its railway network - the Nizam's Guaranteed State Railway which helped in setting up various industries. Other landmarks include the Telangana High Court , City College , Public Gardens (formerly Bagh-e-Aaam ), Jubilee Hall , Asafia Library , The Assembly building , Niloufer Hospital ,
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#17327733300442156-728: The Osmania Arts College and the Osmania Medical College . In 1932, there was a need for money for the publication of Mahabharata in the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute located in Pune. A formal request was made to the 7th Nizam, who granted Rs. 1000 per year for 11 years. He also gave Rs 50,000 for construction of the guest house which stands today as "Nizam's guest house" . The Nizams donated Rs. 82,825 to
2254-611: The Treaty of Masulipatam . From 1778 onwards, a British resident and subsidiary force were installed in his dominions. Nizam ʿĀlī Khan, Asaf Jah 2 was forced to enter into an agreement that placed his country under British protection in 1798. Nizam ʿĀlī Khan and his soldiers fought for the British in the Second (1803–05) and Third (1817–19) Maratha Wars, and Nizam Nāṣir al-Dawlah and Hyderabad's military contingent remained loyal to
2352-736: The Yadagirigutta temple near Bhongir and Rs. 29,999 to Sita Ramachandraswamy temple, Bhadrachalam . The 7th Nizam also donated Rs. 8,000 to Tirupati Balaji Temple as yearly grants. A donation of Rs. 50,000 towards the reconstruction of Sitarambagh temple located in the old city of Hyderabad was also made. He also donated 1,525 acres of Land to "Sita Rama Swami Temple" located in Devaryamjal The Asaf Jahis were prolific builders. Their palaces are listed below: The last Nizam had 34 children, including 16 sons and 18 daughters The Asaf Jahi dynasty followed
2450-498: The subahdars of these provinces to demolish the schools and the temples of non-Muslims. Aurangzeb also ordered subahdars to punish Muslims who dressed like non-Muslims. The executions of the antinomian Sufi mystic Sarmad Kashani and the ninth Sikh Guru Tegh Bahadur bear testimony to Aurangzeb's religious policy; the former was beheaded on multiple accounts of heresy, the latter, according to Sikhs, because he objected to Aurangzeb's forced conversions . Aurangzeb had also banned
2548-620: The British during the Sepoy Mutiny (1857–58). During world War 1, Nizam’s Hyderabad Cavalry was a part of the 15th Cavalry Brigade , which was drawn from various princely states of British India. The Hyderabad Lancers along with those from armies from other princely states were deployed in battles at Haifa against German-Ottoman troops. Soldiers from Hyderabad were also posted in Jordan, Jerusalem, Gaza, Suez Canal and Aleppo as part of Sinai and Palestine campaign . A memorial to these soldiers
2646-751: The Deccan the zabt revenue system used in northern India. Murshid Quli Khan organised a survey of agricultural land and a tax assessment on what it produced. To increase revenue, Murshid Quli Khan granted loans for seed, livestock, and irrigation infrastructure. This led the Deccan region to return to prosperity. Aurangzeb proposed to resolve financial difficulties by attacking the dynastic occupants of Golconda (the Qutb Shahis ) and Bijapur (the Adil Shahis ). This proposal would also extend Mughal influence by accruing more lands. Aurangzeb advanced against
2744-484: The Deccan. After regaining some of his health, Shah Jahan moved to Agra and Dara urged him to send forces to challenge Shah Shuja and Murad, who had declared themselves rulers in their respective territories. While Shah Shuja was defeated at Banares in February 1658, the army sent to deal with Murad discovered to their surprise that he and Aurangzeb had combined their forces, the two brothers having agreed to partition
2842-601: The Marathas. The major battles fought between the Marathas and the Nizam include Palkhed , Bhopal , Rakshasbhuvan , and Kharda , in all of which the Nizam lost. Following the conquest of Deccan by Bajirao I and the imposition of Chauth by him, the Nizam essentially remained a tributary of the Marathas. In 1805, after the East India Company's victory in the Second Anglo-Maratha War ,
2940-542: The Mughal court. Ghazi Uddin Khan rose to become a General of the Emperor Aurangzeb and played a vital role in conquering Bijapur and Golconda Sultanates of Southern India in 1686. He also played a key role in thwarting the rebellion by Prince Akbar and alleged rebellion by Prince Mu`azzam . After Aurangzeb's death and during the war of succession, Qamaruddin and his father remained neutral thus escaping
3038-630: The Mughal throne. Aurangzeb and his brother were consequently reunited with Shah Jahan in Agra . As a Mughal prince, Aurangzeb received an education covering subjects like combat, military strategy, and administration. His curriculum also included areas like Islamic studies, Turkic and Persian literature . Aurangzeb grew up fluent in the Hindustani language . He was also fluent in his ancestral language of Chagatai Turkic , but similar to his predecessors, he preferred to use Persian . On 28 May 1633,
