Hyderabad State

Long ago, a king ruled a land called Hyderabad.

He was called the Nizam. The Nizam started a new family of rulers.

Later, the British came to help protect the land. This changed how the land was run. A ruler built a new city called Secunderabad.

He even built a big train station there. The land had its own money, too. Many people lived there together for a long time. It was a very special place in India.

Long ago, a man named Mir Qamar-ud-din Khan started a state.

He was a governor for the Mughal Empire. In 1724, he became the first Nizam of Hyderabad.

He started a new ruling family called the Asaf Jahi dynasty. Later, the British came to the region. In 1798, the Nizam signed an agreement for British protection. This made Hyderabad a princely state.

Over time, the British took much of the power.

Many years later, the seventh Nizam ruled the land. His name was Mir Osman Ali Khan. He built many things for his people. He made a hospital and a library. He also built lakes to stop floods.

Hyderabad even had its own money called the Hyderabadi rupee.

In 1947, India became free. The Nizam wanted to stay independent. But in 1948, Indian troops entered the state. This was called Operation Polo. The Nizam surrendered soon after. In 1950, Hyderabad joined the Union of India.

Later, in 1956, the state was split into new parts.

Hyderabad State was a large land in south-central India.

Its capital was the city of Hyderabad. Today, this land is part of three different Indian states. These are Telangana, Karnataka, and Maharashtra. For a long time, the land was ruled by leaders called Nizams.

The people who lived there were called "Mulki." This is a special word that means "countryman." It is a name people still use even today.

The story of the state began in 1724.

A man named Mir Qamar-ud-din Khan started it. He was once a governor for the Mughal Empire. After a battle called Shakar Kheda, he became the first Nizam. He started a family of rulers called the Asaf Jahi dynasty. In 1763, the leaders moved the capital to Hyderabad. Later, the British began to have more influence. In 1798, the Nizam signed an agreement for British protection. This made Hyderabad a princely state.

As time passed, the state grew and changed. Many leaders worked to make the government better. In 1867, the state was divided into five parts. These parts had their own governors. A leader named Salar Jung I helped fix how the government worked. He helped stop corruption and organized the police and schools.

Under later rulers, the official language changed from Persian to Urdu. The state even built its own railway.

This helped factories and industry grow in the city.

The seventh Nizam was Mir Osman Ali Khan.

He ruled from 1911 until 1948. He was a very busy leader who built many things. He built the Osmania General Hospital and a big library.

He also built two lakes to stop big floods. Hyderabad was very special because it had its own money. This was called the Hyderabadi rupee. The state even had its own airline called Deccan Airways.

In 1947, India became an independent nation. The Nizam wanted his state to stay independent too. However, the location of Hyderabad made this a hard job. In 1948, the Indian army began a mission called Operation Polo.

This mission brought the state into the Indian Union. The Nizam signed a paper to join India in 1950. In 1956, the state was reorganized into new areas. This changed the map of India once again.

Hyderabad State was a major princely state located in the Deccan region of south-central India.

Its capital was the city of Hyderabad. Today, this territory is divided among three Indian states: Telangana, the Kalyana-Karnataka region of Karnataka, and the Marathwada region of Maharashtra. The state was ruled by a dynasty of leaders known as the Nizams.

The native inhabitants were known as "Mulki," a term meaning "countryman" that is still used today. For much of its history, the state existed as a complex political entity between the Mughal Empire, the Maratha Empire, and the British Indian Empire.

The history of the state began with Mir Qamar-ud-din Khan. He served as the Mughal governor of the Deccan from 1713 to 1721. Following the Battle of Shakar Kheda in 1724, he took rule under the title of Asaf Jah. The Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah also granted him the title Nizam ul-Mulk, which means "Order of the Realm." This title eventually became the name for the position of the Nizam of Hyderabad. By the end of his reign, he had established the Asaf Jahi dynasty and became independent from the Mughals.

As Mughal power declined, the Maratha Empire rose in the Deccan. The Nizam faced several invasions by the Marathas during the 1720s. These conflicts resulted in the Nizam paying a regular tax called Chauth to the Marathas. Major battles, such as Palkhed, Rakshasbhuvan, and Kharda, were all lost by the Nizam. Because of these losses, the Nizam became a tributary to the Marathas. In 1763, the capital was moved to the city of Hyderabad. The state's relationship with the British began to grow through various treaties and alliances.

Hyderabad was the first princely state to enter into a subsidiary alliance with the British. In 1768, the Nizam signed the Treaty of Masulipatam, ceding the Northern Circars to the British. Later, in 1798, Nizam ʿĀlī Khan signed an agreement for British protection. This agreement made Hyderabad a princely state under British paramountcy. Over time, the state lost its coastal areas and became landlocked. During the reign of Asaf Jah III, a British cantonment named Secunderabad was built.

This area became a major center for the British military presence.

Administrative reforms significantly changed how the state functioned. During the reign of Asaf Jah V, Prime Minister Salar Jung I introduced systematic administration. Before these reforms, corruption was widespread because there was no regular system of duties. In 1867, the state was organized into five divisions and seventeen districts. Subedars were appointed as governors for the divisions, while talukdars and tehsildars managed the districts. The government also reorganized the judicial, medical, educational, and police departments.

The reign of the sixth Nizam, Mir Mahbub Ali Khan, brought further modernization. During the 1880s, the official language shifted from Persian to Urdu. The state also established the Nizam's Guaranteed State Railway to connect with British India.

This infrastructure helped spark industrial growth and the building of factories. However, the state also faced tragedy during the Great Musi Flood of 1908, which killed about 50,000 people. The Nizam responded by opening his palaces to provide asylum for those affected. He also issued a royal firman to abolish the practice of Sati.

The seventh and final Nizam was Mir Osman Ali Khan, who ruled from 1911 to 1948.

He was known as one of the wealthiest men in the world. Under his rule, Hyderabad developed unique systems, such as its own currency, the Hyderabadi rupee. He also established the Hyderabad State Bank and the Begumpet Airport.

To prevent future flooding, he constructed the Osman Sagar and Himayath Sagar lakes. He also built important institutions like the Osmania General Hospital and the State Library.

After India gained independence in 1947, the Nizam chose not to join India or Pakistan. This created a political crisis because Hyderabad was located in the middle of the Indian Union. In September 1948, the Indian military launched "Operation Polo" to annex the state.

The Nizam's army surrendered on September 17, 1948. Mir Osman Ali Khan eventually signed an Instrument of Accession in 1950. This ended the rule of the Nizams and fully incorporated the territory into the Republic of India. In 1956, the state was reorganized, and its lands were merged into other Indian states.