Syed Ahmed El-Edroos () was the commander-in-chief of the Hyderabad State Forces at the time of the annexation of Hyderabad State by India in 1948.

Life

Syed Ahmed El-Edroos was of

Arab The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Wester ...

Hadhrami descent. He was a Ba'Alawi Sayyed of the Bani Hashim meaning he belonged to a

Hashemite The Hashemites ( ar, الهاشميون, al-Hāshimīyūn), also House of Hashim, are the royal family of Jordan, which they have ruled since 1921, and were the royal family of the kingdoms of Hejaz (1916–1925), Syria (1920), and Iraq (192 ...

family i.e. a direct descendant of the

Islamic prophet Prophets in Islam ( ar, الأنبياء في الإسلام, translit=al-ʾAnbiyāʾ fī al-ʾIslām) are individuals in Islam who are believed to spread God's message on Earth and to serve as models of ideal human behaviour. Some prophets a ...

Muhammad Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the monot ...

. He was commissioned in 1919. El-Edroos participated in both World Wars, serving in the 1st Hyderabad Lancers. El-Edroos was a close confidante and trusted aide of the Nizam of Hyderabad. His brothers were also senior officers and distinguished members of the Nizam's army. He was ready for a war , but was advised by the Nizam of Hyderabad, Mir Osman Ali Khan, not to fight and surrendered to the Indian Army forces outside of

Hyderabad Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part ...

city so that there is no bloodshed of innocent people. In September 1948 El-Edroos held the rank of Major-General and Commander of the State Army of Hyderabad. This numbered 6,000 men and consisted of three armored regiments, a horse cavalry regiment, 11 infantry battalions and artillery. It was supported by 18,000 poorly armed and trained irregulars. In the course of Operation Polo the Indian Army was able to scatter this mixed force in five days of fighting. General El-Edroos, who had advised the Nizam against opposing the entry of Indian forces, surrendered on 17 September.

Autobiography

His autobiography ''Hyderabad of the Seven Loaves'' was published in April 1994 and presented a historical account of the Asaf Jahi dynasty with an autobiographical sketch of the author, covering the events of Hyderabad's merger with the Indian Union. It narrates several anecdotes and facts about the city during the Nizami reign. The book also contains some rare pictures of the royal and aristocratic events that took place at the time.

References

External links

INDIA: The Happy War

Time (magazine) ''Time'' (stylized in all caps) is an American news magazine based in New York City. For nearly a century, it was published Weekly newspaper, weekly, but starting in March 2020 it transitioned to every other week. It was first published in New ...

, 27 September 1948
End of a State

Life (magazine) ''Life'' was an American magazine published weekly from 1883 to 1972, as an intermittent "special" until 1978, and as a monthly from 1978 until 2000. During its golden age from 1936 to 1972, ''Life'' was a wide-ranging weekly general-interest ma ...

, 11 October 1948 1899 births 1962 deaths People from Hyderabad State Hyderabad State Forces Commanders in chief British Indian Army generals Indian military personnel of World War I Indian military personnel of World War II History of Andhra Pradesh House of Aidarus Hadhrami people Indian people of Arab descent Indian people of Yemeni descent {{India-mil-bio-stub

Life

Autobiography

See also

References

External links