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3136-468: 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 of Asaf 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 of Asif Jah II , who reigned from 1762 to 1803, ended
3234-540: The Nizam Shahi dynasty to an end. In 1637, Aurangzeb married the Safavid princess Dilras Banu , posthumously known as Rabia-ud-Daurani. She was his first wife and chief consort as well as his favourite. He also had an infatuation with a slave girl, Hira Bai , whose death at a young age greatly affected him. In his old age, he was under the charms of his concubine, Udaipuri Mahal . The latter had formerly been
3332-706: The Nizam of Hyderabad came under their protection. . In 1858, the state of Hyderabad became part of the British Indian Empire as a princely state with full autonomy albeit under colonial rule and was subject to the British Crown. From 1876 to 1948, the Nizam recognised the Crown as paramount ruler of India as the monarch of the United Kingdom simultaneously held the title of emperor of India (first held by Queen Victoria as empress and
3430-507: The Nizam to accede Hyderabad to Pakistan) on the Hindu populace, the Indian government finally launched a military operation named Operation Polo . The Indian 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
3528-635: The Nizam's army numbered 24,000 men, of whom some 6,000 were fully trained and equipped. Some of the units surrendered on the first two days of the Operation. Four Hyderabadi infantry companies and three cavalry squadrons were later absorbed into the Maratha Light Infantry , Madras Regiment , Poona Horse and Deccan Horse of the Indian Army, respectively. In 1767-1768, Nizam ʿĀlī accepted British Suzerainty over Hyderabad State by
3626-584: The Persian concept of kinship, the Farr-i-Aizadi, and based his rule on the Quranic concept of kingship. Shah Jahan had already moved away from the liberalism of Akbar , although in a token manner rather than with the intent of suppressing Hinduism, and Aurangzeb took the change still further. Though the approach to faith of Akbar, Jahangir and Shah Jahan was more syncretic than Babur , the founder of
3724-766: The Realm ' ), and was the title bestowed upon Asaf Jah I when he was appointed Viceroy of the Deccan by the Mughal Emperor Farrukhsiyar . In addition to being the Mughal Viceroy ( Naib ) of the Deccan, Asaf Jah I was also the premier courtier of the Mughal Empire until 1724, when he established an independent realm based in Hyderabad , but in practice, continued to recognise the nominal authority of emperor. The Asaf Jahi dynasty
3822-471: The Sultan of Bijapur and besieged Bidar . The Kiladar (governor or captain) of the fortified city, Sidi Marjan, was mortally wounded when a gunpowder magazine exploded. After twenty-seven days of fighting, Bidar was captured by the Mughals and Aurangzeb continued his advance. Aurangzeb suspected Dara had exerted influence on his father. He believed that he was on the verge of victory in both instances, and
3920-533: The Sunni sect of Islam. italics – Considered pretenders by most historians; refrained from exercising traditional authority during their reigns. Places and things named after the Nizam include Nizamabad , a city and district in the state of Telangana; Jamia Nizamia , a university; the Nizam College ; the Nizam's Museum ; the Nizam's Guaranteed State Railway ; the Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences ;
4018-604: The advice of his generals as the Mughal Army gathered and commenced the siege of Orchha in 1635. The campaign was successful and Singh was removed from power. Aurangzeb was appointed viceroy of the Deccan in 1636. After Shah Jahan's vassals had been devastated by the alarming expansion of Ahmednagar during the reign of the Nizam Shahi boy-prince Murtaza Shah III , the emperor dispatched Aurangzeb, who in 1636 brought
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4116-732: The allied army of Shikoh and the Kingdom of Marwar at the Battle of Dharmat . Aurangzeb's decisive victory at the Battle of Samugarh in May 1658 cemented his sovereignty and his suzerainty was acknowledged throughout the Empire. After Shah Jahan recovered from illness in July 1658, Aurangzeb declared him incompetent to rule and imprisoned his father in the Agra Fort . Aurangzeb's reign is characterized by
4214-631: The celebration of the Zoroastrian festival of Nauroz along with other un-Islamic ceremonies, and encouraged conversions to Islam; instances of persecution against particular Muslim factions were also reported. Yohanan Friedmann has reported that according to many modern historians and thinkers, the puritanical thought of Ahmad Sirhindi inspired the religious orthodoxy policy of Aurangzeb. Shortly after coming to power, Aurangzeb remitted more than 80 long-standing taxes affecting all of his subjects. In 1679, Aurangzeb chose to re-impose jizya ,
4312-514: The challengers were taking advantage of the situation. Shah Shuja in Bengal , where he had been governor since 1637 crowned himself King at RajMahal. He brought his cavalry, artillery and river flotilla upriver towards Agra. Near Varanasi his forces confronted a defending army sent from Delhi under the command of Prince Sulaiman Shukoh, son of Dara Shukoh, and Raja Jai Singh. Murad did the same in his governorship of Gujarat and Aurangzeb did so in
4410-400: The elephant was documented in Persian and Urdu verses. Aurangzeb was nominally in charge of the force sent to Bundelkhand with the intent of subduing the rebellious ruler of Orchha , Jhujhar Singh , who had attacked another territory in defiance of Shah Jahan's policy and was refusing to atone for his actions. By arrangement, Aurangzeb stayed in the rear, away from the fighting, and took
4508-489: The emboldened Aurangzeb's advance, Dara scrambled to form alliances in order but found that Aurangzeb had already courted key potential candidates. When Dara's disparate, hastily concocted army clashed with Aurangzeb's well-disciplined, battle-hardened force at the battle of Samugarh in late May, neither Dara's men nor his generalship were any match for Aurangzeb. Dara had also become over-confident in his own abilities and, by ignoring advice not to lead in battle while his father
4606-480: The empire once they had gained control of it. The two armies clashed at Dharmat in April 1658, with Aurangzeb being the victor. Shuja was chased through Bihar . The victory of Aurangzeb proved this to be a poor decision by Dara Shikoh, who now had a defeated force on one front and a successful force unnecessarily pre-occupied on another. Realising that his recalled Bihar forces would not arrive at Agra in time to resist
4704-541: The empire, Aurangzeb's position is not so obvious. His emphasis on sharia competed, or was directly in conflict, with his insistence that zawabit or secular decrees could supersede sharia. The chief qazi refusing to crown him in 1659, Aurangzeb had a political need to present himself as a "defender of the sharia" due to popular opposition to his actions against his father and brothers. Despite claims of sweeping edicts and policies, contradictory accounts exist. Historian Katherine Brown has argued that Aurangzeb never imposed
4802-429: The empire, though this was not followed absolutely in regions such as Gujarat , where lands granted in in'am to Charans were not affected. In around 1679, he ordered destruction of several prominent temples, including those of Khandela, Udaipur, Chittor and Jodhpur, which were patronaged by rebels. The Jama Masjid at Golkunda was similarly treated, after it was found that its ruler had built it to hide revenues from
4900-641: The end of a long siege. At some point, Aurangzeb married Aurangabadi Mahal , who was a Circassian or Georgian . In 1644, Aurangzeb's sister, Jahanara , suffered from burns when the chemicals in her perfume were ignited by a nearby lamp while in Agra . This event precipitated a family crisis with political consequences. Aurangzeb suffered his father's displeasure by not returning to Agra immediately but rather three weeks later. Shah Jahan had been nursing Jahanara back to health in that time and thousands of vassals had arrived in Agra to pay their respects. Shah Jahan
4998-429: The extremity of the empire, combined with the poor quality of armaments and the intransigence of the opposition have been cited by John Richards as the reasons for failure. A third attempt in 1653, led by Dara Shikoh, met with the same outcome. Aurangzeb became viceroy of the Deccan again after he was replaced by Dara Shukoh in the attempt to recapture Kandahar. Aurangbad's two jagirs (land grants) were moved there as
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#17327733300445096-411: The fact that Dara was a poor general and leader. It also ignores the fact that factional lines in the succession dispute were not, by and large, shaped by ideology." Marc Gaborieau, professor of Indian studies at l' École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales , explains that "The loyalties of [officials and their armed contingents] seem to have been motivated more by their own interests, the closeness of
5194-421: The family relation and above all the charisma of the pretenders than by ideological divides." Muslims and Hindus did not divide along religious lines in their support for one pretender or the other nor, according to Chandra, is there much evidence to support the belief that Jahanara and other members of the royal family were split in their support. Jahanara, certainly, interceded at various times on behalf of all of
5292-517: The forces loyal to Aurangzeb. Shah Shuja then fled to Arakan (in present-day Burma), where he was executed by the local rulers. With Shuja and Murad disposed of, and with his father immured in Agra, Aurangzeb pursued Dara Shikoh, chasing him across the north-western bounds of the empire. Aurangzeb claimed that Dara was no longer a Muslim and accused him of poisoning the Mughal Grand Vizier Saadullah Khan . After
5390-521: The fourth emperor of the Mughal Empire . In June 1626, after an unsuccessful rebellion by his father, eight-year-old Aurangzeb and his brother Dara Shikoh were sent to the Mughal court in Lahore as hostages of their grandfather Jahangir and his wife, Nur Jahan , as part of their father's pardon deal. After Jahangir died in 1627, Shah Jahan emerged victorious in the ensuing war of succession to
5488-457: The governorship of Bengal. This move had the effect of isolating Dara Shikoh and causing more troops to defect to Aurangzeb. Shah Shuja, who had declared himself emperor in Bengal began to annex more territory and this prompted Aurangzeb to march from Punjab with a new and large army that fought during the battle of Khajwa , where Shah Shuja and his chain-mail armoured war elephants were routed by
5586-510: The growth of the US GDP since that period and the present exchange rate of the US dollar against the Indian rupee. The Nizams set up numerous institutions in the name of the dynasty including hospitals, schools, colleges, and universities that imparted education in Urdu. Inspired by the Indian Civil Service , the Nizams established their own local Hyderabad Civil Service . The Nizams commissioned engineering projects such as large reservoirs like Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar . Survey work on
5684-418: The instability. In 1768, he signed the treaty of Machilipatnam , surrendering the coastal region to the East India Company in return for a fixed annual rent. Following the decline of the Mughal power, the region of Deccan saw the rise of the Maratha Empire . The titular Nizams themselves fought during the Mughal-Maratha Wars since the 1720s, which resulted in the Nizam paying a regular tax ( Chauth ) to
5782-451: The last Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan amassed wealth made him one of the world's richest men in 1937, also known for his miserliness. He was estimated to be worth ₹ 660 crores (roughly US$ 2 billion by the then exchange rates). According to the Forbes 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 of US$ 210.8 billion adjusted by Forbes as per
5880-512: The last being George VI as emperor) In 1903, the Berar region of the state was separated and merged into the Central Provinces of British India , to form the Central Provinces and Berar . During the Second World War , 80,000 men who were raised by the Nizam to form a personal army under the Indian State Forces , known as the 19th 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
5978-569: The maintenance of shrines of worship but also (often) ordered their destruction. Modern historians reject the thought-school of colonial and nationalist historians about these destruction being guided by religious zealotry; rather, the association of temples with sovereignty, power and authority is emphasized upon. Whilst constructing mosques were considered an act of royal duty to subjects, there are also several firmans in Aurangzeb's name, supporting temples, maths , chishti shrines, and gurudwaras , including Mahakaleshwar temple of Ujjain ,
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#17327733300446076-437: The masses as well as Hindu court officials. In order to meet state expenditures, Aurangzeb had ordered increases in land taxes; the burden of which fell heavily upon the Hindu Jats. The reimposition of the jizya encouraged Hindus to flee to areas under East India Company jurisdiction, under which policies of religious sufferance and pretermissions of religious taxes prevailed. Aurangzeb issued land grants and provided funds for
6174-441: The new Union of India. His abdication on 17 September 1948 ended the dynasty's ambitions. Nevertheless, he became the Rajpramukh postindependence based on public vote. He died on Friday, 24 February, 1967. All Nizams are buried in royal graves at the Makkah Masjid near Charminar in Hyderabad excepting the last , who wished to be buried beside his mother, in the graveyard of Judi Mosque facing King Kothi Palace . During
6272-415: 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 uncle Muhammad Amin Khan, a power-broker in the Mughal Court, Qamaruddin returned to Delhi and was made the wazir (prime minister). According to historian Faruqui, his tenure as prime minister was undermined by his opponents and a rebellion in Deccan
