The Last Nizam

by John Zubrzycki

"The Last Nizam tells the astonishing story of an Indian prince's misadventure as a farmer in Australia... A fascinating new book." (Time)

"Zubrzycki approaches his subject with the assurance of an historian, the concision of a journalist and the language of a poet." (Goodreading)

In early 1972 His Exalted Highness, the Rustam of the Age, the Aristotle of the Times, Wal Mamaluk, Asaf Jah VIII, the Conqueror of Dominions, the Regulator of the Realm, Nawab Mir Barakat Ali Khan Bahadur, The Victor in Battles, the Leader of Armies, the Nizam of Hyderabad and Berar, arrived in Western Australia and bought himself an outback station. So began one of the most incongruous episodes in the history of India's richest princely dynasty.

The Last Nizam is the story of an extraordinary dynasty, the Nizams of Hyderabad, and how the last Nizam gave up a kingdom to come to the backblocks of outback Australia. With vivid detail and anecdote the book charts the rise of the dynasty to fabulous wealth and prominence under the Mughul emperors of India, giving a rich and vibrant portrait of a realm soaked in blood and intrigue. Above all it describes the strange - sometimes comic, sometimes tragic - life of Mukarram Jah, the last Nizam, who left behind him the fabulous wealth of Golconda and the palaces of Hyderabad to drive bulldozers in the Australian bush.

Genres: History, India, Nonfiction, Biography, Cultural

404 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

John Zubrzycki is an award-winning journalist whose long association with India has included stints as a Hindi student, diplomat, consultant and foreign correspondent. He is the world commentary editor at the Australian newspaper and lives in Sydney.

Reviews

[Adam · Rating 2 out of 5]

After finally getting to visit the city of Hyderabad - the former capital of India's largest princely state - this summer, I became interested in reading John Zubrzycki's The Last Nizam: An Indian Prince In The Australian Outback.

The first 150 or so pages summarises the history of the first 7 of Hyderabad's 8 dynastic rulers, their battles, their lifestyle, and their dealings with the British who had a strong controlling influence on their state for a number of centuries. The author writes about this period informatively, but not interestingly.

In 1947, when India became independent, Hyderabad and the other more than 500 princely states were left by the departing British to face an uncertain future. Zubrycki describes Hyderabad's somewhat violent incorporation into the new nation of India and the subsequent fate of the Asaf Jah dynasty (led by its Nizams) that had ruled it for many centuries. This is where his book begins to become more of a pleasure to read.

As predicted by a fakir during the life of the first Nizam, the death of the 7th Nizam marked the absolute end of the dynasty's rule. What was it that might have helped fulfil this prediction? It might have been the incorporation of Hyderabad into a then socialist-leaning nation. The 8th Nizam's preference for things mechanical as opposed to matters regal was not conducive to the continuance of a dynasty, nor was preferring to live on a desolate farm in Australia rather than in one of his palaces in Hyderabad. The factors that led to things falling apart in the former princely state are described in the chapters in the book, which are largely dedicated to the life of the 8th Nizam, with whom the author has met and become well-acquainted. These chapters help rescue a book, which began by holding my attention poorly, to become quite interesting.

Undoubtedly, this is an important book for anyone interested in the history of the princely states, but possibly not the most riveting one ever written.

[Vikas Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally a book that stays true to the facts without coloring or distorting the facts. The book is an interesting study into how the Nizams came to occupy Deccan, not by winning any war but by the grace of Mughals. It details how successive Nizams indulged in excesses, and depended on the British and French support to stay in power. Interesting read

[Murtaza · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had an interest in reading this story due to my own family's connection to the events contained herein (my great-grandfather was a minister to the 7th Nizam) and while I did appreciate the attempted history here I have to say this was a bit of an unsatisfactory book. It leaps around quite a bit, doesn't fully explore the topics it broaches and by the end devolves into an incredible tedium of financial accounting (in fairness I guess this is what the Asaf Jahi dynasty itself had devolved too but nonetheless this could have been covered better I feel).

Rulers are simultaneously described as benevolent and capable on one page and then hopelessly incompetent and depraved on the next; makes the book seem a bit confused and haphazard. While this is a difficult history to document and I give the author credit for trying I didn't come away with a very strong faith in his narration at the end.

Ultimately I'd say this was still an admirable attempt and I learned something from this book. When it comes to the history of this period it is probably still worth reading to flesh out some of the details. Worth it for those with an intense interest in the subject.

[Sridevi Bp · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is informative and often entertaining. The last part drags a bit, probably because there is nothing much to be said about the last Nizam except for his financial woes. If there is one thing that the Nizams were good at, that would be at being absolutely dissolute. The author writes with just the right amount of objectivity and disdain about the self absorbed nizams engrossed in their petty concerns. There is no subaltern view presented and that is disappointing. While Hyderabad was supposedly the richest princely state, those riches were obtained from the blood and sweat of the poor and spent recklessly by a few. There is no greatness in the Nizams. I, for one, cannot rouse any sympathy for the last Nizam on his fall. It requires a special talent for one to go from being the richest man in the world to an indebted one. The most interesting bits in the book are about the role of the Raj. It appears that apart from being absolute colonial masters, they were also super nannies! They arranged marriages, negotiated dowries, facilitated school admissions and even scolded the princes for living beyond their considerable means. Richly deserved comeuppance! The book deserves an extra star for this. It is ultimately a sad tale of a sad dynasty. The last Nizam could have done so much for his people with all that lovely money instead of squandering it all!

[Danesh Hussain Zaki · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had been interested in learning about the Nizams of Hyderabad from the time I used to work there, several years ago. I used to regularly visit the area around Charminar and wonder at how life used to be in the Old City in the times of the Nizams. As the articles about them in the Internet did not satiate me, I went and bought a copy of the The Last Nizam by John Zubrzycki.

I had formed an opinion that western authors were prejudiced against eastern and oriental rulers, and were unkindly to them in their works. This opinion was based on books I read, written by Britishers on pre-independence India, the 1857 revolt, Bhagat Singh and the Mughals. So far, the opinion has seemed correct except for the books of William Dalrymple, who I believe has been fair and neutral. John Zubrzycki has been less forgiving though. Among the eight Nizams that he covers in the book, except for the first Nizam, he is largely unsympathetic to the others. As with most western authors, he has served to highlight the inadequacies of the rulers rather than being balanced. This is very visible in the chapters on the Seventh Nizam, Osman Ali Khan. Osman Ali Khan was a decent ruler and made several efforts to take Hyderabad into the 20th century. Through his alliance with the British, he established railways, postal systems, hospitals and modernized the city state. While all these are mentioned in passing or attributed to the British Viceroys, the emphasis has largely been on his personal qualities of frugality, stinginess and attraction to women.

Since the book is about the Last Nizam, in the closing chapters, Zubrzycki drifts into Mukarram Jah’s exploits in Australia. He goes into some detail explaining bull dozers, machinery and ranches. These chapters are out of sync with the rest of the book and slow down the flow. I was bored and flipped through the pages fast; something which I had not done in the earlier chapters. The chapters portray Mukarram Jah, the last Nizam as a spendthrift, reckless and irresponsible individual. I seem to agree with this assessment as Mukarram Jah appears to have shirked his responsibilities and has been unable to handle the pressure. A lesson that one learns from this is that just getting educated abroad does not make for a successful personality.

While the book provides a fairly detailed picture into the lives of the Nizams, it would have been better if Zubrzycki had not fallen into stereotyping the rulers as his other western counterparts did and do. A less prejudiced appraisal of the Nizams would have had him placed alongside the likes of William Dalrymple. He attributes the rise of the Nizam’s empire largely to the British while the downfall is blamed on “poor Nizzy”. After reading the book, one feels that the book’s subititle should have read “The Fall of India’s Greatest Princely State” rather than “The Rise and Fall of India’s Greatest Princely State”.

[Sujatha · Rating 4 out of 5]

A historical book about the rulers of a kingdom size of Belgium size rich from diamond mines and cotton in India during 17th-20th century.It narrates how initially Nizams were governing for Mughals(Persians)in Delhi and then become close allies of British and finally how the princely state merged with India and the life of its last ruler.

