Asaf Jah VII of Hyderabad
Last ruler of Hyderabad, India (1886–1967)
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 British Indian Empire. He ascended the throne on 29 August 1911, at the age of 25 and ruled the State of Hyderabad until 1948, when the Indian Union annexed it.2
From Wikipedia’s article on Asaf Jah VII of Hyderabad (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.
Born Apr 6, 1886, died Feb 24, 1967.1
About
He was styled as His Exalted Highness (H.E.H) the Nizam of Hyderabad, and 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 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 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 future flooding after the Great Musi Flood of 1908 in the city. The Nizam also constructed the Nizam Sagar Dam and, in 1923, a reservoir was constructed across the Manjira River, a tributary of the Godavari River, between Achampet (Nizamabad) and Banjepally villages of Kamareddy district in Telangana, India. It is located at about 144 km (89 mi) northwest of Hyderabad and is the oldest dam in the state.
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 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 started the construction of Nizam Orthopedic Hospital (now known as Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS)) and leased it to the government for 99 years 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.
From Wikipedia’s article on Asaf Jah VII of Hyderabad, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.2
Companies
- State Bank of HyderabadFounder17
Early life and education
- Date not recordedAliya High School for Boys3
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 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 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 the principal palace. He had his own household, to avoid the atmosphere of the palace quarters, under the guidance of Egerton and other British officials and mentors, so that he could flourish as a gentleman of the highest class. 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 Osman Ali Khan out of Hyderabad for further studies, he pursued them at Mayo College after consultation with the principal nobles of the Paigah family.
Early years (1911 to 1918)
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 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 (£1,200,000,000 in 2025). (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 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 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".
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Educational initiatives
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. Primary education was made compulsory and provided free for the poor.
Osmania University
He founded the Osmania University in 1918 through a royal firman. It is one of the largest universities in India. Schools, colleges and a Department for Translation were set up.
Donations to educational institutions
The Nizam donated Rs 1 million to the Banaras Hindu University, Rs. 500,000 to the Aligarh Muslim University, and 300,000 to 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 the Darul Uloom Deoband.
Shri Shivaji Educational Society Amravati received a total grant of 50,000 from the Nizam in the 1940s.
From Wikipedia’s article on Asaf Jah VII of Hyderabad (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.
Career
Occupation: ruler, politician, monarch.9
Personal life
- BornApr 6, 1886, Hyderabad State10
- DiedFeb 24, 1967, Hyderabad11
- CitizenshipHyderabad State12
- SpouseQueen Azam-un-Nisa of Hyderabad13
- Children3414 15
Wealth
The Nizam 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$69 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 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$39.4 billion in 2025 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 £1,862,310,826 in 2025).
The Indian government still exhibits 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 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.
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Gift to Queen Elizabeth II
In 1947, Nizam made a gift of diamond jewels, including a tiara and necklace, to the future Queen Elizabeth II on the occasion of her marriage. The brooches and necklace, known as the Nizam of Hyderabad necklace, were worn by the Queen until her death.
The Nizam lived at King Kothi Palace — bought from a nobleman (Kamal Khan, an architect of those times) — from age 13 until his death. He never moved to Chowmahalla Palace, even after his accession to the throne.
Unlike his father, he was not interested in fine clothing or hunting. His hobbies rather included poetry and writing ghazals in Urdu.
He revered his mother and visited her every day she was alive; he used to visit her grave almost every day after she died.
Family
He had seven wives. His first wife was Sahibzadi Azam-un-Nisa Begum Sahiba also known as Dulhan Pasha Begum. She was the elder daughter of Nawab Jahangir Jung. They married on 14 April 1906 at Eden Bagh, Hyderabad. Nawab Khudrath Nawaz Jung was his first brother-in-law. She was the mother of his sons Azam Jah and Moazzam Jah, and a daughter Ahmed-un-Nisa Begum also known as Shahzada Pasha. She died in 1955, and was buried beside her husband in Masjid-e Judi.
Another wife was Shahzada Begum. She was the mother of Hasham Jah, who was born after her two earlier pregnancies ended in stillbirths. Another wife was Ikbal Begum. She was the daughter of his Army Secretary, Nawab Nazir Jung. Another wife was Gowhar Begum. She was a niece of the Aga Khan. Another wife was Mazhar-un-Nisa Begum. She was the youngest daughter of Khurshid-ul-Mulk, the grand-daughter in the line of the fifth Nizam, Afzal-ud-Daulah, and a niece of the sixth Nizam, Mahboob Ali Khan. They married in 1923. She died on 18 June 1964. Another wife was Leila Begum. She was a Hindu woman whose family willingly sent her to his harem as gratitude. She possessed exceptional beauty, and was his favourite wife. They had five sons - Zulfiqar Jah, Bhojat Jah, Shabbir Jah, Nawazish Jah and Fazal Jah - and two daughters Mashhadi Begum and Sayeeda Begum. His last wife was Jani Begum. She was the daughter of Sahibzada Yavar Jung, and was the mother of Imdad Jah. She died on 7 June 1959. In total, he had 34 children: 18 sons and 16 daughters.. According to the family records, Imdad Jah Bahadur had six sons and four daughters. His eldest son, Dilshad Jah Bahadur, had four children, including his eldest daughter, Asmath Unnisa Begum. Asmath Unnisa Begum is the mother of five children: two daughters, Umaiza Khan and Urwah Khan, and three sons, Umar Ullah Khan, Uzair Ullah Khan, and Umair Ullah Khan.