6370-422: The non-Muslims and his conservative view of Islam, argue that he abandoned the legacy of pluralism and tolerance of the earlier Mughal emperors. Others, however, reject these assertions, arguing that he opposed bigotry against Hindus, Sikhs and Shia Muslims and that he employed significantly more Hindus in his imperial bureaucracy than his predecessors. Aurangzeb was born in Dahod on 3 November 1618. His father
6468-419: The number of Hindu officials in the Mughal administration rose by half, to represent 31.6% of Mughal nobility, the highest in the Mughal era. Many of them were Marathas and Rajputs , who were his political allies. However, Aurangzeb encouraged high ranking Hindu officials to convert to Islam. Under his reign, the Mughal Empire contributed to the world's GDP by nearly 25%, surpassing Qing China , making it
6566-443: The officials allow a woman to be burnt" . Although Aurangzeb's orders could be evaded with payment of bribes to officials, adds Ikram, later European travellers record that sati was not much practised in Mughal empire, and that Sati was "very rare, except it be some Rajah's wives, that the Indian women burn at all" by the end of Aurangzeb's reign. Historian Katherine Brown has noted that "The very name of Aurangzeb seems to act in
6664-417: The order of precedence of male primogeniture regardless of the mother's marital status or rank. His eldest son was Azam Jah (21 February 1907 – 9 October 1970),was the Prince of Berar . Whereas, his second son Moazzam Jah , married Princess Niloufer , a princess of the Ottoman empire . The Nizams' daughters had been married traditionally to young men of the Paigah family . This family belonged to
6762-423: The period of the Nizams' rule, Hyderabad became wealthy - thanks to the Golconda 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 including Salar Jung I were taught by Nawab Sarwar Ul Mulk and Agha Mirza Baig Bahadur, who was his political advisor, and
6860-419: The popular imagination as a signifier of politico-religious bigotry and repression, regardless of historical accuracy." The subject has also resonated in modern times with popularly accepted claims that he intended to destroy the Bamiyan Buddhas . As a political and religious conservative, Aurangzeb chose not to follow the secular-religious viewpoints of his predecessors after his ascension. He made no mention of
6958-512: The princes and was well-regarded by Aurangzeb even though she shared the religious outlook of Dara. In 1656, a general under Qutb Shahi dynasty named Musa Khan led an army of 12,000 musketeers to attack Aurangzeb, who was besieging Golconda Fort . Later in the same campaign, Aurangzeb, in turn, rode against an army consisting of 8,000 horsemen and 20,000 Karnataki musketeers. After making clear his desire for his son Dara to take over after him, Shah Jahan fell ill with stranguary in 1657. He
7056-538: The richest man in the world in his time. 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 of British rule in India . He pushed education, science, and the establishment of Osmania University forward. In 1947, at the time of the partition of India ,
7154-474: The risk of being on the losing side; they remained marginal players in the Mughal court during the reigns of Bahadur Shah I (1707–12) and Jahandar Shah (1712–13). Their successor Farrukhsiyar (1713–19) appointed Qamaruddin the governor of Deccan in 1713, awarding him the title Nizam-ul-Mulk . However, the governorship was taken away two years later and Qamaruddin withdrew to his estate in Moradabad . Under
7252-660: The senior-most salute state among the Indian princely states . It was spread over 223,000 km (86,000 sq mi) in the Deccan, ruled by the Asaf Jahi dynasty. The Nizams were conferred with the title of His Exalted Highness , and "Faithful Ally of the British Government" for their roles in the Second and Third Anglo-Mysore Wars and the Indian Rebellion of 1857, becoming the only Indian prince to be given both these titles. One example of
7350-445: 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 son Ghazi Uddin Khan was married to Safiya Khanum, the daughter of the former imperial Grand 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
7448-654: The state; however desecration of mosques are rare due to their complete lack of political capital contra temples. In an order specific to Benaras, Aurangzeb invokes Sharia to declare that Hindus will be granted state-protection and temples won't be razed (but prohibits construction of any new temple); other orders to similar effect can be located. Richard Eaton, upon a critical evaluation of primary sources, counts 15 temples to have been destroyed during Aurangzeb's reign. Ian Copland and others reiterate Iqtidar Alam Khan who notes that, overall, Aurangzeb built more temples than he destroyed. Aurangzeb received tribute from all over
