Last reviewed 4 Nov 2026 · 2 min read
1. Founding
- Mir Qamar-ud-din Khan, Nizam-ul-Mulk (Asaf Jah I), the Mughal governor of the Deccan, became virtually independent after the Battle of Shakar Kheda (1724).
- The capital was first Aurangabad; Nizam Ali Khan (Asaf Jah II) moved it to Hyderabad (1763).
2. The Nizams
| Nizam | Key facts |
|---|---|
| Asaf Jah I (1724–1748) | Founder |
| Nizam Ali Khan (Asaf Jah II, 1762–1803) | Capital to Hyderabad; first Indian ruler to accept Wellesley's Subsidiary Alliance (1798); gave the "Ceded Districts" (today's Rayalaseema) to the British in 1800 to pay for the force |
| Sikandar Jah (Asaf Jah III) | Secunderabad (British cantonment) is named after him |
| Nasir-ud-Daula (Asaf Jah IV) | Berar assigned to the British (1853) for arrears of the subsidiary force |
| Afzal-ud-Daula (Asaf Jah V) | Stayed loyal to the British in 1857; the attack on the Hyderabad Residency led by Turrebaz Khan failed |
| Mahbub Ali Khan (Asaf Jah VI) | Mulki rules introduced to reserve government jobs for locals |
| Mir Osman Ali Khan (Asaf Jah VII, 1911–1948) | Last Nizam — Osmania University (1918) with Urdu as the medium; Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar reservoirs built after the Musi flood of 1908; Osmania General Hospital, High Court building; Mulki rules codified by firman in 1919 |
3. Salar Jung I's reforms
Sir Salar Jung I (Prime Minister, 1853–1883) modernised the state:
- Revenue reforms — districts and taluqs, end of revenue farming.
- Judicial, police and education departments; the state railway (Secunderabad–Wadi line, 1874).
- The Salar Jung Museum holds the collection of his grandson Salar Jung III.
4. Society in Hyderabad State
- Land was held by the Nizam's own estate (Sarf-e-Khas), jagirdars and deshmukhs; peasants faced heavy taxes and vetti (forced labour).
- Urdu was the court language; Telugu, Marathi and Kannada speakers had little schooling in their own languages.
- Reform bodies: Andhra Jana Sangham (1921); Andhra Mahasabha (1930 — first conference at Jogipet, presided over by Suravaram Pratap Reddy); the library movement; Hyderabad State Congress (1938, Swami Ramananda Tirtha).
Revision SummaryQuick recap
- Asaf Jah I independent 1724; capital to Hyderabad 1763.
- Nizam Ali Khan — first subsidiary alliance (1798); Ceded Districts 1800.
- Berar assigned 1853; Mulki rules codified 1919.
- Salar Jung I — modern administration.
- Mir Osman Ali Khan — Osmania University 1918, Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar.