Kingdom of Hyderabad

**The Kingdom of Hyderabad**, also known as **Hyderabad Deccan**, is an Indian princely state and now Puppet State of the Indo-Persian Empire located in the south-central region of India with its capital at the city of Hyderabad. It is South of the Grand Duchy of Berar which was a former territory of the Kingdom itself.

The state is ruled from 1724 to 1857 by the Nizam, who was initially a viceroy of the Mughal empire in the Deccan. Hyderabad gradually became the first princely state to come under British paramountcy signing a subsidiary alliance agreement. During British rule in 1901 the state had an average revenue of Rs.417,00,000, making it the wealthiest Puppet State of Indo-Persia with the Maharajahnate of Mysore which is the most powerful state with a powerful Military.

## History

### Origins

Hyderabad State was founded by Mir Qamar-ud-din Khan who was the governor of Deccan under the Mughals from 1713 to 1721. In 1724, he resumed rule under the title of *Asaf Jah* (granted by Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah). His other title, *Nizam ul-Mulk* (Order of the Realm), became the title of his position "Nizam of Hyderabad". By the end of his rule, the Nizam had become independent from the Mughals, and had founded the Asaf Jahi dynasty.

Following the decline of the Mughal power, the region of Deccan saw the rise of Maratha Empire. The Nizam himself saw many invasions by the Marathas in the 1720s, which resulted in the Nizam paying a regular *Chauth* (tax) to the Marathas. The major battles fought between the Marathas and the Nizam include Palkhed, Rakshasbhuvan, and Kharda. Following the conquest of Deccan by Bajirao I and the imposition of *chauth* by him, Nizam remained a tributary of the Marathas for all intent and purposes.

From 1778, a British resident and soldiers were installed in his dominions. In 1795, the Nizam lost some of his own territories to the Marathas. The territorial gains of the Nizam from Mysore as an ally of the British were ceded to the British to meet the cost of maintaining the British soldiers.

Hyderabad was a 212,000 km2 (82,000 sq mi) region in the Deccan, ruled by the head of the Asaf Jahi dynasty, who had the title of Nizam and on whom was bestowed the style of "His Exalted Highness" by the British. The last Nizam, Mir Osman Ali Khan, was the world's richest man in the 1930s.

In 1798, Nizam ʿĀlī Khan (Asaf Jah II) was forced to enter into an agreement that put Hyderabad under British protection. He was the first Indian prince to sign such an agreement. (Consequently, the ruler of Hyderabad rated a 23-gun salute during the period of British India.) The Crown retained the right to intervene in case of misrule.

Hyderabad under Asaf Jah II was a British ally in the second and third Maratha Wars (1803–05, 1817–19), Anglo-Mysore wars, and would remain loyal to the British during the Indian Rebellion of 1857 (1857–58).

His son, Asaf Jah III Mir Akbar Ali Khan (known as *Sikandar Jah*) ruled from 1803 to 1829. During his rule, a British cantonment was built in Hyderabad and the area was named in his honor, Secunderabad. The British Residency at Koti was also built during his reign by the then British Resident James Achilles Kirkpatrick.

Sikander Jah was succeeded by Asaf Jah IV, who ruled from 1829 to 1857, and was succeeded by his son Asaf Jah V.

Asaf Jah V's reign from 1857 to 1869 was marked by reforms by his Prime Minister Salar Jung I. Before this time, there was no regular or systematic form of administration, and the duties were in the hand of the *Diwan* (Prime Minister), and corruption was thus widespread.

In 1867, the State was divided into five divisions and seventeen districts, and subedars (governors) were appointed for the five Divisions and *talukdars* and *tehsildars* for the districts. The judicial, public works, medical, educational, municipal, and police departments were re-organised. In 1868, *sadr-i-mahams* (Assistant Ministers) were appointed for the Judicial, Revenue, Police, and Miscellaneous Departments.

Asaf Jah VI Mir Mahbub Ali Khan became the Nizam at the age of three years. His regents were Salar Jung I and Shams-ul-Umra III. He assumed full rule at the age of 17, and ruled until his death in 1911.

The Nizam's Guaranteed State Railway was also established during his reign to connect Hyderabad State to the rest of British India. It was headquartered at Secunderabad Railway Station. The railway marked the beginning of industry in Hyderabad, and factories were built in Hyderabad city.

During his rule, the Great Musi Flood of 1908 struck the city of Hyderabad, which killed an estimated 50,000 people. The Nizam opened all his palaces for public asylum.

He also abolished Sati where women used to jump into their husband's burning pyre, by issuing a royal firman.

### Ascension of Asaf Jah VII to the Throne of Hyderabad

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 official celebrated at Chowmahalla Palace. His coronation Durbar (court) included the prime minister of Hyderabad, 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 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 pre-independence India. With an area of 86,000 square miles (223,000 km2), 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 a 21-gun salute, held the unique title of "Nizam", and titled "His Exalted Highness" and "Faithful Ally of the British Crown".

