A Brief History of The Asif Jah Dynasty, the Dynasty behind the Nizam’s Museum

Khwaja Abid, the grandfather of Asaf Jah-I, the founder of the Asaf Jahi dynasty was the first to arrive in India in the 17th century from Farghana. He came from a Turkish family of teachers and intellectuals living in Central Asia originally in Samarqand.

Khwaja Abid joined the service of the Moghal emperors of India as a high-ranking and competent administrator. His descendants also served the Moghal Empire as competent administrators and high-ranking officials in the army. Even in the later years of his life when he was almost blind Khwaja Abid’s army camps on campaigns were reputed to be the cleanest and the most orderly ones in India.

In the Deccan, Khwaja Abid’s grandson known by his Moghal title Asaf Jah, established an independent state, though the name of the then ruling Moghal emperor at Delhi was imprinted on the coinage for several years. Asaf Jah’s eldest son continued in the services of the Moghals in Delhi, becoming the Prime Minister. Asaf Jah himself returned to Delhi one last time at the appeal of the Moghul emperor during the invasion of Nadir Shah, Emperor of Persia in Delhi. Again, he distinguished himself by persuading Nadir Shah, to stop the general massacre of the citizens of Delhi.

After the death of Asaf Jah-I, no clear successor emerged among his sons until his fourth son Nizam Ali Khan became the undisputed ruler and was acknowledged with the title of Asaf Jah-II by the Moghals.

He and his successor ruled the Deccan through a constant succession of wars and shifting alliances with the Marathas, the French, the British and the rulers of the deep south.

The dynasty came to be called the Asaf Jahi dynasty, each successive Nizam assuming the title Asaf Jah. The last ruling seventh Nizam of Hyderabad H.E.H Mir Osman Ali Khan, Asaf Jah-VII was the creator of the Trust which set up this Nizam’s Museum or the Purani Haveli Museum or the Silver Jubilee Museum, Hyderabad, Telangana, India.