Remembering the last Nizam

The Hindu
Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Sep 09, 2002

Mir Osman Ali Khan's 120th birth anniversary falls today. A lecture on his life and times is being organised by the Nizam's Jubilee Pavilion Trust at the Nizam's Museum, Purani Haveli at 11 a.m.

ALTHOUGH THE great flood ravaged the domain of Hyderabad in 1908 three years prior to the ascent of the VII Nizam Nawab Mir Osman Ali Khan to the throne, one of his first assignments was to invite Visweswaraiah to advise him on how a similar flood could be controlled and excess water be put to good use. In accordance with his suggestion, the embankment of the Musi River and construction of Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar Dams at Gandipet were undertaken. If the old city suffered minimum damage in the recent flood two years ago the credit goes to the last Nizam for his foresight and commitment to the welfare of his people. What precautions have been taken after these waters shattered not just the homes but lives of so many citizens? Have we used advanced technology and scientific know-how to implement necessary precautions? Or has the incident been washed away like so many others from the memory of those in power and positions of responsibility?

Today, everyone is on the fast track and very few stop to remember the last Nizam -whose contribution to his people never was and never will be matched. The ruler who was praised by great leaders like C.Rajagopalachari, Jawaharlal Nehru, Dr. Ambedkar and even the imperial British. Rabindranath Tagore wrote in praise of the first vernacular University established in 1917 by the Nizam, "I have long been waiting for the day when, free from the shackles of a foreign language our education becomes naturally accessible to all our people.'' Up to 11 per cent of the Nizam's budget was spent on education - schools, colleges, universities and even a Department for Translation was set up. Primary education was made compulsory and provided free to poor sections of society.

A corpus of one crore was earmarked for industrial development and the Nizam was responsible for the earliest public sector undertakings - Singareni Collieries and Nizam Sugar Factory. In 1911, the Nizam suspended capital punishment and replaced it with life imprisonment, something that was introduced only in 1964 in Britain. He separated the Judiciary from the Executive, another landmark in history. The City Improvement Board was set up by him and slums were replaced by planned colonies. Health and hygiene were amongst the several welfare programs he pioneered. Unfortunately public memory is short-lived and few people remember the contributions of the last Nizam. Bhaskar Rao, curator of the H.E.H. The Nizam's Museum reinforces, "The Nizam's secular outlook is more than evident in his keen interest to preserve the magnificent Buddhist frescos at the Ajanta and Ellora Caves. Italian experts were specially invited for restoration and recreation of these works on canvas to preserve them for posterity. Each object in this museum speaks volumes of his enormous contributions.''

``Ours were glorious days, days of plenty under the flourishing regime of the Nizams. Hyderabad was known to bring bharkat to both the underprivileged and privileged classes alike,'' reminisces Themi Mehta, wife of well-known cricketer late Soli Mehta. Her grandfather Sorabjee Pestonjee Kanga, a Persian scholar, was the personal tutor to the last Nizam, Mir Osman Ali Khan. On every birthday of the Nizam Kanga composed poetry and presented it in a silver casket to his `Sarkar' and student. Likewise, the Nizam reciprocated with utmost respect to his tutor and visited him twice every year - on Parsi New Year's day and on Kanga's birthday.
The 120th birth anniversary of the VII Nizam falls on September 9, the Ist Rajjab as per the Hijri calendar. To mark this occasion, The Nizam's Jubilee Pavilion Trust is holding a Memorial lecture on the Life and Times of the VII Nizam on Monday,(today) September 9 at 11 a.m. at the Nizam's Museum, Purani Haveli, Hyderabad.

Find out what no history textbook can ever emphasise enough about this true jewel of Hyderabad.

PADMINI B. PATELL