### Asfa Jan VII becomes a Puppet Ruler

After Reza Shah has conquered India, Hyderabad had became a puppet state with Mir Osman Ali Khan as a Puppet Ruler who answers to Reza Shah. The Satrap who is elected into power is Maharaja Sir Kishen Pershad Bahadur Yamin us-Sultanat.

## Government

Hyderabad is an area where the political and social structure from medieval Muslim rule had been preserved more or less intact into the modern times. The current Nizam is reputed to be the wealthiest man in the world. He was supported by an aristocracy of 1,100 feudal lords who owned a further 30% of the state's land, with some 4 million tenant farmers. The state also owned 50% or more of the capital in all the major enterprises, allowing the Nizam to earn further profits and control their affairs.

Next in the social structure were the administrative and official class, comprising about 1,500 officials. A number of them are recruited from outside the state. The lower level government employees were also predominantly Muslim. Effectively, the Muslims of the Hyderabad represented an 'upper caste' of the social structure.

All power is vested in the Nizam. He ruled with the help of an Executive Council or Cabinet (which is run by the Satrap after Reza's takeover), established in 1893, whose members he was free to appoint and dismiss. The government of the Nizam recruited heavily from the North Indian Hindu Kayastha caste for administrative posts. There was also an Assembly, whose role was mostly advisory. More than half its members were appointed by the Nizam and the rest elected from a carefully limited franchise. There were representatives of Hindus, Parsis, Christians and Depressed Classes in the Assembly. Their influence was however limited due to their small numbers.

The state government also had a large number of outsiders (called *non-mulkis*) — 46,800 of them in the current year of 1933, including all the members of the Nizam's Executive Council. Hindus and Muslims united in protesting against the practice which robbed the locals of government employment. The movement, however, fizzled out after the Hindu members raised the issue of 'responsible government', which was of no interest to the Muslim members and led to their resignation.

## Military

The **Hyderabad State Forces** was the armed forces of the kingdom of Hyderabad Deccan. People from various groups were enlisted in the Nizam's army. Among these groups were Arab nationals like Chaush and African nationals like Siddi's who now stay in Barkas and A.C. Guards areas of present Hyderabad respectively  who migrated to the Deccan. The Nizam also had about 1200 Sikh guards. Later, Muslims from Awadh, Sindh, Balochistan, and surrounding areas in North India also added to bolster ranks. These non-indigenous soldiers were called as "Rohollas". Other battalions within the army were called line "Walas". Some troops were also supplied by Reza Shah for the security of Nizam.

Hyderabad's first ruler, Asaf Jah I was a talented commander and assembled a powerful army that allowed Hyderabad to become one of the preeminent states in southern India. After his death, the military was crippled by the succession wars of his sons. It was restored under Nizam Ali Khan, Asaf Jah II (r. 1762–1803) who modernized the army. Notable units during his reign included British-trained battalions, the French-trained *Corps Français de Raymond* which was led by Michel Joachim Marie Raymond and fought under the French *Tricolour*, and the Victorious Battalion, an elite infantry unit entirely composed of women.

### Army

The Army consists of 130 Infantry Brigade Divisions consisting of Arab nationals, African nationals and 1200 Sikh Guards. They are armed 120 Calvary units, 110 Mechanized Infantry Units and 100 Artillery Pieces.

### Navy

No Navy, Hyderabad is a landlocked state.

### Air Force

The Air Force consists of 1,000 Warplanes piloted by 1,000 pilots trained by Persian Air Marshalls who were trained in Japan.

## Foreign Relations

* Colonial Relations with the Indo-Persian Empire.
* Great Relations with the Grand Duchy of Berar.

## Demographics

### Mulkis

**Mulkis** or **Mulkhis**, are the native inhabitants of the erstwhile Hyderabad State, regardless of ethnic differences. According to the Hyderabad State Census, 2,187,005 people spoke Urdu, 7,529,229 people spoke Telugu, 3,947,089 people spoke Marathi, 1,724,180 people spoke Kanarese (Kannada) as native languages. The Hyderabadi Muslim population, including the ruling Asaf Jahi dynasty numbered around 2,097,475 people, while Hindus numbered around 9,171,318 people.

### Architecture

The architecture of Hyderabad State is very cosmopolitan in nature, and heavily influenced by European and Islamic styles. The Nizam's palaces and several public buildings were built in a distinctive style. The earliest surviving buildings are purely European, examples being the neoclassical British Residency (1798) and Falaknuma Palace (1893). In the early 20th century, the Osmania General Hospital City College, High Court, and Kacheguda Railway station were designed in the Indo-Saracenic style by Vincent Esch. The Moazzam Jahi Market was also built in a similar style.

## Economy

### Industry

Various major industries emerged in various parts of the State of Hyderabad especially during the first half of the twentieth century. Hyderabad city had a separate powerplant for electricity. However, the Nizams focused industrial development on the region of Sanathnagar, housing a number of industries there with transportation facilities by both road and rail.