7546-621: The successor of the Islamic prophet Muhammed . The family of Nizams in India is descended from Abid Khan , a Persian from Samarkand , whose lineage is traced to Sufi Shihab-ud-Din Suhrawardi (1154–91) of Suhraward in Iran. In the early 1650s, on his way to hajj , Abid Khan stopped in Deccan, where the young prince Aurangzeb , then Governor of Deccan, cultivated him. Abid Khan returned to
7644-441: The surprise of the opposing force commander. With the onset of winter, he and his father had to make an unsatisfactory deal with the Uzbeks. They had to give away territory in exchange for nominal recognition of Mughal sovereignty. The Mughal force suffered still further with attacks by Uzbeks and other tribesmen as it retreated through the snow to Kabul . By the end of this two-year campaign, into which Aurangzeb had been plunged at
7742-599: The title Aurangzeb , and also by his regnal name Alamgir I , was the sixth Mughal emperor , reigning from 1658 until his death in 1707. Under his emperorship, Mughal Empire reached its greatest extent with territory spanning nearly the entirety of the Indian subcontinent . Aurangzeb and the Mughals belonged to a branch of the Timurid dynasty . He held administrative and military posts under his father Shah Jahan ( r. 1628–1658 ) and gained recognition as an accomplished military commander. Aurangzeb served as
7840-609: The title is held by his great grandson and pretender , Azmet Jah . The title Nizam comes from the Persian نظام /nɪˈzɑːm/, which itself is derived from Arabic niẓām which means "order" or "arrangement", and was typically given to high ranking state officials. According to Sir Roper Lethbridge in The Golden Book of India (1893), the Nizams are lineally descended from the First Caliph Abu Bakr ,
7938-406: The unemployed, the ill, and the insane were all perpetually exempted. The collectors were mandated to be Muslims. A majority of modern scholars reject that religious bigotry influenced the imposition; rather, realpolitik – economic constraints as a result of multiple ongoing battles and establishment of credence with the orthodox Ulemas – are held to be primary agents. Aurangzeb also enforced
8036-446: The viceroy of the Deccan in 1636–1637 and the governor of Gujarat in 1645–1647. He jointly administered the provinces of Multan and Sindh in 1648–1652 and continued expeditions into the neighboring Safavid territories. In September 1657, Shah Jahan nominated his eldest and liberalist son Dara Shikoh as his successor, a move repudiated by Aurangzeb, who proclaimed himself emperor in February 1658. In April 1658, Aurangzeb defeated
8134-552: The wealth of the Nizams is the Jewels of the Nizams , an international tourist attraction once displayed in Salar Jung Museum , but now locked in a Reserve Bank of India vault in Delhi. In 1948 Hyderabad state had an estimated population of 17 million (1.7 crore ), and it generated an estimated annual revenue of £90,029,000. The state had its currency known as the Hyderabadi rupee , until 1951. The pace at which
8232-411: The world's largest economy and biggest manufacturing power, more than the entirety of Western Europe, and signaled proto-industrialization . Aurangzeb was an orthodox Muslim ruler. Subsequent to the policies of his three predecessors, he endeavored to make Islam a dominant force in his reign. However these efforts brought him into conflict with the forces that were opposed to this revival. Aurangzeb
8330-584: Was Emperor Shah Jahan ( r. 1628–1658 ), who hailed from the Mughal house of the Timurid dynasty . The latter was descended from Emir Timur ( r. 1370–1405 ), the founder of the Timurid Empire . Aurangzeb's mother Mumtaz Mahal was the daughter of the Persian nobleman Asaf Khan , who was the youngest son of vizier Mirza Ghiyas . Aurangzeb was born during the reign of his patrilineal grandfather Jahangir ( r. 1605–1627 ),
8428-597: Was a follower of the Mujaddidi Order and a disciple of the son of the Punjabi saint, Ahmad Sirhindi . He sought to establish Islamic rule as instructed and inspired by him. Sheikh Muhammad Ikram stated that after returning from Kashmir, Aurangzeb issued order in 1663, to ban the practice of Sati , a Hindu practice to burn a widow whenever her husband passed away. Ikram recorded that Aurangzeb issued decree: "in all lands under Mughal control, never again should
8526-465: Was alive, he cemented the idea that he had usurped the throne. "After the defeat of Dara, Shah Jahan was imprisoned in the fort of Agra where he spent eight long years under the care of his favourite daughter Jahanara." Aurangzeb then broke his arrangement with Murad Baksh, which probably had been his intention all along. Instead of looking to partition the empire between himself and Murad, he had his brother arrested and imprisoned at Gwalior Fort. Murad
