Hyderabad & the Nizams (Asaf Jahi Dynasty)

§1 — Nizams of Hyderabad: Quick Reference

The Asaf Jahi Dynasty: Quick Reference

The Asaf Jahi dynasty ruled the State of Hyderabad from 1724 to 1948 — a span of 224 years across seven Nizams. Two are most often tested: the founder Asaf Jah I and the last, Mir Osman Ali Khan.

§2 — Foundation: Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jah I

Foundation: Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jah I (1724–1748)

Mir Qamar-ud-Din Khan, also called Chin Qilich Khan, was a senior Mughal nobleman from a Turki family. He served Aurangzeb in the Deccan and rose under Bahadur Shah I and Muhammad Shah. Twice he served as Wazir at Delhi (1722–24, 1737); he was disgusted by the corruption and intrigue of the late Mughal court — particularly the dominance of the Syed Brothers and then their successors.

Battle of Shakar Khera (October 1724)

In 1724 he marched south to assume the Mughal subedari of the Deccan. Mubariz Khan, the incumbent appointed by the Wazir at Delhi, refused to give way. The two armies met at Shakar Khera (in modern Buldhana, Maharashtra) in October 1724. Mubariz Khan was killed; his head was sent to Delhi.

Muhammad Shah confirmed Asaf Jah I in his appointment and conferred the title "Asaf Jah" (a poetic Persian title, "of the rank of Asaf" — Asaf was the legendary Wazir of Solomon, denoting wisdom). From this date Hyderabad was effectively independent, though Asaf Jah I never formally renounced Mughal sovereignty and continued to read the khutba in the Mughal emperor's name.

Capital and Administration

Asaf Jah I's capital was initially Aurangabad; later Nizams shifted to Hyderabad (the city built by Quli Qutb Shah in 1591 as the Qutb Shahi capital). The state extended over a vast territory including modern Telangana, Marathwada, Hyderabad-Karnataka regions, and at its peak parts of coastal Andhra.

§3 — Asaf Jahi Succession: Carnatic Connection

Succession Crisis: Anglo-French Carnatic Connection

When Asaf Jah I died in 1748, his sons fought a succession war that became entangled with the Anglo-French Second Carnatic War. The contestants were:

The French general Marquis de Bussy with about 4,000 French-trained troops was stationed at Hyderabad from 1751–58 — effectively running Hyderabad's foreign policy. In return, the French were given the Northern Circars (coastal Andhra). After the British defeated the French in the Carnatic Wars, the British took the Northern Circars too.

§4 — Hyderabad in the Carnatic Wars

Hyderabad's Role in the Carnatic Wars

Hyderabad's succession dispute and territorial weakness made it a battleground of the Anglo-French rivalry. The state lost the Northern Circars (Ganjam, Vizagapatam, Rajahmundry, Ellore, Kondapalli — coastal Andhra) — initially to the French (1750s), then to the British (Treaty of Allahabad 1768 / Lord Robert Clive's negotiations).

In 1766 the Nizam ceded the Northern Circars formally to the British in exchange for an annual tribute. This made the EIC the strongest power in coastal Andhra and gave it a pivot for further south-Indian expansion.

§5 — Anti-Mysore Alliance

Anti-Mysore Alliance with the British

Throughout the late 18th century, Hyderabad's geopolitics was dominated by fear of Mysore. Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan had repeatedly invaded Hyderabad's western districts. Successive Nizams therefore allied with the British against Mysore:

• First Anglo-Mysore War (1767–69): Hyderabad was initially in the British alliance but Hyder Ali detached the Nizam by ceding territory.
• Third Anglo-Mysore War (1790–92): Hyderabad joined Cornwallis's "Triple Alliance" (British + Marathas + Hyderabad) against Tipu — and shared the spoils of the Treaty of Seringapatam.
• Fourth Anglo-Mysore War (1799): Hyderabad's contingent under Captain Malcolm aided the British capture of Srirangapatna; Hyderabad got Gooty, Gurramkonda, and other districts after Tipu's death.

