The Asaf Jahi is a Muslim dynasty that ruled the
Hyderabad State
Hyderabad State () was a princely state in the Deccan region of south-central India with its capital at the city of Hyderabad. It is now divided into the present-day state of Telangana, the Kalyana-Karnataka region of Karnataka, and the ...
. The family came to
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
in the late 17th century and became employees of the
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire was an Early modern period, early modern empire in South Asia. At its peak, the empire stretched from the outer fringes of the Indus River Basin in the west, northern Afghanistan in the northwest, and Kashmir in the north, to ...
. They were great patrons of
Indo-Persian culture, language, and literature, and the family found ready patronage.
The dynasty was founded by
Mir Qamar-ud-Din Siddiqi, a
Viceroy of the Deccan—(administrator of six Mughal governorates) under the
Mughal emperors
The emperors of the Mughal Empire, who were all members of the Timurid dynasty ( House of Babur), ruled the empire from its inception on 21 April 1526 to its dissolution on 21 September 1857. They were supreme monarchs of the Mughal Empire i ...
from 1713 to 1721. He intermittently ruled after
Aurangzeb's death in 1707 and under the title Asaf Jah in 1724. The Mughal Empire crumbled and the Viceroy of the Deccan, Asaf Jah I, declared himself independent, whose domain extended from the
Narmada River
The Narmada River, previously also known as ''Narbada'' or anglicised as ''Nerbudda'', is the 5th longest river in India and overall the longest west-flowing river in the country. It is also the largest flowing river in the state of Madhya Prade ...
in the North to
Trichinopoly in the South and
Masulipatnam in the east to
Bijapur in the west.
History
Nawab Khwaja Abid Siddiqi, the grandfather of the first
Nizam, was born in Aliabad near
Samarkand
Samarkand ( ; Uzbek language, Uzbek and Tajik language, Tajik: Самарқанд / Samarqand, ) is a city in southeastern Uzbekistan and among the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest continuously inhabited cities in Central As ...
in the kingdom of
Bukhara
Bukhara ( ) is the List of cities in Uzbekistan, seventh-largest city in Uzbekistan by population, with 280,187 residents . It is the capital of Bukhara Region.
People have inhabited the region around Bukhara for at least five millennia, and t ...
in modern-day
Uzbekistan
, image_flag = Flag of Uzbekistan.svg
, image_coat = Emblem of Uzbekistan.svg
, symbol_type = Emblem of Uzbekistan, Emblem
, national_anthem = "State Anthem of Uzbekistan, State Anthem of the Republ ...
. His father, Alam Shaik, was a well-known
Sufi
Sufism ( or ) is a mysticism, mystic body of religious practice found within Islam which is characterized by a focus on Islamic Tazkiyah, purification, spirituality, ritualism, and Asceticism#Islam, asceticism.
Practitioners of Sufism are r ...
and celebrated man of letters. Khwaja Abid's mother was from the family of Mir Hamdan, a distinguished Syed of Samarkhand. The first Nizam's mother was the daughter of
Sadullah Khan, the
Grand vizier
Grand vizier (; ; ) was the title of the effective head of government of many sovereign states in the Islamic world. It was first held by officials in the later Abbasid Caliphate. It was then held in the Ottoman Empire, the Mughal Empire, the Soko ...
(1645-1656) of
Mughal Emperor
The emperors of the Mughal Empire, who were all members of the Timurid dynasty (House of Babur), ruled the empire from its inception on 21 April 1526 to its dissolution on 21 September 1857. They were supreme monarchs of the Mughal Empire in ...
Shah Jahan
Shah Jahan I, (Shahab-ud-Din Muhammad Khurram; 5 January 1592 – 22 January 1666), also called Shah Jahan the Magnificent, was the Emperor of Hindustan from 1628 until his deposition in 1658. As the fifth Mughal emperor, his reign marked the ...
.
After succeeding in the war of succession, Aurangzeb made him the Governor of
Ajmer
Ajmer () is a city in the north-western States and union territories of India, Indian state of Rajasthan. It serves as the administrative headquarters of the Ajmer district and Ajmer division. It lies at the centre of Rajasthan, earning it the ...
and subsequently of
Multan
Multan is the List of cities in Punjab, Pakistan by population, fifth-most populous city in the Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab province of Pakistan. Located along the eastern bank of the Chenab River, it is the List of cities in Pakistan by populatio ...
with the title of ''Qalich Khan''. He served the Emperor with distinction particularly during the early years of Aurangzeb's reign while he was consolidating and restoring peace in his newly acquired territory.
Asaf Jah's father
Ghazi ud-Din Khan Feroze Jung I was a military general under Aurangzeb. Under the command of Feroze Jung, Hyderabad was sieged and later occupied by the Mughals.