8624-560: Was built at Chaderghat in 1920. Representatives of belligerent and allied nations visit this memorial on Remembrance Day to pay their respects to the soldiers who had participated in World War 1 In September 1948, the Indian Army invaded Hyderabad State . The battle between the Nizam's army and the Indian Army lasted for five days; it ultimately ended with a decisive Indian victory. On Day 5 of this operation - 17 September 1948,
8722-564: Was done for political reasons. Aurangzeb had his allied brother Prince Murad Baksh held for murder, judged and then executed. Aurangzeb was accused of poisoning his imprisoned nephew Sulaiman Shikoh . Having secured his position, Aurangzeb confined his frail father at the Agra Fort but did not mistreat him. Shah Jahan was cared for by Jahanara and died in 1666. Aurangzeb's imperial bureaucracy employed significantly more Hindus than that of his predecessors. Between 1679 and 1707,
8820-630: 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. In 1724, Asaf Jah I defeated Mubariz Khan to establish autonomy over the Deccan Suba , named the region Hyderabad Deccan , and started what came to be known as the Asaf Jahi dynasty . Subsequent rulers retained the title Nizam ul-Mulk and were referred to as Asaf Jahi Nizams, or Nizams of Hyderabad. Nizam I never formally declared independence from
8918-524: Was established by Raja Man Singh, whose grandson Jai Singh was believed to have facilitated Shivaji's escape. After the Jat rebellion in Mathura (early 1670), which killed the patron of the town-mosque, Aurangzeb suppressed the rebels and ordered for the city's Kesava Deo temple to be demolished, and replaced with an Eidgah . In 1672–73, Aurangzeb ordered the resumption of all grants held by Hindus throughout
9016-537: Was executed on 4 December 1661, ostensibly for the murder of the diwan of Gujarat. The allegation was encouraged by Aurangzeb, who caused the diwan's son to seek retribution for the death under the principles of Sharia law . Meanwhile, Dara gathered his forces, and moved to the Punjab . The army sent against Shuja was trapped in the east, its generals Jai Singh and Dilir Khan submitted to Aurangzeb, but Dara's son, Suleiman Shikoh, escaped. Aurangzeb offered Shah Shuja
9114-578: Was founded by Chin Qilich Khan (Asaf Jah I), who served as a Naib of the Deccan sultanates under the Mughal Empire from 1713 to 1721. He intermittently ruled the region after Emperor Aurangzeb 's death in 1707. In 1724 Mughal control weakened, and Asaf Jah became virtually independent. Later the Nizam defeated the Marathas with the alliance of the British. When the English East India Company achieved paramountcy over
9212-414: Was frustrated that Shah Jahan chose then to settle for negotiations with the opposing forces rather than pushing for complete victory. The four sons of Shah Jahan all held governorships during their father's reign. The emperor favoured the eldest, Dara Shikoh . This had caused resentment among the younger three, who sought at various times to strengthen alliances between themselves and against Dara. There
9310-457: Was kept in seclusion and cared for by Dara in the newly built city of Shahjahanabad (Old Delhi). Rumours spread that Shah Jahan had died, which led to concerns among his younger sons. Subsequently, these younger sons took military actions seemingly in response but it is not known whether these preparations were made in the mistaken belief that the rumours of death of Shah Jahan were true and that Dara might be hiding it for political gain, or whether
9408-432: Was no Mughal tradition of primogeniture , the systematic passing of rule, upon an emperor's death, to his eldest son. Instead it was customary for sons to overthrow their father and for brothers to war to the death among themselves. Historian Satish Chandra says that "In the ultimate resort, connections among the powerful military leaders, and military strength and capacity [were] the real arbiters". The contest for power
9506-415: Was outraged to see Aurangzeb enter the interior palace compound in military attire and immediately dismissed him from his position of viceroy of the Deccan; Aurangzeb was also no longer allowed to use red tents or to associate himself with the official military standard of the Mughal emperor. Other sources state that Aurangzeb was dismissed from his position because Aurangzeb left the life of luxury and became
9604-526: Was primarily between Dara Shikoh and Aurangzeb because, although all four sons had demonstrated competence in their official roles, it was around these two that the supporting cast of officials and other influential people mostly circulated. There were ideological differences – Dara was an intellectual and a religious liberal in the mould of Akbar, while Aurangzeb was much more conservative – but, as historians Barbara D. Metcalf and Thomas R. Metcalf say, "To focus on divergent philosophies neglects
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