Author's detailed research and made this book more crowded data than information.Other than that it was engaging.Statistics on wealth that was squandered by the Nizam in power, The negligence , the lawlessness , Jah turning his back towards the kingdom instead of welfare of his people made me sad.

The book is still worth owning it to remember the glory of the princely state in terms of its wealth, the million ! pounds of gold and silver bullions, million of pounds of jewels with diamonds, pearls,emeralds, the palaces , women in their zenanas...

[Natasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hyderabad is like a kaleidoscope; you shift your perspective slightly, and a completely different picture emerges- consistent with the others, yet completely contradictory. Loved this book because it gave a eagle’s eye view of the Asaf Jahi dynasty.
Since the book is about the Last Nizam, it doesn’t go into much depth with the first six Nizams, which does make the story seem sketchy and incomplete.
What the book does do, is make me eager to read more about Princess Durrashevar. When will that book come?

[Prasanna Dommu · Rating 1 out of 5]

Such a poorly written book. Just a ton of facts and quotes thrown in with no inferences or narrative. It reads like a 300+ page Wiki article about the Asaf Jahi dynasty and the empire of Hyderabad.


The title of the book is misleading as this is not the story of the last nizam but a repository of random facts about all the nizams. And it doesn't provide any of the answers it promises. What made Hyderabad such a powerful and rich empire? Why was the 7th Nizam so frugal as to write firmans on used cigarettes packs while being the richest man on earth? 


The reader also finds it difficult to empathise with Mukkaram Jah who this book portrays as nothing more than a spoiled Indian prince who wanted to peacefully enjoy his grandfather's inheritance but ran off to the Australian outback when things got too complicated in Hyderabad. 


The narration is inconsistent and incoherent. The author jumps from person to person within the span of a single page, changing his tone completely. Facts are exaggerated and misrepresented. The author refers to mughal ancestry of Mukkaram Jah which is confusing because in the beginning of the book he clearly states that the grandfather of the first nizam is from Adilabad. Yes, he worked for the mughals, but does that make him a mughal? Inconsistencies like this makes readers scratch their heads. 

[Srikanth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh boy, what a book! I really enjoyed reading the story of how the nizams came to power and were able to rule the province of Hyderabad for some 220 years. I am no history buff and don't really enjoy reading and remembering chronologies and the like. But this book is different. It reads like fiction. Hats off to the author, John Zubrzycki for he does not assert himself even once in the entire 332 pages of this book. He just narrates a powerful story of what happened and how the greatest princely state of India came to be and how the last nizam ended up with almost nothing. It is really surprising to see how much wealth and possessions the erstwhile rulers were able to hoard when their subjects lived in abject poverty. Overall, an interesting read to get some perspective of the bygone days.

[Roopesh Kohad · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing book chronicling the history of Asaf Jahi dynasty giving most coverage to current Nizam Mukarram Jah and his grandfather Osman Ali Khan. Having lived in Hyderabad the affairs of princely state were of interest. The accounts like Nizam being richest man in the world, take over by India and controversies later were all inquisitive. All that could have been read on Wikipedia or other sources but this book summed up the entire affairs of dynasty in lucid, well paced narrative transitioning from one era to another. After reading this so keen to go back to Hyderabad and experience all those places - Chowmohalla, King Kothi, Nazri bagh and walk in the alleys of Old city and witness the old world charm. Must read book for anyone interested in chronicling the entire Nizam dynasty.

[Sajith Kumar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Being a journalist, John Zubrzycki displays commendable width in the amount of his researches, but in the same coin, lacks depth too. This Australian writer has travelled and worked in India over the past thirty years, and the familiarity is observable from the apt comments about Indian social life and how it would receive a ex-monarch into its fold. Hyderabad was the largest Indian princely state that enjoyed a 21-gun salute from the British. The traditional king of Hyderabad, known as the Nizam, had enormous amounts of booty that he was regarded as the richest man in the world at that time. We have an adage, as rich as Croesus, which refers to the fabulous riches of the ancient Greek king Croesus, and Nizam was a modern-day Croesus. To complete the analogy, both men lost their kingdoms and wealth to a superior power and had to act as vassals to them – Emperor Cyrus in the case of Croesus and the British and later, the Indian government for the Nizam. The book presents a very handy account of the rise of the dynasty, its consolidation, its warm relations and alliance with the British, how it tried to thwart the democratic aspirations of its people, had to lay down power to elected representatives of Indian democracy and how the last Nizam squandered the enormous resources to become a virtual pauper in a foreign land, Australia, to which he was attracted.

The emergence of the Nizamate in 18th century was to fill the political vacuum created by the demise of Mughal empire in its first quarter. Aurangzeb, with his impudent and shortsighted policies had ensured the alienation of allies and enemies alike. The wreckage caused by him was so severe that Mughal authority collapsed like a pack of cards after his death. The viceroys of provinces and local chieftains asserted their dominance without referring to Delhi. Nadir Shah’s devastating raid on Delhi in 1739 provided the coup de grace for the ailing monarchy. Meanwhile, Qamruddin, who was the Mughal general assigned to Deccan defeated the Qutb Shahi kingdom at Golconda and assumed reign as a representative of the titular Mughal emperor. He assumed the title Nizam ul-Mulk and the established the foundations of a dynasty which was to last two centuries. The Nizams always displayed loyalty to the absentee emperor, minted coins and read Khutbah prayers in the name of his master. Nizam ul-Mulk’s death in 1748 triggered the curse of Islamic dynasties in India, the war of succession. A bloody and brutal pogrom followed in which brothers killed brothers and sons plotted against fathers. The French and British, who were eagerly watching from the sidelines stepped up their presence, both commercial and military, took sides in these wars and with the smart deployment of their highly disciplined troops ensured that whoever ruled Hyderabad had to be the puppet of one or the other.

The power struggles between the contenders in 18th century Deccan – the Nizam, the Marathas, Mysore, the British and the French – kindled a game of political musical chair, with opportunism, breach of trust and clandestine deals becoming the order of the day. In the end, the British, along with the Nizam and Marathas routed Tipu Sultan of Mysore and his French allies. Those who praise Tipu for fighting the British in a spirit of patriotic fervour conveniently forget that he was only a pawn in the French game plan against the British. South India came under British dominance for the next 150 years. Nizam’s real power was much curtailed, always the strings were pulled by the British resident and the Diwan (prime minister) who most often deferred to the Europeans. The 19th century saw two powerful Diwans who ruled the state for nearly 30 years in the first and second halves of the century. However, their characters could not have been more contrasting. Chandu Lal was corrupt to the core and amassed a great fortune by the time he stepped down, while Salar Jung was an example of rectitude and an imaginative administrator who transformed Hyderabad from a Mughal-style fiefdom to a modern state. He alienated the British too, by voicing against their partisan actions. He died penniless, with a great debt to be paid back. Ever since the British assumed the administration of the subcontinent, succession struggles became a thing of the past. Successors were identified early on and investiture required the approval of the viceroy. Nizams now had a peaceful ascendancy to the throne and a confirmed long tenor.

The Nizams were loyal supporters and the lynchpins of the colonial regime. He ruthlessly suppressed the first signs of mutiny in 1857 when it surfaced in Hyderabad. The alliance continued in world wars too, at considerable embarrassment to the Nizam after World War I when Britain denuded the Turkish Caliph of his power. The Caliph was also the spiritual head of all Sunni Muslims, but the Nizam played the gamble and won. Osman Ali Khan became the Seventh Nizam in 1911. He was the founder of Osmania University and several modern establishments, but was personally corrupt and stooped in debauchery. He had about 300 concubines in his harem and though an extreme miser, was perfectly willing to ‘buy’ women to his harem. He aspired also to step in to the vacant post of Caliph, who was exiled in Paris. He arranged the marriage of his sons to the only daughter and niece of the Caliph. Thus, his grand son, who was the Last Nizam was poised to be the successor to the Caliph. Osman Ali Khan continued his corrupt ways even in times of great financial strain to the state. He gobbled up 27.3% of the state’s revenue to lavish on women and jewels, while King George V in contemporary England took only 0.091%. He was so rich that it was said that he could comfortably live in style on the interest of the interest on his income.