Asaf Jah I

The founder of this dynasty was
Mir Qamaruddin Khan, a noble and a courtier of the Mughal
Muhammad Shah, who negotiated a peace treaty with Nadirshah got disgusted with the intrigues that prevailed in
Delhi
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...
. He was on his way back to the Deccan, where, earlier he was a
Subedar
Subedar ( ) is a military rank in the militaries of South Asia roughly equivalent to that of a warrant officer. Historically classed in the British Indian Army as a Viceroy's commissioned officer, the rank was retained in the Indian Army an ...
. But he had to confront
Mubariz Khan, as a result of a plot by the Mughal emperor to kill the former. Mubariz Khan failed in his attempt and he was himself slain. This one took place in AD 1724, and henceforth Mir Qamaruddin, who assumed the title of
Nizam-ul-Mulk, conducted himself as an independent ruler. Earlier, while he was one of the Ministers of the Mughal emperor Muhammad Shah, the latter conferred on him the title of Asaf Jah. Thus begins the Asaf Jahi rule over Golconda with the capital at
Aurangabad.
Asaf Jah II
The fourth son of the
Nizam-ul-Mulk,
Nizam Ali Khan was born on 24 February 1734. He assumed the Subedari of the Deccan at the age of 28 years and ruled the Deccan for almost 42 years - the longest period among the Nizams. His reign was one of the most important chapters in the history of the Asaf Jahi dynasty. Among his efforts to consolidate the Nizam empire was the shift of the Deccan capital from Aurangabad to Hyderabad. He ruled the Deccan at a most critical period and got very successful support from the
House of Paigah. He protected the Deccan from the attack of the
Marathas
The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern India, early modern polity in the Indian subcontinent. It comprised the realms of the Peshwa and four major independent List of Maratha dynasties and states, Ma ...
and
Tippu Sultan of
Mysore
Mysore ( ), officially Mysuru (), is a city in the southern Indian state of Karnataka. It is the headquarters of Mysore district and Mysore division. As the traditional seat of the Wadiyar dynasty, the city functioned as the capital of the ...
by signing a mutual protection treaty with the British.
After a reign that played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Nizam dynasty, Nizam Ali Khan Siddiqi died in 1803 at the age of 69. He was buried at the
Mecca Masjid alongside the tomb of his mother Umda Begum.
Asaf Jah III
Mir Akbar Ali Khan Siddiqi Sikander Jah, Asaf Jah III was born on 11 November 1768. After the death of Nizam Ali Khan, he became the Subedar Jah was ratified by the emperor
Shah Alam II and also conferred all his father's titles on Sikander Jah.
Asaf Jah IV
Mir Farkhunda Ali Khan Siddiqi Nusir-ud-Dawlah was born in
Bidar
Bidar ( ) is a city and headquarters of the Bidar district in Karnataka state of India. Bidar is a prominent place on the archaeological map of India, it is well known for architectural, historical religious and rich heritage sites. Pictures ...
on 25 April 1794. He was the eldest son of Sikander Jah and after his father's death, he succeeded him on 23 May 1829.
Asaf Jah V
Mir Tahniath Ali Khan Siddiqi Afzal-ud-daula was born in Kuruduwadi on 11 October 1827. He was the eldest son of Nawab Nasir-ud-daula. He ascended the throne on 18 May 1857 and Indian mutiny was started on 17 July 1857
Rohillas attacked the residency but
Sir Salar Jung put down the attack with a firm hand. Similarly, trouble started in
Solapur
Solapur () is a city located in the south-western region of the States and Territories of India, Indian state of Maharashtra, close to its border with Karnataka. Solapur is located on major highway, rail routes between Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore ...
but the Maharaja of Solapur was unable to control it.
Asaf Jah VI
Mir Mahboob Ali Khan
Asaf Jah VI, also known as Sir Mir Mahboob Ali Khan Siddiqi (17 August 1866 – 29 August 1911), was the sixth Nizam of Hyderabad. He ruled Hyderabad State, one of the princely states of India, between 1869 and 1911.
Early life
Mahboob Al ...
was born in Tandur on 17 August 1866. He was the only son of Nawab
Afzal-ud-Daula Asaf Jah V. When his father died he was two years and seven months old. He was installed as the Munsab by Sir
Salar Jung I, Nawab Rasheeduddin Khan, Shams ul Ummra and the residents, there functioned as the Reyab. Shar-ul-Ummul died on 12 December 1881 and Salar Jung became the sole regent. He was remembered as administrator and regent till his death. after the death of Sir
Salar Jung I Sir
Viqar-ul-Umra became the next Regent and guardian of
Mahboob Ali Khan and served as
Prime Minister of Hyderabad.
He is popularly known for his efforts to abolish the practice of
Sati and for having supernatural healing powers against
Snakebite.
