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Hyderabad State



 
 
Hyderabad state () was the largest princely state
Princely state

For other uses, see Principality, Princely state#Other princely statesA Princely State was a nominally sovereign entity of British rule in India that was not directly administered by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule such as suzerainty or paramountcy....
 in the erstwhile British Indian Empire. It was located in the south-central region of the Indian subcontinent
Indian subcontinent

The Indian subcontinent is a large section of the Asian continent consisting of the land lying substantially on the Indian Plate. The subcontinent includes parts of various countries in South Asia, including those on the continental crust , an Island#Continental islands country on the continental shelf , and an Island#Oceanic islands countr...
, and was ruled, from 1724 until 1948, by a hereditary Nizam
Nizam

Nizam , a shortened version of Nizam-ul-Mulk , meaning Administrator of the Realm, was the title of the native sovereigns of Hyderabad state, India, since 1719, belonging to the Asaf Jah dynasty....
. The Berar
Berar Province

Berar Province, known also as the Hyderabad Assigned Districts, was a former province of British India. The province, formerly ruled by the Nizam of Hyderabad, was administered by the British after 1853, although the Nizam retained formal sovereignty over the province....
 region of the state was merged with the Central Provinces of British India in 1903, to form the Central Provinces and Berar
Central Provinces and Berar

The Central Provinces and Berar was a Provinces of India of British India. The province comprised British conquests from the Mughals and Marathas in central India, and covered much of present-day Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra states....
.

In 1947, at the time of the partition of India
Partition of India

File:Brit IndianEmpireReligions3.jpgThe Partition of India was the Partition of British India that led to the creation, on August 14, 1947 and August 15, 1947, respectively, of the Sovereignty states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India ....
 and the formation of the Union of India and the Dominion of Pakistan
Dominion of Pakistan

The Dominion of Pakistan was a federal entity that was established in 1947 as a result of the Partition of India into two sovereign dominions: the Union of India and the Dominion of Pakistan....
, the then Nizam, Osman Ali Khan, decided not to join either new nation.






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Hyderabad state () was the largest princely state
Princely state

For other uses, see Principality, Princely state#Other princely statesA Princely State was a nominally sovereign entity of British rule in India that was not directly administered by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule such as suzerainty or paramountcy....
 in the erstwhile British Indian Empire. It was located in the south-central region of the Indian subcontinent
Indian subcontinent

The Indian subcontinent is a large section of the Asian continent consisting of the land lying substantially on the Indian Plate. The subcontinent includes parts of various countries in South Asia, including those on the continental crust , an Island#Continental islands country on the continental shelf , and an Island#Oceanic islands countr...
, and was ruled, from 1724 until 1948, by a hereditary Nizam
Nizam

Nizam , a shortened version of Nizam-ul-Mulk , meaning Administrator of the Realm, was the title of the native sovereigns of Hyderabad state, India, since 1719, belonging to the Asaf Jah dynasty....
. The Berar
Berar Province

Berar Province, known also as the Hyderabad Assigned Districts, was a former province of British India. The province, formerly ruled by the Nizam of Hyderabad, was administered by the British after 1853, although the Nizam retained formal sovereignty over the province....
 region of the state was merged with the Central Provinces of British India in 1903, to form the Central Provinces and Berar
Central Provinces and Berar

The Central Provinces and Berar was a Provinces of India of British India. The province comprised British conquests from the Mughals and Marathas in central India, and covered much of present-day Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra states....
.

In 1947, at the time of the partition of India
Partition of India

File:Brit IndianEmpireReligions3.jpgThe Partition of India was the Partition of British India that led to the creation, on August 14, 1947 and August 15, 1947, respectively, of the Sovereignty states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India ....
 and the formation of the Union of India and the Dominion of Pakistan
Dominion of Pakistan

The Dominion of Pakistan was a federal entity that was established in 1947 as a result of the Partition of India into two sovereign dominions: the Union of India and the Dominion of Pakistan....
, the then Nizam, Osman Ali Khan, decided not to join either new nation. However, the following year, the Government of India invaded the state, in Operation Polo
Operation Polo

The 1948 Invasion of Hyderabad, also termed as ?Hyderabad Police Action? and code-named ?Operation Polo? by the Indian military was the Indian armed forces action that ended the rule of the Nizam of Hyderabad and led to the incorporation of the princely state of Hyderabad in Southern India, into the Indian Union....
, and annexed Hyderabad into the Indian Union.