Hyderabad was a state in which Muslims who constituted only 10% of the population controlled the entire government machinery and had a 100% monopoly of government jobs. Nizam’s medieval mindset couldn’t accommodate the democratic aspirations of his Hindu subjects who made up 90% of the population. Instead, his quasi-state militia, called Razakars, tyrannized over them. Osman Ali’s plan was to accede to Pakistan if his demand for independence was not accepted when India gained its freedom from the British. He amassed weapons on a large scale from Pakistan through an Australian arms dealer to block the Indian army’s entry. He even moved the UN Security Council on Aug 21, 1948 to intervene to maintain the status quo. To the Indian army which was straining on the leash on his borders, this was the last straw. It quickly moved into Hyderabad at 4 am on Sep 13 in a manouvre euphemistically called the ‘Police Action’ by Indian historians. Nizam capitulated in two days which reportedly saw 20,000 people die.

Mukarram Jah, the grand son of Osman Ali Khan and designated Nizam was a young boy when his kingdom got absorbed in India. Having a Turkish mother who vehemently kept him aloof from sycophants and the degenerating culture of Hyderabadi nobility made him have a decent education. Though he was very poor in studies, he enrolled at premier institutions. After the Seventh Nizam died, Mukarram Jah was crowned the Eighth Nizam in 1967 with Indian approval. His status was short lived though, as part of Indira Gandhi’s socialist agenda, the privy purse and other prerogatives of the princes were abolished. There were to be no more Nizams, Jah became the last. He spent most of his time and money farming in a half-million acre estate in Western Australia, but ended up selling all of his property due to poor financial acumen. Bogged down in thousands of law suits filed against him by thousands of his own relatives who were bent upon receiving a share of the spoils, Jah decided to sell his valuable jewellery. The government stopped the auction, claiming historic importance to the artifacts which later bought them in an arbitrated settlement. He now lives in Turkey.

The book presents some curious but definitive clues to the bigoted mindset of early Nizams even behind their veneer of sophistication. Asaf Jah is said to have remarked in his last will and testament that Brahmins were fit only to be hanged and quartered (p.20). The moral bankruptcy of every Nizam who sat on the throne is laid out in vivid detail. They were profligate spenders on jewellery and women, and pathetically addicted to gems who were willing to opulent drawals on the state treasury for their personal gains. All of them possessed a huge zenana which, by some accounts, counted up to 10,000 women to satisfy every perverted carnal lust. They stuffed the harems with dancing girls and daughters of nobles who willingly pimped them for petty favours. The Nizams were ignorant of and completely indifferent to the administrative needs of his state or to the welfare of his people and cared only for the gratification of his whims and desires (p.106). Many a time, when the state was teetering on the edge of bankruptcy, Nizam still measured his gold by the ton and pearls by kilograms. 30% of land in his dominion was his private property called sarf-i-khas.

The book is truly illuminating as it exposes the extent of moral abyss a ruler can fall into. It also contains a set of good photographs to enliven the reading experience. On the other hand, there are several printing errors and omissions, particularly in years and dates. It calls for better proof reading. Also, the unnecessary elaboration of Mukarram Jah’s family life in Australia with his secretary-turned-princess Australian wife who later died of AIDS is uninteresting.

The book is highly recommended.

[Appu · Rating 4 out of 5]