Asaf Jah VII
Asaf Jah VII was the last Nizam (ruler) of Hyderabad State.He signed the
instrument of accession
The Instrument of Accession was a legal document first introduced by the Government of India Act 1935 and used in 1947 to enable each of the rulers of the princely states under British paramountcy to join one of the new dominions of Dominion ...
, joining India in 1948.
Mir Osman Ali Khan was born in Hyderabad on 5 April 1886 at Purani Haveli. Since he was the heir-apparent, great attention was paid to his education, and eminent scholars were engaged to teach him
English,
Urdu
Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...
,
Persian. On 14 April 1906, he married Dulhan Pasha Begum, daughter of Nawab Jahangir Jung, at Eden Bagh, at the age of 21.
He is credited for various reforms in education and development and remembered for being a truly secular King by giving yearly donations to various temples. He made large donations to educational institutions in India and abroad. He donated Rs 10 Lakh to the
Banaras Hindu University
Banaras Hindu University (BHU), formerly Benares Hindu University, is a collegiate, central, and research university located in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India, and founded in 1916. The university incorporated the Central Hindu College, ...
and Rs 5 Lakh to the
Aligarh Muslim University
Aligarh Muslim University is a Collegiate university, collegiate, Central university (India), central, and Research university, research university located in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India, which was originally established by Sir Syed Ahmad Kh ...
.
He set up the
Osmania University
Osmania University is a collegiate university, collegiate Public university, public State university (India), state university located in Hyderabad, Telangana, India. Mir Osman Ali Khan, the 7th Nizam of Hyderabad, issued a ''firman'' calling f ...
,
Osmania General Hospital,
Osmania Medical College,
State Bank of Hyderabad, South India's first airport -the
Begumpet Airport,
Nizamia Observatory,
Government Nizamia General Hospital, etc.
The Nizam was reported to have fathered 34 children including 16 sons and 18 daughters.
Others
Descendants of Asaf Jah VII
*
Azam Jah, Prince of
Berar,
GCIE,
GBE,
MSM (21 February 1907 – 9 October 1970). Granted the title of ''His Highness the Prince of Berar'' (13 November 1936). Passed over in the line of succession in 1967 in favour of his elder son. He had two sons, the elder
Mukarram Jah and the younger
Muffakham Jah
*
Moazzam Jah, second son of
Asaf Jah VII.
*
Barkat Ali Khan Mukarram Jah, Asaf Jah VIII, 8th (Titular) Nizam of Hyderabad (6 October 1933 - 14 January 2023). Succeeded his grandfather as a titular monarch on 24 January 1967; titles were abolished by the Indian Government on 28 December 1971. He had children including two sons.
*
Muhammad Azmat Ali Khan, Asaf Jah IX, 9th (Titular) Nizam of Hyderabad (23 July 1960 - ). Succeeded his father as titular monarch on 14 January 2023; titles were abolished by the Indian Government on 28 December 1971. He has a son, Murad Jah.
*
Najaf Ali Khan - Grandson of 7th Nizam - known for being a
Hyderabad Heritage enthusiast, who has also criticized the
Government of Telangana regarding the negligence of several
heritage structures and hospitals built by the
7th Nizam.
Asaf Jahi rulers of Hyderabad
Nasir Jung, Muzaffar Jung and Salabat Jung:- * These three rulers are not enumerated in the order of the Asaf Jah's, mainly because they were not granted the title of ASAF JAH by the Mughal Emperor.
Titular
Family tree
See also
*
Hyderabad State
Hyderabad State () was a princely state in the Deccan region of south-central India with its capital at the city of Hyderabad. It is now divided into the present-day state of Telangana, the Kalyana-Karnataka region of Karnataka, and the ...
*
Nizam of Hyderabad
Nizam of Hyderabad was the title of the ruler of Hyderabad State ( part of the Indian state of Telangana, and the Kalyana-Karnataka region of Karnataka). ''Nizam'' is a shortened form of (; ), and was the title bestowed upon Asaf Jah I wh ...
*
National Anthem of Kingdom of Hyderabad
*
Paigah
*
Salar Jung family
*
List of Sunni Muslim dynasties
*
Karrani Dynasty
The Karrani dynasty (, ) was founded in 1564 by Taj Khan Karrani, an ethnic Afghan from the Karlani tribe, hailing from Bangash district. It was the last dynasty to rule the Sultanate of Bengal, before the region became a Subah of the Mugha ...
*
Pakistan Tehreek-E-Insaaf
*
Aga Khan Palace
References
Sources
*
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nizam Of Hyderabad
1724 establishments in India
1948 disestablishments in India
Dynasties of India
History of Telangana
People from Hyderabad State
Nawabs of India
Royal titles
Titles in India
Titles of national or ethnic leadership
Asian royal families