History

Hyderabad and Berar 1903
Hyderabad was founded by the Qutb Shahi dynasty
Qutb Shahi dynasty

The Qutb Shahi dynasty was the ruling family of the kingdom of Golkonda in southern India. They were Shia Muslims and belonged to Kara Koyunlu....
 of Golkonda
Golkonda

File:Golconda2.JPGGolkonda Telugu language ???????? , a ruined city of south-central India and capital of ancient Kingdom of Golkonda ., is situated west of Hyderabad, India....
. In 1686 the Mughal
Mughal Empire

The Mughal Empire was a Muslim imperial power of the Indian subcontinent which began in 1526, ruled most of the Indian Subcontinent by the late 17th and early 18th centuries, and ended in the mid-19th century....
 emperor Aurangzeb
Aurangzeb

Aurangzeb Aurangzeb ruled India for 48 years, bringing a larger area under Mughal rule than ever before . He is generally regarded as the last Great Mughal ruler....
 campaigned in the Deccan to overcome the Maratha
Maratha

The Marathas are Indo Aryans speaking castes of Hindu warriors and peasants hailing mostly from the present-day state of Maharashtra, who created the expansive Maratha Empire, covering a major part of Indian subcontinent, in the late 17th and 18th centuries....
s and conquer the independent Deccan states. Before the campaign, the Mughals had controlled the northwestern Deccan, including Khandesh
Khandesh

Khandesh is a region of central India, which forms the northwestern portion of Maharashtra state.Under British Empire rule there was also a Khandesh District....
 and Berar
Berar

*Berar Sultanate & Ancient*Berar Subah *Berar Province *Central Provinces and Berar *Berar Division ...
, but Mughal control ended at the Godavari River
Godavari River

This article is about the river Godavari in India. For other uses, see Godavari The Godavari is a river that runs from western to south India and is considered to be one of big river basins in India....
. Aurangzeb conquered Golconda and Bijapur
Bijapur

Various places in India.*Bijapur, Karnataka*Bijapur Sultanate*Bijapur District*Bijapur, Chhattisgarh - an assembly constituency under Bastar . This are is in Bijapur district, Chhattisgarh, Chhattisgarh...
 in 1687, extending Mughal control south of the Krishna River
Krishna River

The Krishnaveni River Krishna , one of the longest rivers of India ....
.

The Mughal Empire began to weaken during the reign of Aurangzeb's grandson, Muhammad Shah
Muhammad Shah

Muhammad Shah also known as Roshan Akhtar was a Mughal emperor of India between 1719 and 1748. He was son of Khujista Akhtar Jehan Shah, the 4th son of Bahadur Shah I....
. A Mughal official, Asif Jah, treacherously defeated a rival Mughal governor to seize control of the empire's southern provinces, declaring himself Nizam-al-Mulk of Hyderabad in 1724. The Mughal emperor, under renewed attack from the Marathas, was unable to prevent it.

The Nizams patronized Islamic art
Islamic art

File:Caucasian panel.jpgIslamic art encompasses the arts produced from the 7th century onwards by people who lived within the territory that was inhabited by culturally Islamic populations....
, culture and literature
Urdu literature

Urdu literature has a long and colorful history that is inextricably tied to the development of that very language, Urdu, in which it is written....
 and developed The Nizam's State Railways railway network. Islamic Sharia
Sharia

Sharia is the body of Islamic religious law. The term means "way" or "path to the water source"; it is the legal framework within which the public and private aspects of life are regulated for those living in a legal system based on Fiqh and for Muslims living outside the domain....
 law was the guiding principle of the Nizams' official machinery.

During the British Raj


The seniormost (21-gun) salute state
Salute state

A Salute state was a princely state which the British colonial paramount ruler has granted a gun salute; i.e., the protocollary privilege for its ruler to be greeted - originally by Royal Navy ships, later also on land - with a number of gun shots, as recognition of the state's relative status....
 during the period of British India, Hyderabad was an 82,000 square mile (212,000 km˛) region in the Deccan ruled by the Asif Jahi dynasty
Dynasty

A dynasty is a succession of rulers who belong to the same family for generations. A dynasty is also often called a "Royal House", e.g. the House of Saud or House of Habsburg....
, who had the title of Nizam
Nizam

Nizam , a shortened version of Nizam-ul-Mulk , meaning Administrator of the Realm, was the title of the native sovereigns of Hyderabad state, India, since 1719, belonging to the Asaf Jah dynasty....
 and was bestowed the title of His Exalted Highness by the British Empire
British Empire

The British Empire comprised the dominions, Crown colony, protectorates, League of Nations mandate, and other Dependent territory ruled or administered by the United Kingdom , that had originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries....
. The Nizam
Nizam

Nizam , a shortened version of Nizam-ul-Mulk , meaning Administrator of the Realm, was the title of the native sovereigns of Hyderabad state, India, since 1719, belonging to the Asaf Jah dynasty....
 set up numerous institutions in the name of the dynasty
Dynasty

A dynasty is a succession of rulers who belong to the same family for generations. A dynasty is also often called a "Royal House", e.g. the House of Saud or House of Habsburg....
. He set up school
School

File:Primary Student of Pakistan.JPGA school , is an institution designed to allow and encourage students to education, under the supervision of teachers....
s, college
College

File:Government college for Women Dhoke Kala Khan.JPGCollege is a term most often used today to denote an education institution. More broadly, it can be the name of any group of collegialitys, for example, an electoral college, a College of Arms or the College of Cardinals....
s, madrasah
Madrasah

File:Registan_-_Sherdor_madrasa.jpgMadrasah is the Arabic word for any type of school, whether secular or religious . It is variously Arabic transliteration as madrasah, madarasaa, medresa, madrassa, madraza, madarsa, etc....
s and a university
University

A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education....
 that imparted education in Urdu
Urdu

Urdu is a Central_Indo-Aryan_languages#Central_Zone_.28Madhya_or_Hindi.29 Indo-Aryan languages of the Indo-Iranian languages, belonging to the Indo-European languages family of languages....
. Inspired by the elite and prestigious Indian Civil Service he founded the Hyderabad Civil Service
Hyderabad Civil Service

The Hyderabad Civil Service, was a coveted service in the State of Hyderabad. It was popularly known by its acronym HCS. It was considered to be an elite service, and the best of the government officers were inducted into it through a competitive examination....
. The pace with which he amassed wealth made him to be the world's richest men in the 1930s, (Time
Time (magazine)

Time is a weekly United States newsmagazine, similar to Newsweek and U.S. News & World Report. A European edition is published from London....
 cover story Feb. 22, 1937). Carrying a gift, called Nazrana in the local dialect
Dialect

A dialect is a variety of a language that is characteristic of a particular group of the language's speakers. The term is applied most often to regional speech patterns, but a dialect may also be defined by other factors, such as social class....
, in accordance with one's net worth while meeting Nizam was a de facto necessity.

After the British Raj (1947-48)


When India gained independence in 1947, the British left the choice of independence or unification up to the local rulers of the princely states. The Muslim ruler of Hyderbad, the last Nizam, and his followers, Razakars, wished to remain independent. The Indian Government took police action against Nizam. This was known as “Hyderabad Police Action” and code-named “Operation Polo
Operation Polo

The 1948 Invasion of Hyderabad, also termed as ?Hyderabad Police Action? and code-named ?Operation Polo? by the Indian military was the Indian armed forces action that ended the rule of the Nizam of Hyderabad and led to the incorporation of the princely state of Hyderabad in Southern India, into the Indian Union....
” by the Indian military, and was the Indian armed forces' action that ended the rule of the Nizam of Hyderabad and led to the incorporation of the princely state of Hyderabad in Southern India into the Indian Union.

Hyderabad Today


In 1956 during the Reorganisation of the Indian States
States Reorganisation Act

The States Reorganisation Act of 1956 was a major reform of the boundaries and governance of India's States and territories of India. The act reorganised the boundaries of India's states along linguistic lines, and amended the Indian Constitution to replace the three types of states, known as Parts A, B, and C states, with a single type of st...
, the state of Hyderabad was split up between Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh , abbreviated A.P.,is a state situated on eastern coast of India. It is India's List of states of India by area and List of states of India by population....
, Maharashtra
Maharashtra

Maharashtra is a States and territories of India located on the western coast of India. Maharashtra is a part of Western India. It is India's List of states of India by area and List of states of India by population....
 and Karnataka
Karnataka

Karnataka is a States and territories of India in the southern part of India. It was Unification of Karnataka on November 1, 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act....
. The last Nizam, Mir Osman Ali Khan, died in 1967.

Administratively, Hyderabad State was made up of sixteen district
District

Districts are a type of administrative division, in some countries managed by a local government. They vary greatly in size, spanning entire regions or counties, several municipality, or subdivisions of municipalities....
s, grouped into four divisions. Aurangabad
Aurangabad District, Maharashtra

Aurangabad District is a districts of Maharashtra in Maharashtra, India. It is bordered by the districts of Nashik District to the west, Jalgaon District to the north, Jalna District to the east, and Ahmednagar District to the south....
 division included Aurangabad, Beed
Beed

.Beed is a town and administrative headquarters of the district of same name located in central Maharashtra state of India. According to 2001 census, it is the largest urban area in the district with a population of 138,091....
, Nanded
Nanded

Nanded , is the second largest city in Marathwada region of Maharashtra state of India. Nanded is also district headquarter of Nanded District in Marathwada region or Aurangabad, Maharashtra revenue division....
, and Parbhani
Parbhani

Parbhani is a city and a municipal council in Parbhani district in the Indian States and territories of India of Maharashtra. Parbhani earlier also known as ? Prabhavatinagar?, is a city in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra....
 districts; Gulbargah (Gulbargah) division included Bidar District
Bidar District

Bidar is a district of Karnataka state in southern India. The historic city of Bidar is the administrative centre of the district. The district is located in the northeastern corner of the state, near the borders with Andhra Pradesh to the east and Maharashtra to the north and west....
, Gulbarga, Osmanabad District, and Raichur District
Raichur district

Raichur District is an administrative district in the Indian state of Karnataka....
; Gulshanabad District or Medak division included Atraf-i-Baldah, Mahbubnagar
Mahbubnagar

Mahbubnagar or Mehboobnagar ????? ??? is a city in Mahbubnagar district in Andhra Pradesh, India. It is the headquarters of Mahbubnagar District....
, Medak
Medak

For the district information, see Medak district.Medak is a city and a municipality in Medak District in Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh, India....
, Nalgonda
Nalgonda

Nalgonda is a town and a municipality in Nalgonda district in the Indian States and territories of India of Andhra Pradesh....
 (Nalgundah), and Nizamabad
Nizamabad

Nizamabad is a city and a municipal corporation in Nizamabad District in the Telangana region of the States and territories of India of Andhra Pradesh, India....
 districts, and Warangal
Warangal

Warangal or Orugallu or Ekasila Nagaram is a city and a municipal corporation in Warangal district in the Indian States and territories of India of Andhra Pradesh....
 division included Adilabad
Adilabad

See Adilabad district for information related to the district.Adilabad...
, Karimnagar
Karimnagar

Karimnagar Mallapur 3) Raikal 4) Sarangapur 5) Dharmapuri, Andhra Pradesh 6) Velgatoor 7) Ramagundam 8) Kamanpur ...
, and Warangal districts

Urdu
Urdu

Urdu is a Central_Indo-Aryan_languages#Central_Zone_.28Madhya_or_Hindi.29 Indo-Aryan languages of the Indo-Iranian languages, belonging to the Indo-European languages family of languages....
 (in particular, the unique Dakhani dialect), Telugu
Telugu language

Telugu or Telegu is one of the four classical languages of India. It is a South-Central Dravidian languages mostly spoken in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, where it is the official language....
, English, Marathi and Kannada are among the important languages spoken in Hyderabad and Andhra Pradesh today.

The political party All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen is a Muslim political party in India. The stronghold of AIMIM is the old city of Hyderabad. In the Lok Sabha elections of 2004 the party won the seat of Hyderabad....
, founded by Bahadur Yar Jung
Bahadur Yar Jung

Bahadur Yar Jung...
, enjoys prominent support amongst Muslims.

See also

  • Hyderabad (India)
    Hyderabad (India)

    Hyderabad , , once known as Bhagyanagaram , is the capital city and most populous city of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh....
     for the Indian city.
  • Nizam
    Nizam

    Nizam , a shortened version of Nizam-ul-Mulk , meaning Administrator of the Realm, was the title of the native sovereigns of Hyderabad state, India, since 1719, belonging to the Asaf Jah dynasty....
     for a list of Nizams and other information.
  • Operation Polo
    Operation Polo

    The 1948 Invasion of Hyderabad, also termed as ?Hyderabad Police Action? and code-named ?Operation Polo? by the Indian military was the Indian armed forces action that ended the rule of the Nizam of Hyderabad and led to the incorporation of the princely state of Hyderabad in Southern India, into the Indian Union....
     the military operation that resulted in the unification of Hyderabad state into India.
  • List of Indian Princely States
    List of Indian Princely States

    Before the Partition of India in 1947, hundreds of princely state, also called Native States, existed in India which were not part of British India....


External links