HISTORY OF THE DYNASTY BEHIND THE NIZAM's MUSEUM

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

Khaja Abid, the grandfather of Asaf Jah the founder of the Asaf Jah 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 Samarquand.

Khwaja Abid joined the service of the Moghul emperors of India as a high ranking and competent administrator. His descendants also served the Moghul Empire as competent administrators and high rank officers in the army. Even in his 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 Moghul title Asaf Jah, established an  independent state, though the name of the then ruling Moghul emperor at Delhi was imprinted on the coinage for several years. Asaf Jah’s eldest son continued in the services of the Moghuls in Delhi, becoming the prime minister. Asaf Jah himself returned to Delhi one last time at the appeal of the Moghul emperor at the time of 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 Asaf Jah no clear successor emerged from 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 Moghuls.

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 Jah dynasty, each successive Nizam assuming the title Asaf Jah. The last ruling seveth Nizam of Hyderabad H.E.H Mir Osman Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VII was the creator of the Trust which set up this Nizams Museum or the Purani Haveli Museum or the Silver Jubliee Museum, Hyderabad, Telangana, India.