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50-577: Mir Osman Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VII (5 or 6 April 1886 – 24 February 1967) was the last Nizam (ruler) of Hyderabad State , the largest state in the erstwhile Indian Empire . He ascended the throne on 29 August 1911, at the age of 25 and ruled the State of Hyderabad between 1911 and 1948, until the Indian Union annexed it. He was styled as His Exalted Highness (H.E.H) the Nizam of Hyderabad , and

100-619: A 21-gun salute , held the unique title of "Nizam", and titled " His Exalted Highness " and "Faithful Ally of the British Crown". In 1908, three years before the Nizam's coronation, the city of Hyderabad was struck by a major flood that resulted in the death of thousands. The Nizam, on the advice of Sir M. Visvesvaraya , ordered the construction of two large reservoirs—the Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar —to prevent another flood. He

150-434: A hospice named Zawiyah Hindiyya. In 1922, Nizam VII issued a firman banning the public slaughter of cows in his kingdom. After Indian independence in 1947, the country was partitioned into India and Pakistan . The princely states were left free to make whatever arrangement they wished with either India or Pakistan. The Nizam ruled over more than 16 million people and 82,698 square miles (214,190 km) of territory when

200-649: A royal firman. It is one of the largest universities in India. Schools, colleges and a Department for Translation were set up. Nearly all the major public buildings and institutions in Hyderabad city, such as the Hyderabad High Court , Jubilee Hall , Nizamia Observatory , Moazzam Jahi Market , Kachiguda Railway Station , Asafiya Library ( State Central Library, Hyderabad ), the Town Hall now known as

250-510: A scientific manner that these matchless monuments have found a fresh lease of life for at least a couple of centuries. The Nizam provided substantial funding for the restoration of Masjid Al-Aqsa (one of the three holiest sites in the Islamic world). Additionally, he contributed greatly to the creation of waqfs (Muslim endowments) in Palestine and supported the renovation and restoration of

300-468: A severe blow to Nizam as it gave all foreign affairs, communication and defence power to the Indian government. The new Indian government wasn't happy that a sovereign state would exist right at the centre of India. In accordance to this, they ultimately decided to invade Hyderabad in 1948, in operation code-named Operation Polo . Under the supervision of Major General Jayanto Nath Chaudhuri , one division of

350-766: A tributary of the Godavari River , between Achampet(Nizamabad) and Banjepally villages of the Kamareddy district in Telangana , India . It is located at about 144 km (89 mi) northwest of Hyderabad . Nizam Sagar is the oldest dam in the state of Telangana . The Nizam had refused to accede Hyderabad to India after the country's independence on 15 August 1947. He wanted his domains to remain an independent state or join Pakistan. Later, he wanted his state to join India; however, his power had weakened because of

400-720: Is now declared a heritage site by UNESCO . After hearing about the Golden Temple of Amritsar through Maharaja Ranjit Singh, he started providing it with yearly grants. In 1932, there was a need for money for the publication of the Holy Mahabharata by the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute located in Pune. A formal request was made to Mir Osman Ali Khan who granted Rs. 1000 per year for 11 years. He also gave Rs 50,000 for

450-685: Is the Persian version of the title of tribal leaders of Sayyids , that are addressed in the arabic world as Naqib . Examples for Persian Miran (Plural of Mir) are Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani and the family of the Mir Sayyid Hasan bin Azimullah and Hazrat Ishaan , that are today known as Dakik Family . In the Yazidi culture, the Mîr is the religious and also the administrative authority from

500-537: The Darul Uloom Deoband . Shri Shivaji Educational Society Amravati also received a total grant of 50,000 from the Nizam in the 1940's. During the early 1920s, the site of Ajanta Caves was under the princely state of the Hyderabad and Osman Ali Khan (the Nizam of Hyderabad ) appointed experts to restore the artwork, converted the site into a museum and built a road to enable tourists to come to

550-461: The Indian Army and a tank brigade invaded and captured Hyderabad. The annexation was over in just 109 hours or roughly 4 days. Due to no foreign connections and no real defence, the war was a losing cause for Hyderabad from the start. After the annexation the territory came under Indian rule and the Nizam was removed from his position but allowed to keep all personal wealth and title. The Nizam