Nizam Ali Khan (Asaf Jah II) was the first Indian ruler to sign the Subsidiary Alliance with Wellesley in 1798 — the first of a chain of Subsidiary Alliances that would leave Britain master of the subcontinent.

§6 — Subsidiary Alliance 1798

Subsidiary Alliance with Lord Wellesley (September 1798)

Lord Wellesley arrived as Governor-General in 1798 with a clear strategy: compel Indian states to accept "Subsidiary Alliance" — a system of indirect British control. Hyderabad was the first state targeted because:

• The Nizam had a strong French-trained contingent (under Raymond) — Wellesley wanted it disbanded;
• The Nizam was weak vis-à-vis Mysore and the Marathas, so he needed British protection;
• Hyderabad's enormous revenue could pay for British troops without British taxation.

Terms of the 1798 Subsidiary Alliance

Hyderabad thus became the first Indian state under Subsidiary Alliance. Mysore (1799), Awadh (1801), and the Marathas (1802 onwards) followed.

§7 — Salar Jung Reforms

Salar Jung Reforms (1853–1883)

Sir Salar Jung I (Mir Turab Ali Khan) was Diwan/Prime Minister of Hyderabad from 1853 to 1883 — under Nizams Nasir-ud-Daula, Afzal-ud-Daula, and Mir Mahbub Ali Khan. He inherited a bankrupt state; his reforms reversed it.

Key Reforms

• Revenue: Reformed the jagir and ijara systems, ending tax-farming; direct settlement with cultivators.
• Justice: Established a graded judicial system with district courts and a high court.
• Police: Modern police organisation on Bombay/Madras lines.
• Education: Founded modern schools and Hyderabad's first English school; established Madrasa-i-Aliya.
• Public works: Roads, dak system, telegraph integration.
• Loyalty in 1857: Salar Jung kept Hyderabad firmly on the British side during the Revolt of 1857. As reward, Britain returned the Raichur Doab (1860) — but kept Berar.

Berar Lease

The Berar region was leased to the British in 1853 in lieu of subsidiary force payments. Lord Curzon converted the lease to a "permanent assignment" in 1902 — effectively annexing Berar in all but name. After India's independence Berar was incorporated into Bombay state and later (1956) into Maharashtra.

§8 — Operation Polo (Police Action) 1948

Independence and Operation Polo (1948)

At Indian independence (15 August 1947), the last Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan (Asaf Jah VII) refused to accede to either India or Pakistan. He hoped to remain independent. The state's geography was inconvenient — Hyderabad was landlocked, surrounded entirely by Indian territory.

Internal Crisis

The internal situation was tense:

• The Razakars, a paramilitary force led by Qasim Razvi of the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM), terrorised Hindus and Communists alike;
• The Telangana Peasant Armed Struggle (1946–51) was a Communist-led uprising against the Nizam and the local landlord (deshmukh) class;
• Mass refugee flows — Hindus fleeing into India, Razakars conducting border raids.

Operation Polo (13–18 September 1948)

Acting on Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's direction (the Home Minister and Minister of States), the Indian Army launched Operation Polo (codename) — also known as the "Police Action" — on 13 September 1948. The operation was commanded by Major General J.N. Chaudhuri (later Chief of Army Staff). Indian forces entered from five directions; resistance was minimal.

The Nizam's forces collapsed within five days. On 17 September 1948 the Nizam announced surrender on All-India Radio. On 18 September the Indian Army entered Hyderabad city. The Nizam acceded to India and was made Rajpramukh (constitutional head) of Hyderabad State, holding the position until 1956 when the State Reorganisation Commission split Hyderabad into Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka (Hyderabad-Karnataka), and Maharashtra (Marathwada).

Casualties and Aftermath

The military operation had limited casualties (about 800 Razakars killed, ~50 Indian soldiers). However, the communal aftermath was severe — the Sundarlal Committee report (kept secret until 2013) estimated 27,000–40,000 Muslims killed in the months following the operation, mostly by reprisals from Hindu mobs and irregular forces.

§9 — Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions