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The forebears of the Asaf Jahi dynasty came to India from Samarkhand, in Central Asia, but the family actually originated from Baghdad. In 1724, the Moghul Governor of the Deccan, Asaf Jah, Nizam ul-Mulk, Qamar ud-din Khan, established himself as an independant ruler. Hyderabad brecame the capital and later lent its name to that of the state he created. The first Nizam's successors became closly allied to the British, frequently assisting them in subduing their enemies, the Mahrathas, Tipu Sultan of Mysore, and the French. In later years, the Nizam's troops invariably took part in all the main campaigns undertaken by the Indian army. Large numbers of troops took part in the First and Second World Wars. These contributions earned for the Nizam unequalled titles and honours from a grateful Emperor. The state was the largest and premier princely state in the Empire. The Nizam ruled over a cosmopolitan population of over 16 million people, and over lands extending to 82,698 sq.miles of homogenous terrritory. These advantages persuaded the Nizam to attempt an independent existence, when the British withdrew from the sub-continent in 1947. He refused to join either India or Pakistan, preferring to form a separate kingdom within the British Commonwealth of nations. Unfortunately, the majority of his subjects were Hindus and his territory was surrounded on all sides by Indian territory. Attempts by certain groups of Muslim fundamentalists to ferment trouble and seize power, prompted the new Indian government to invade and annex Hyderabad by a, so-called, police action in 1948. Although the Nizam then acceded to the Dominion of India, power simply slipped from his grasp. He received the ceremonial post of Rajpramukh in 1950, but resigned from this office when the states were re-organised in 1956. Hyderabad was then split and dismembered along linguistic lines. The state that was once so well noted for its religious and ethnic toleration, ruled by a highly cultured and intellectually brilliant elite who maintained all that was best in the old Mughal order, was now no more.
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SALUTE:
21-guns.
Copyright© Christopher Buyers
STYLES AND TITLES:
The ruling prince: Rustam-i-Dauran, Arustu-i-Zaman, Wal Mamaluk, Asaf Jah VII, Muzaffar ul-Mamaluk, Nizam ul-Mulk, Nizam ud-Daula, Nawab Mir (personal name) Khan Bahadur, Sipah Salar, Fath Jang, Faithful Ally of the British Government, Nizam of Hyderabad and Berar, with the style of His Exalted Highness.

Style of address of His Exalted Highness The Nizam: Great and Holy Protector of the World, Shadow of God, Mighty Holder of Destinies, Full of Light and Most Elevated Among Creatures, The Exalted, May God's Shadow Never Grow Less, May God Protect Your Kingdom and Your Sultanate.
The principal consort of the ruling prince: Nawab (personal name) Begum Sahiba, with the style of Her Highness.
The Heir Apparent: Walashan Nawab (personal title), Sahibzada Mir (personal name) Khan Bahadur, The Prince of Berar, with the style of His Highness.
The wife of the Heir Apparent: (personal name) Begum Sahiba, The Princess of Berar, with the style of Her Highness.
The younger sons of the ruling prince: Walashan Nawab (personal title), Sahibzada Mir (personal name) Khan Bahadur.
The daughters of the ruling prince: Sahibzadi (personal name) Begum Sahiba.
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NOBILITY:
The state of Hyderabad broadly followed the old Mughal forms. Status was usually depended upon the size of the mensab held by the individual. These were originally military commands with estates or revenues attached to enable payment of the troops forming the commands. In Hyderabad, these were later converted into state pensions or assignments of revenue, without actual military commands being attached to them. The hierarchy of titles also followed Mughal forms and were generally additive, i.e. each ascending rank was added to existing titles rather than replacing them. These titles, in ascending order, were as follows:
Muslims:-
Khan
Khan Bahadur
Nawab
Jang
Daula
Mulk
Umara
Jah
The formal style of rendering the titles for a Muslim of the highest rank was as follows - (personal title) Jah, (personal title) ul-Umara, (personal title) ul-Mulk, (personal title) ud-Daula, Nawab (personal name) Khan Bahadur, (personal title) Jang. However, in normal parlance, the style of address would be Nawab (personal title) Jah Bahadur, Nawab (personal title) ud-Daula, or Nawab (personal title) Jang Bahadur.
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Amongst the great Muslim nobles of Hyderabad, the foremost family were known as the Amir-i-Paigah family. They took the name from the principal office held by the head of the house, command of the personal household troops of the Nizam. They are Sayyidis descended from the famous sufi saint, Shaikh Farid ud-din Shakarganj. At one time the family domains comprised a fifth of the entire territory of the state. The wealth and status of the family, together with the close marriage alliances with the Nizam's family, ensured near Royal status for its senior members.
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Though ruled by a Muslim family and its Muslim retainers, the population of the state was overwhelmingly composed of Hindus. Many state officials and nobles were drawn from the Hindu community and enjoyed titles of parallel rank to their Muslim counterparts. These titles, in ascending order, were as follows:
Hindus:
Rai
Raja
Raja Bahadur
Raja Rai Bahadur
Raja Rai-i-Rayan Bahadur
Vant
Maharaja
Maharaja Bahadur

HYDERABAD 2	HYDERABAD 3	HYDERABAD 4	HYDERABAD 5
HYDERABAD 6	HYDERABAD 7	HYDERABAD 8	HYDERABAD 9
HYDERABAD 10	HYDERABAD 11	HYDERABAD 12	BAONI
AMIR-I-PAIGAH		MAIN