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600-634: The Jacob Diamond , a 185-carat diamond that is part of the Nizam's jewellery , as a paperweight. During his days as Nizam, he was reputed to be the richest man in the world, having a fortune estimated at US$ 2 billion in the early 1940s (US$ 37.3 billion in 2023 dollars) or two percent of the US economy then. The Nizam's personal fortune was estimated to be roughly £110 million, including £40 million in gold and jewels (equivalent to £2,690,199,336 in 2023). The Indian government still exhibits

650-697: The Ottoman Empire , Mir-i Miran was used as the Persian equivalent to the Turkish title Beylerbey ("Bey of Beys"), alongside the Arabic equivalent Amir al-Umara ("Emir of Emirs"). Nawab Muhammad Ali Beg Nawab Muhammad Ali Beg , KCIE , MVO (1852–1930) was an Indian military leader from Hyderabad State , serving there and in the British Indian Army . He

700-562: The Rajpramukh and served from 26 January 1950 to 31 October 1956. By donating to major educational institutions throughout India, he introduced many educational reforms during his reign. Up to 11% of his budget was spent on education. Schools, colleges and a Department for Translation were set up. Primary education was made compulsory and provided free for the poor. He founded the Osmania University in 1918 through

750-675: The State Bank of India as the state's central bank in 2017. It was established on 8 August 1941 under the Hyderabad State Bank Act. The bank managed the Osmania Sicca ( Hyderabadi rupee ), the currency of the state of Hyderabad. It was the only state in India that had its currency , and the only state in British India where the ruler was allowed to issue currency. In 1953, the bank absorbed, by merger,

800-659: The Telangana Rebellion and the rise of a radical militia known as the Razakars , whom he could not put down. In 1948, the Indian Army invaded and annexed Hyderabad State and defeated the Razakars. The Nizam became the Rajpramukh of Hyderabad State between 1950 and 1956, after which the state was partitioned and became part of Andhra Pradesh , Karnataka , and Maharashtra . In 1951, he not only started

850-995: The Yadagirigutta temple at Bhongir, Rs. 29,999 to the Sita Ramachandraswamy temple, Bhadrachalam and yearly donation of Rs. 8,000 to the Tirupati Balaji Temple . He also donated Rs. 50,000 towards the reconstruction of Sitarambagh temple located in the old city of Hyderabad, and bestowed a grant of 100,000 Hyderabadi rupees towards the reconstruction of Thousand Pillar Temple . He also donated 1,525 acres of Land to "Sita Rama Swami Temple" located in Devaryamjal Other temples which received yearly monetary grants were Yadgirigutta temple, Mahetta Balekdas temple, Sikhar temple, Seetharambagh temple and Jamsingh temple. The 7th Nizam also donated towards restoration of Ramappa Temple which

900-404: The 18th century. Mir Osman Ali Khan acceded as the Nizam of Hyderabad upon the death of his father in 1911. The state of Hyderabad was the largest of the princely states in colonial India. With an area of 86,000 square miles (223,000  km), it was roughly the size of the present-day United Kingdom. The Nizam was the highest-ranking prince in India, was one of only five princes entitled to

950-789: The Assembly Hall, Hyderabad Museum now known as the State Museum ; hospitals like Osmania General Hospital , Nizamia Hospital and many other buildings were constructed under his reign. He also built the Hyderabad House in Delhi, now used for diplomatic meetings by the Government of India. In 1941, he started his bank, the Hyderabad State Bank. It was later renamed State Bank of Hyderabad and merged with

1000-581: The British withdrew from the sub-continent in 1947. But unlike the other princely states, the Nizam refused to sign the instrument of accession. Instead he opted to sign a 1-year standstill agreement agreed upon by the British, and signed by then viceroy Lord Mountbatten. The Nizam refused to join either India or Pakistan, preferring to form a separate independent kingdom within the British Commonwealth of Nations . This proposal for independence