His first son, Azam Jah, married Durru Shehvar (daughter of the Ottoman caliph Abdul Mejid II), while his second son Moazzam Jah, married Niloufer (a niece of the Ottoman sultan).
Azam Jah and Durru Shehvar had two sons, Mukarram Jah and Muffakham Jah, with the former succeeding his grandfather as the de jure Nizam. Moazzam Jah, after his divorce from Princess Nilofer, since she couldn't bear a child, married Razia Begum and had three daughters - Princess Fatima Fouzia, Princess Amina Merzia and Princess Oolia Kulsum. He also married Anwari Begum and had a son, Prince Shahmat Jah.
Another socially prominent grandson is Mir Najaf Ali Khan, son of Hasham Jah, who represents several trusts of the last Nizam, including the H.E.H. the Nizam's Charitable Trust and the Nizam Family Welfare Association.
The Nizams' daughters had been married traditionally to young men of the House of Paigah. This family also belonged to the Sunni sect of Islam. One of his daughters Ahmed-un-Nisa Begum, by his first wife Azam-un-Nisa Begum, was once engaged to a nawab, but the Nizam suddenly called off the wedding after a traveling holy man warned him that he would not live long after her marriage. She remained unmarried, and died on 24 March 1985. Another of his daughters was Basheer-un-Nisa Begum. She was born in September 1927. She married Nawab Kazim Jung, popularly known as Ali Pasha, and had one daughter. She died at her residence, Osman Cottage, in Purani Haveli, of natural causes on 28 July 2020, aged ninety-three. She was the last surviving child of the Nizam. Another daughter Mashhadi Begum, by his wife Leila Begum, was born in September 1939. In January 1959, she married Paigah noble Mahmood Jah, and had four sons and two daughters. She died on 16 November 2015 due to chronic illness. Her funeral was performed at Masjid-e Judi, and she is buried at the Paigah Tombs, beside her husband. His youngest daughter by Leila Begum, Sayeeda Begum also known as Lily Pasha, was born on 30 December 1949. She died of a brief illness on 17 July 2017, and is buried in Masjid-e Judi. She was survived by a son and a daughter. Some other daughters were Asmat-un-Nisa Begum, Hurmat-un-Nisa Begum, Mehr-un-Nisa Begum and Masood-un-Nisa Begum.
Various parties have used the Nizam's name for political gain. A great-grandson, Himayat Ali Mirza, wrote to the prime minister in this regard along with the Election Commission of India, requesting political parties not to use Nizam's name in today's politics as it is disrespectful to such a great personality.
From Wikipedia’s article on Asaf Jah VII of Hyderabad (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.
Philanthropy
Donations to Hindu temples
During Mir Osman Ali Khan’s regime, financial support of Rs 97,000 and more than Two-lakh-acres of land were donated for Hindu temples. Histories of some Hindu temple in Hyderabad, both oral and written, feature close interaction with the Nizam’s court and administration.
The Nizam donated Rs. 82,825 to 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 near Warangal.
He also donated 1,525 acres of land to "Sita Rama Swami Temple" located in Devaryamjal.
Temples which received yearly monetary grants were Yadgirigutta temple, Mahetta Balekdas temple, Sikhar temple, Seetharambagh temple and Jamsingh temple. Several Hindu priests, living or deceased, were paid pensions for subsistence, either monthly or annually.
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Restoration of Ramappa temple
The 7th Nizam also donated towards restoration of Ramappa Temple which is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Donation towards golden temple
After hearing about the Golden Temple of Amritsar through Maharaja Ranjit Singh, he started providing it with yearly grants.
Donation towards the compilation of the Holy Mahabharata
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 the construction of the institute's guest house, Nizam Guest House, which still stands today.
Donation in Gold to the National Defence Fund
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, which translates to Rs 2,500 Crore (per 2018 gold price in the international market).
Restoration of Ajanta Ellora caves
During the early 1920s, the site of Ajanta Caves was under the princely state of the Hyderabad and Osman Ali Khan appointed experts to restore the artwork, converted the site into a museum and built a road to enable tourists to visit 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 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 a scientific manner that these matchless monuments have found a fresh lease of life for at least a couple of centuries.
Donations to Middle East
The Nizam provided substantial funding for the restoration of Masjid Al-Aqsa (considered the third holiest site in Islam). Additionally, he contributed greatly to the creation of waqfs (Muslim endowments) in Palestine and supported the renovation and restoration of a hospice named Zawiyah Hindiyya.
From Wikipedia’s article on Asaf Jah VII of Hyderabad (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.
Awards
Links
Sources
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- 8WikidataKing, as reported
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- 15Wikidatanumber of children, as reported
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- 17WikidataState Bank of Hyderabad, Founder
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