Mahboob Ali Khan

Mahboob Ali Khan
Asaf Jah VI, also known as Sir Mir Mahboob Ali Khan Siddiqi Bayafandi (17 August 1866 – 29 August 1911), was the 9th Nizam of Hyderabad. He ruled Hyderabad State, one of the princely states of India, between 1869 and 1911.
Early life
Mahboob Ali Khan was born on 17 August 1866 at Purani Haveli in Hyderabad, Hyderabad State (now in Telangana, India). He was the youngest son of the 5th Nizam, Afzal-ud-Daulah. On 29 February, Mahboob Ali Khan, after Afzal-ud-Daulah had died a day earlier, ascended the throne under the regency of Dewan Salar Jung I and Shams-ul-Umra III. Mahboob Ali Khan was then aged two years and seven months. While Salar Jung I served as regent, Shams-ul-Umra III served as co-regent.
Mahboob Ali Khan was the first Nizam to have a Western education. A special school, under the guidance of Captain John Clarke, was started in the Chowmahalla Palace. The children of Salar Jung I, Shams-ul-Umra III and Kishen Pershad were his classmates. Besides English, he was also taught Persian, Arabic and Urdu. In 1874, Captain John Clarke, a former tutor to the Duke of Edinburgh, was appointed to teach him English. Clarke imbibed in the "young Mahboob the customs and manners of high English society". Clarje worked closely with an Indian tutor, Navab Agha Mirza Sarvar al-Mulk, who shared in supervising the Nizam's education and ultimately became a close confidant and advisor to him.
Reign
Investiture
At the age of sixteen, Salar Jung I began introducing Mahboob Ali Khan to the administrative processes of the state. The highest-ranking officials of various departments would meet him to teach how their respective departments worked. The regency of Salar Jung I and Shams-ul-Umra III ended when Mahboob Ali Khan came out of age. His investiture ceremony took place on 5 February 1884. Lord Ripon, the Governor-General of India, was present and gave him a golden sword, which was studded with diamonds. Mahboob Ali Khan took the title His Exalted Highness Asaf Jah, Muzaffar-ul-Mulk, Nawab Mahbub Ali Khan Bahadur, Fateh Jung.
Development of railway network
Nizam's Guaranteed State Railway, a railway company fully owned by the Nizams, was established in 1879 Formed to connect Hyderabad State with the rest of British India, it had its headquartered at Secunderabad Railway Station. Its construction commenced in 1870, and four years later, the Secunderabad-Wadi line was completed. In 1879, Mahbub Ali Khan took over the railway line, which became managed by the Nizam's state-owned railway.
After independence, it was integrated into Indian Railways. The introduction of railways also marked the beginning of the industry in Hyderabad, and four factories were built to the south and east of Hussain Sagar Lake.
Education development
Mahboob Ali Khan established the Hyderabad Medical College, the first in India, and commissioned for chloroform the first time in world. In 1873, there were 14 schools in Hyderabad City and 141 in the rest of the districts. That reached 1000 at the time of his death.
Events during rule
Famine
The Great Famine of 1876-1878 occurred during his reign. The entire Deccan, including Hyderabad Deccan, was devastated by food shortages, which were enormously exacerbated by British policies. The Nizam distributed aid to famine victims, which caused tens of thousands of people to flee to Hyderabad from Sholapur and other affected areas.
Durbar
The Nizam attended the 1903 Delhi Durbar celebrations to mark the succession of Edward VII as Emperor of India, where he played an important part as one of the senior ruling princes present. During the event he was personally invested with the Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB) by the Duke of Connaught, who represented his brother at the ceremonies.
Flood of 1908
The Great Musi Flood of 1908 ravaged the city of Hyderabad, affected at least 200,000 people and killed an estimated 15,000. The Nizam opened his palace to accommodate the flood victims until "normal conditions were restored". Upon the guidance of the holy priest of the Katta Maisamma Temple, he also took part in a yagna, and it is believed that the waters then started receding within hours of the yagna.
Prohibition of Sati
The practice of Sati was Hindu tradition of a widowed woman jumping into her husband's burning pyre. That concerned the Nizam, who took serious note of it continuing in some parts of his kingdom despite its banning, and so he issued a royal firman on 12 November 1876:
It is now notified that if anybody takes any action in this direction in the future, they will have to face serious consequences. If Taluqdars, Naibs, Jagirdars, Zamindars and others are found careless and negligent in the matter, serious action will be taken against them by the government.
Personal life
According to the Viceroy of India, Lord Lytton, the Nizam was the object of the Diwan, Salar Jung I, a man who wanted to reduce Mir Mahboob Ali Khan to a cipher to hold the power of the state and remain concentrated in his own hands. The sixth Nizam had seven sons and seven daughters.
Marriage
He was married to Amat Uz Zahra Begum, daughter of Salar Jung I with whom he fell in love while he was studying at the age of 18.
Lifestyle
The Nizam was well known for his extravagant lifestyle and collection of clothes and cars. His collection of clothes was one of the most extensive in the world at the time. He devoted a whole wing of his palace to his wardrobe and would never wear the same outfit twice. He bought the Jacob Diamond, which stands out among the Jewels of The Nizams that are now owned by the Government of India.
The Nizam was also fluent in Urdu, Telugu and Persian. He also wrote poems in Telugu and Urdu, some of which are inscribed along the walls of Tank Bund. A keen hunter, he killed at least 30 tigers.
Death
The Nizam died on 29 August 1911 at the age of 45. He was buried alongside his ancestors at Mecca Masjid, Hyderabad. His second son, Mir Osman Ali Khan, succeeded him.
Mystical powers
He claimed to possess a healing power against snakebites. It was his order that if anyone from the public had a snake bite, they could approach him. As a result, he was repeatedly awakened from his sleep to cure people of snakebites.
Other names
Mahboob Ali Pasha
He was better known as "Mahboob Ali Pasha" by the people, "Mahboob" meaning "dear one".
Tees Maar Khan
He was known as a skilled hunter. People from nearby villages many times called for his help to kill tigers that were lurking in the nearby fields and threatening the lives of poor farmers. Hence, he ended up killing at least 33 tigers during his lifetime. He was popularly known as Tees Maar Khan, meaning the Khan who killed tees (thirty) tigers.
Despite his reputation as a tiger-hunter, Khan was known for his compassion and love for all living things. He would never kill a tiger unless it was a matter of necessity, and he always treated the animals he hunted with respect. He understood that the tiger was not just a threat but a magnificent creature, which deserved to live unless it posed a threat to humans.
Full titles
1866–1869: Sahibzada Mir Mahbub Ali Khan Siddiqi Bahadur
1869–1877: His Highness Rustam-i-Dauran, Arustu-i-Zaman, Wal Mamaluk, Asaf Jah VI, Muzaffar ul-Mamaluk, Nizam ul-Mulk, Nizam ud-Daula, Nawab Mir Mahbub 'Ali Khan Bahadur, Sipah Salar, Fath Jang, Nizam of Hyderabad
1877–1884: His Highness Rustam-i-Dauran, Arustu-i-Zaman, Wal Mamaluk, Asaf Jah VI, Muzaffar ul-Mamaluk, Nizam ul-Mulk, Nizam ud-Daula, Nawab Mir Mahbub 'Ali Khan Siddiqi Bahadur, Sipah Salar, Fath Jang, Nizam of Hyderabad
1884–1902: His Highness Rustam-i-Dauran, Arustu-i-Zaman, Wal Mamaluk, Asaf Jah VI, Muzaffar ul-Mamaluk, Nizam ul-Mulk, Nizam ud-Daula, Nawab Sir Mir Mahbub 'Ali Khan Bahadur, Sipah Salar, Fath Jang, Nizam of Hyderabad, GCSI
1903–1910: His Highness Rustam-i-Dauran, Arustu-i-Zaman, Wal Mamaluk, Asaf Jah VI, Muzaffar ul-Mamaluk, Nizam ul-Mulk, Nizam ud-Daula, Nawab Sir Mir Mahboob 'Ali Khan Bahadur, Sipah Salar, Fath Jang, Nizam of Hyderabad, GCB, GCSI
1910–1911: Lieutenant-General His Highness Rustam-i-Dauran, Arustu-i-Zaman, Wal Mamaluk, Asaf Jah VI, Muzaffar ul-Mamaluk, Nizam ul-Mulk, Nizam ud-Daula, Nawab Mir Sir Mahbub 'Ali Khan Siddiqi Bahadur, Sipah Salar, Fath Jang, Nizam of Hyderabad, GCB, GCSI
Honours
(ribbon bar, as it would look today)
British honours
Empress of India Gold Medal, 1877
Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India (GCSI), 1884
Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB), in the 1903 Durbar Honours list, 1903
Delhi Durbar Gold Medal, 1903
Foreign honours
Grand Cross of the Order of the Red Eagle, 1911
See also
Hyderabad State
Nizam
Establishments during Nizams Rule
Jewels of the Nizams
Nizam College
References
External links
A man of many talents
Birthday Celebrations
Jah
Jah
20th-century Indian royalty
Indian Muslims
Nizams of Hyderabad
Knights Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India
Honorary Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath
Asaf Jahi dynasty
Founders of Indian schools and colleges
History of Telangana
Indian royalty
Child monarchs from Asia
Urdu-language poets from India