1050-501: The Executive Council would also be the prime minister of Hyderabad . The Begumpet Airport was established in 1930 with the eventual formation of Hyderabad Aero Club by the Nizam in 1936. Initially, Nizam's private airline, Deccan Airways , one of the earliest airlines in British India, used it as a domestic and international airport. The terminal building was constructed in 1937. The first commercial flight took off from

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1100-733: The Great Musi Flood of 1908, which killed an estimated 50,000 people, the Nizam constructed two lakes to prevent flooding—the Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar named after himself, and his son Azam Jah respectively. The Nizam founded agricultural research in the Marathwada region of Hyderabad State with the establishment of the Main Experimental Farm in 1918 in Parbhani . During his rule, agricultural education

1150-570: The Hyderabad Imperial Service Lancers. Honorary Major Muhammad Ali Beg, Nawab, Afsar-i-jung, Afsar-ud-Daula Bahadur, C.I.E. to be Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel. Dated 9th. August, 1902. Chancery of the Royal Victorian Order, St. James's Palace, May 15, 1906. The KING has been graciously pleased, on the occasion of the visit of Their Royal Highnesses The Prince and Princess of Wales to India, to make

1200-526: The Mercantile Bank of Hyderabad, which Raja Pannalal Pitti had founded in 1935. In 1956, the Reserve Bank of India took over the bank as its first subsidiary and renamed it State Bank of Hyderabad (SBH). The Subsidiary Banks Act was passed in 1959. On 1 October 1959, SBH and the other banks of the princely states became subsidiaries of SBI. It merged with SBI on 31 March 2017. After

1250-475: The Nizam attempted to declare his sovereignty over the state of Hyderabad, either as a protectorate of the British Empire or as a sovereign monarchy. However, his power weakened because of the Telangana Rebellion and the rise of the Razakars , a Muslim militia who wanted Hyderabad to remain under Muslim rule. In 1948, India invaded and annexed Hyderabad State, and the rule of the Nizam ended. He became

1300-612: The Nizam of Hyderabad, is grandted the honorary rank of Major. Dated 16th May 1888 THE Queen has been graciously pleased on the occasion of the celebration of the completion of the Sixtieth Year of Her Majesty's Reign, to make the following promotions in, and appointments to, the Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire: To be Companions: Major Nawab Muhammad Ali Beg, Afsar-i-Jang, Bahadur, Commandant of

1350-542: The Nizam's jewels, two Bari gold coins worth hundreds of crores were considered the rarest in the world. Himayat Ali Mirza has requested the central government to bring these coins, which were made in the Arabic script , back to Hyderabad . Mir (title) The term Mir has its roots in the Arabic equivalent Emir , which means Prince or General. Emir is derived from the Arabic root a-m-r, "command". Its other variations are Miran (plural of Mir), Mirzadeh, and Mirza Mir

1400-575: The Qatani branch of the Sheikh caste. The former Mir was Tahseen Said Beg , whose son Hazim bin Tahsin Said and nephew Naif ben Dawood contest leadership. The title Mir is also used by various Vassals of the British Empire , who are neither Sayyids nor Yezidi . In Muslim princely states of British India, a few rulers were formally styled Mir , notably in present Pakistan , where only two of

1450-507: The airport in 1946. The Nizam arranged a matrimonial alliance with the deposed caliph Abdulmejid II whereby Nizam's first son Azam Jah would marry Princess Durrushehvar of the Ottoman Empire . It was believed that the matrimonial alliance between Nizam and Abdulmejid II would lead to the emergence of a Muslim ruler who could be acceptable to the world powers in place of the Ottoman Sultans . After India's Independence,

1500-532: The city of Hyderabad , including Osmania University , Osmania General Hospital , State Bank of Hyderabad , Begumpet Airport , and the Hyderabad High Court . Two reservoirs, Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar , were built during his reign, to prevent another great flood in the city. The Nizam also constructed the Nizam Sagar Dam and, in 1923, a reservoir constructed across the Manjira River ,

1550-526: The construction of Nizam Orthopedic Hospital (now known as Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS)) and gave it to the government on a 99-year lease for a monthly rent of Rs.1, he also donated 14,000 acres (5,700 ha) of land from his estate to Vinobha Bhave 's Bhoodan movement for re-distribution among landless farmers. Mir Osman Ali Khan was born 5 or 6 April 1886, the second son of Mahboob Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VI and Amat-uz-Zahra Begum at Purani Haveli (also known as Masarrat Mahal palace). He

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1600-753: The construction of the institute's guest house which stands today as the Nizam Guest House. In October 1962, during the Sino-Indian War , the PM Lal Bahadur Shastri visited Hyderabad and requested the Nizam to contribute to the National Defence Fund, set up in the wake of the Indo-Chinese skirmishes. In response, the Nizam donated 5,000 Kilos of gold to the Indian army. In terms of today's gold price in

1650-685: The international market, this donation translates to Rs 2,500 Crore. The Nizam donated Rs 1 million for the Banaras Hindu University , Rs. 500,000 for the Aligarh Muslim University , and 300,000 for the Indian Institute of Science . He also made large donations to many institutions in India and abroad with special emphasis given to educational institutions such as the Jamia Nizamia and

1700-626: The jewellery as the Jewels of the Nizams of Hyderabad (now in Delhi). There are 173 jewels, which include emeralds weighing nearly 2,000 carats (0.40 kg), and pearls exceeding 40 thousand chows . The collection includes gemstones , turban ornaments, necklaces and pendants , belts and buckles, earrings , armbands , bangles and bracelets , anklets , cufflinks and buttons , watch chains , and rings, toe rings , and nose rings . Along with

1750-516: The prime minister of Hyderabad Maharaja Kishen Pershad , Colonel Alexander Pinhey (1911–1916) British resident of Hyderabad , the Paigah, and the distinguished nobles of the state and the head of principalities under Nizam domain. The famous mines of Golconda were the major source of wealth for the Nizams, with the Kingdom of Hyderabad being the only supplier of diamonds for the global market in

1800-523: The principal nobles of the Paigah family . Mir Mahboob Ali Khan The VI Nizam died on 29 August 1911 and on the same day Mir Osman Ali Khan was proclaimed Nizam VII under the supervision of Nawab Shahab Jung, a minister of Police and Public works. On 18 September 1911, the crowning ceremony was officially held at the Chowmahalla Palace . His coronation Durbar (court) included

1850-533: The principal palace. He lived on his own to avoid the atmosphere of the palace quarters under the guidance of Sir Brian and other British officials and mentors so that he could flourish as a gentleman of the highest class. Sir Brian Egerton recorded that as a child, Mir Osman Ali Khan was magnanimous and "anxious to learn". Because of the indomitable attitude of zenana (the women) who were determined to send Mir Osman Ali Khan out of Hyderabad for further studies, he pursued them at Mayo College after consultation with

1900-426: The site. The Nizam's Director of Archaeology obtained the services of two experts from Italy, Professor Lorenzo Cecconi , assisted by Count Orsini, to restore the paintings in the caves. The Director of Archaeology for the last Nizam of Hyderabad said of the work of Cecconi and Orsini: The repairs to the caves and the cleaning and conservation of the frescoes have been carried out on such sound principles and in such

1950-589: The six have actually reached the level of salute state , becoming entitled to a gun salute and the attached form of address His Highness : The following all remained non-salute states: Mir was also used as an honor rank. (See: Mirza ) In the subcontinent , since the Mughal period, various compounds were used in Persian including: In the Hindu kingdom of Nepal : In the Baloch kingdom of Balochistan : In

2000-558: The unit became known as the "Hyderabad Squadron".) He also paid for a Royal Navy vessel, the N-class destroyer, HMAS  Nizam commissioned in 1940 and transferred to the Royal Australian Navy . In 1918, the Nizam issued a firman (decree) that established Osmania University , the first university to have Urdu as the language of instruction. The present campus was completed in 1934. The Firman also mentioned

2050-530: The university's detailed mission and objectives. The establishment of Osmania University was highly lauded by Nobel Prize laureate Rabindranath Tagore who was overjoyed to see the day when Indians are "freed from the shackles of a foreign language and our education becomes naturally accessible to all our people". In 1919, the Nizam ordered the formation of the Executive Council of Hyderabad, presided over by Sir Sayyid Ali Imam, including eight other members, each in charge of one or more departments. The president of

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2100-405: Was available only at Hyderabad; crop research centres for sorghum , cotton, and fruits existed in Parbhani. After independence, the Indian government developed this facility further and renamed it Marathwada Agriculture University on 18 May 1972. India's first airport—the Begumpet Airport —was established in the 1930s with the formation of the Hyderabad Aero Club by the Nizam. Initially, it

2150-552: Was born Aurangabad (Deccan) in 1852 He was the son of the late Mirza Vilayet Ali Beg, Ressaldar of the 3rd Lancers, Hyderabad Contingent. From 1897 he commanded the Nizam's regular forces, and from 1884 he was aide-de-camp to the Nizam of Hyderabad, in the Ressaldar Hyderabad Contingent. He was Commander of the Golconda Brigade since 1885, in the Hyderabad Imperial Service Troops since 1893, and Commander of Regular Troops since 1897, Jagirdar , Hyderabad State. Muhammad Ali Beg Nawab, Afsar-i-Jang Bahadur, Aide-de-Camp to His Highness

2200-467: Was educated privately and reportedly became fluent in Urdu , Persian , Arabic and English. Under Nawab Muhammad Ali Beg he received court ethics and military training. On the recommendation of the Viceroy of India , Lord Elgin in 1898, in early 1899 Sir Brian Egerton (of the Egerton family and former tutor to Maharajah of Bikaner Ganga Singh ) was appointed as Mir Osman Ali Khan's English tutor for two years. During this period he lived away from

2250-542: Was given the title of "Faithful Ally of the British Crown " after World War One because of his financial contribution to the British Empire 's war effort. Part of the reason behind his unique title of "His Exalted Highness" and other titles was due to the huge amounts of financial help that he provided the British amounting to nearly £25 million (£1,538,279,000 in 2024). (For example, No. 110 Squadron RAF 's original complement of Airco DH.9A aircraft were Osman Ali's gift. Each aircraft bore an inscription to that effect, and

2300-438: Was rejected by the British government, but the Nizam continued to explore it. Towards this end, he kept up open negotiations with the Government of India regarding the modalities of a future relationship while opening covert negotiations with Pakistan in a similar vein. The Nizam cited the Razakars as evidence that the people of the state were opposed to any agreement with India. The one-year standstill agreement turned out to be

2350-428: Was so wealthy that he was portrayed on the cover of Time magazine on 22 February 1937, being described as the world's richest man. At its peak, the wealth of Osman Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VII was worth ₹ 660 crore (US$ 79 million) (all his conceivable assets combined) in the early 1940s, while Nizam's entire treasure of jewels, would be worth between US$ 150 million and US$ 500 million variously in today's terms. He used

2400-425: Was the Golconda mines , the only supplier of diamonds in the world at that time. Among them was the Jacob Diamond , valued at some £50 million (in 2008 terms), and used by the Nizam as a paperweight . During his 37-year rule, electricity was introduced, and railways, roads, and airports were developed. He was known as the "Architect of modern Hyderabad" and is credited with establishing many public institutions in

2450-464: Was used as a domestic and international airport by Deccan Airways Limited , the first airline in British India. The airport terminal was constructed in 1937. During Mir Osman Ali Khan’s regime, financial support of Rs 97,000 and more than Two-lakh-acres of land were donated for the Hindu temples. Hindu temple histories in Hyderabad, both oral and written, feature close interaction with the Nizam’s court and administration. The Nizam donated Rs. 82,825 to

2500-461: Was widely considered one of the world's wealthiest people of all time. With some estimates placing his wealth at 2% of U.S. GDP, his portrait was on the cover of Time magazine in 1937. As a semi-autonomous monarch, he had his mint, printing his currency, the Hyderabadi rupee , and had a private treasury that was said to contain £100 million in gold and silver bullion, and a further £400 million of jewels (in 2008 terms). The major source of his wealth

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