An extended visit to Hyderabad inspired me to read this book. Modern Hyderabad is an impressive city. Infrastructure and levels of cleanliness are better than those of other Indian cities of comparable size. Strewn across the city are remnants of its princely past. The old city with Char Minar as its centre- piece and palaces like Chow Mohalla and Falaknuma remind the visitor that Hyderabad has a history going much beyond the glitzy malls and the glass fronted building of the Hi Tech City.
The islamic rule over the region started when a governor of the Khilji Sultanate established the Bahmani Kingdom in the early 16th century at a time of weakening central authority in Delhi. Later a potentate under the Bahmani kingdom founded the Qutb Shahi dynasty with Hyderabad as its capital. It was this dynasty that created some of the most enduring landmarks of Hyderabad such as Char Minar, Mecca Masjid and Golkonda Fort. In the late 17th century Aurangzeb brought Golkonda under the Mughal rule. But with the death of Aurangzeb, the central authority of Delhi weakened and a Moghul governor called Nizam ul Mulk Asaf Jah established an independent kingdom of Hyderabad. There followed 150 years of Asaf Jahi rule over Hyderabad. This dynasty produced 7 rulers who survived by deftly working out a modus vivendi with the British. With the exit of the British, the kingdom collapsed.
This books is about the Asaf Jahi dynasty only. It does not discuss the earlier phase of Hyderabad history.
Asaf Jahis surrendered their sovereignty to the British almost as soon as the dynasty emerged. Thereafter the successive rulers were content to accept the overlordship of the British and manage the internal affairs of the country under the benign guidance of the British resident. They did not do anything dramatic such as creating magnificent infrastructure, alleviating property, encouraging trade , industry or agriculture. They did not even attempt to build grand palaces or tombs. But they were good at accumulating a personal fortune and by the time of the 7th Nizam, Osman Ali Khan, the Nizam was the richest man in the world.
The source of the fabulous wealth of the Nizams is not very well explored in the book. From what I could gather, the Nizams became rich mainly (1) due to the custom of Nazars or offerings. Any one coming to meet the Nizam had to give a Nazr. Other sources of wealth were (2) sale of Important government posts (3) extensive personal estates which amounted to nearly a 3rd of the arable land of the state. (4) Finally, Hyderabad state was diamond country. Most of the mines had been exhausted by the time Asaf Jahis came along. But the wealth already dug up was their’s to be had.
In the first quarter of the 20th century, the Islamic world was in decline. The last great hope of the Islamic world, the Ottomans, were defeated in the 1st world war. The Ottoman emperor, who was also the Khalifa of Islam, was deposed by the Turkish nationalists under Gen. Mustafa Ataturk. Suddenly the world of Islam started looking at the Nizam in a new light. Osman Ali Khan could become the Khalifa if he wished.
Although he was rich, Osman Ali lacked the sophistication of the Turkish royals. He was also a miser who would smoke hand-rolled cigarettes and wear dirty clothes to save a few pennies, When the Khalifa was deposed and sent into exile in Switzerland, they survived on the pension extended by the Nizam. A proposal was mooted for the marriage of Osman Ali’s two sons Azam Jah and Moazzam Jah with Turkish princesses. Accordingly, Azam Jah married Darrushevar, the daughter of the Khalif and Moazzam Jah married the Niloufer the neice of the Khalif. These were unhappy marriages, Durushevar and Niloufer could not quite adapt to life in India and Azam and Moazzam were not smart enough for their wives. It also became clear that Osman Ali would never allow Azam Jah to succeed him. The crown prince was seen as incompetent and morally corrupt.
When Mokkaram was born to Darushevar and Azam Jah he was seen as the child who would restore the greatness of the house of Asaf Jah. Unfortunately the child did not display any great promise. He was sent to the Doon school and later Harrow in England and eventually to Cambridge and Sandhurst Military academy. Mokkaram was never a great student. His interests lay in machines and sports. Meanwhile the marriage of his parents was on the rocks. Azam Jah started cheating on his wife and when he realised that he would never have the crown, turned to liquor and drugs. Darushevar separated from her husband and settled in England.
Meanwhile great developments were taking place in Hyderabad. British decided to quit India and ended their paramountcy over the native states. Hyderabad decided to stand alone. But Osman Ali lacked the military resources or the diplomatic skills to carry through his decision. He made some desperate attempts to amass arms and undertake negotiations with the British and India. It came to nothing. India invaded Hyderabad. What followed is still largely blacked out by the Indian history books. This books claims that anywhere between 20,000 to 2 lakh people lost lives. That makes Hyderabad action the bloodiest military action in the history of independent India. Unfortunately, this incident is hardly discussed in India today. Osman Ali was reduced to a constitutional ruler. A decade later with state reorganisation along linguistic lines, much of his state was lost to him. Osman Ali’s wealth remained largely intact stashed away as diamonds and jewellery. He placed his wealth in a number of trusts so that all his numerous dependants would be taken care of. These trust eventually became source of endless litigation and acrimony among his successors.
In the early 70s Osman Ali died and was succeeded by Mukkaram Jah. He was only a titular ruler. His sovereignty was limited to a few palaces now crumbling and being plundered for their treasures. He was nevertheless immensely wealthy. With his back ground and education he could have been a force in politics or sought some diplomatic or gubernatorial posts. Such a move would have protected his wealth as well. Jah however lacked the force of personality needed of a man in his situation. All he wanted was to escape. He wanted to monetise as much of the precious diamonds and jewellery and escape from the heat and dust of India. Unfortunately he soon got caught up in web cast by India’s tax department, relatives wanting their share of the pie and advisors willing to help themselves to whatever that came their way. To cut a long story short, Jah lost his fortune pretty fast.
Mukkaram Jah moved to Western Australia and purchased a 5 million acre sheep station and started out as a gentlemen farmer. This venture soon failed and pushed him further into debts. His Turkish wife left him. Jah married an Australian woman who soon grew tired of him and died of AIDS. Jah just about survived. He went on to marry five women. His mounting debts and made sure that Jah had to cut short his life in Australia. Jah now a nonagenarian, lives all by himself in Istanbul, city of his Turkish ancestors.
All the royal families of India went through a crisis as India transitioned from colonialism to democracy. But the decline and fall of the house of Asaf Jah was particularly dramatic. As the old saying goes, higher your perch the greater your fall.
Asaf Jahis had it easy. The cosy relationship with the British meant that their territory was secure so long as they paid their dues to the British in time. The ruling class had little connection with the masses. Asaf Jahis saw themselves as part of the global elite of Islam. They lived in a make belief world of Persian poetry and Turkish court life. The majority of the population speaking Telugu and Marathi could not relate to their rulers. Successive rulers were morally decadent and wasted their life indulging their appetite for luxuries and women. Unlike Qutb Shahis the Asaf Jahis have little to show as their legacy except for their somewhat tasteless palaces. They of course did not improve the lot of their people like the Mysore, Baroda or Travancore royals did. Osman Ali tried to make amends by setting up institutions like the Osmania University and endowing institutions like AMU and BHU, but it was too little too late. The house Asaf Jah will be remembered in history for having made little use of their fabulous wealth.
This is a readable and racily written book. Recommended.

[Saju Pillai · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think people who read history tend to think of "the weight of history" as a real thing - this is certainly true of me. With that bias, I believe that Mukarram Jah, the Eight Nizam was probably one of the most inept royal ever.

This scion of the Asaf Jahi Dynasty, is not only the (titular) Eight Nizam of Hyderabad & Berar, but also as the grandson of the last Caliph, the only individual with a strong enough claim to the become Caliph of Islam. Jah, instead decides that the easiest way to hold this "weight of history" on his shoulders is by burning through the generations of wealth his ancestors built and by turning a blind eye to his legacy. It is no wonder then that both his kids from his first marriage sued him in court for bleeding the family wealth and declaring him inept at financial matters.

It is hard to have one iota of sympathy for someone like Jah - a man who brought to ruin the largest & richest Indian Muslim state, a man who left in tatters a eight generation old dynasty and all because of his deliberate incompetence.

[Reema · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had great expectations from the book. But utterly disappointed.

Firstly I don’t know on what basis the author proclaims Nizam dynasty to be the greatest in India after Mughals. If he has even read the basics of Indian history, he wouldn’t want to sound that stupid. Secondly, in the few initial pages of the book he says the Marathas built forts to harass the Mughals. Now any sane person who again knows the Indian history would know that it was the Mughals who harassed the local culture and population.
Such baseless statements by the author in the very beginning phase of the book took away my interest from what he has to say later on.
I assume this book is a product of the same age old mentality of some outsiders to glorify everything about the invaders of India.

[Pradeep Kamath · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book, especially if you want to know what happened to all the fabulous wealth of the Nizams of Hyderabad. I'm a history buff, so I thought the author could have delved a bit more into the entire dynasty. The chapters on the first seven Nizams feels like a precis, though. But then, it suits the title. :)

[Rakesh Akkineni · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very well researched and written book. I am glad to have come across this book , having spent more than 20years of my life in hyderabad i was hardly aware of its history.

[Madhura Desai · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had an interest in reading The Last Nizam due to my connection with Hyderabad. If you are following me on Instagram you might have read a write-up on my grandfather joining the Marathwada Mukti Sangram. It was a protest to declare allegiance with India and to be free from the rule of Nizam. However, my connection to Hyderabad is more closer because I lived there for 3.5 years before moving to my current home in Assam.
Hyderabad is an eclectic amalgamation of the old and new. Here you will not only find high rise buildings and IT firms, swanky malls, high-end eateries but also palaces, tombs, forts and ancient havelis. It's like being in a time-wrap. John Zubrzycki's The Last Nizam encapsulates all these elements in its 400 pages. It gives you a glimpse into the attar-scented palaces of Nizam, filled with antiques and jewels, court politics and intrigue but more importantly, into the mind and heart of the last Nizam of the Asaf Jah dynasty, Mukarram Jah, a prince who left an inheritance of fabulous wealth for the Australian outback and later, for the obscurity of Turkey.
The Last Nizam starts with how the Asaf Jah dynasty was established. Zubrzycki paints a vivid picture of how, out of the crumbling Mughal dynasty, emerged a powerful line of sovereigns who reigned over Deccan for seven centuries. History buffs might find this section fascinating. I enjoyed reading it but found it a bit slow in some places. The relations between the British and the Nizams, with all the frustrations, animosity and sometimes grudging cooperation forms the first 150 pages of the book.
People who read History often talk about the 'weight of history' and to certain extent even think that it's a real thing. I certainly think it's true in the case of Mukarram Jah. The last Nizam was more at home in the Australian outback, running a sheep station than at his palaces in Hyderabad. He was not interested in becoming a ruler because he knew there was nothing left to rule. Zuberzycki shows a man who is trapped in the past but yearns for a normal, quiet life. When Mukarram Jah was crowned as the Nizam, he had no idea how vast his fortune would be. Nor did he expect that so many of his grandfather's relatives would drag him to court for a share of the estate.
Mukarram Jah was not only the Nizam of Hyderabad and Berar but he was also the grandson of the last Caliph of Islam. Jah, perhaps, has the strongest claim to the Ottoman Sultanate of Turkey. Instead, he leaves everything and goes to Australia to start a sheep station. When things fall apart there, he heads to Turkey, his mother's birthplace, to do what he has always wanted to do- live in obscurity and explore ancient Roman ruins.
The Last Nizam also throws light on the sevent Nizam, Mir Osman Ali Khan, Jah's grandfather. During India's independence, he decided to stand alone. However, Osman Ali Khan lacked military resources and diplomatic skills. He made some desperate attempt to procure arms but it came to nothing. Finally, Operation Polo was launched and India invaded Hyderabad. It was the bloodiest military action in the history of Independent India. Zubrzycki clamis that 20,000 to 2 lakh people lost their lives. I find it surprising that this operation is not a part of history books nor is it widely discussed.
One thing which I liked about the last Nizam was its objectivity. The writing is racy, richly detailed with some interesting anecdotes. This book could be 300 pages but the excruciating details about Jah's financial matters and litigations dragged it to 400. But I recommend The Last Nizam to readers who are looking for an objective account of an important period in Indian history.

[Abhishek Dafria · Rating 4 out of 5]

The mighty Golconda Fort has been captured. The Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb breathes a sigh of relief. As the Qutb Shahi dynasty comes to an end, Aurangzeb seats the first Nizam on the throne of Hyderabad who would serve him. And thus begins the era of the Nizams. Author John Zubrycki traces the timeline of the Nizams in his book The Last Nizam that stretches almost three centuries covering eight rulers. He expertly narrates the key events that played a part in either the rise to glory of Hyderabad or its decline, the rulers who led from the front and those who hid in the back, the key men and women who influenced the rule of the Nizams whether for good or bad. It is a bit of history that is filled with so much drama that one could easily carve many episodes of a long television series.

John Zubrycki dedicates a large bulk of his book to the last Nizam, the eighth one, who has probably spent more time outside Hyderabad than on its streets. How Hyderabad lost its independence and became a part of India forms one of the key turning points for the Nizam's rule in that region, and that is where the fate of the eighth Nizam, who was a kid then, seems to have been decided. John Zubrycki does not fill his narrative with any eloquence that would be befitting its titular character, but he does sympathise to a certain degree while still maintaining a scholarly distance to allow the reader to appreciate an impartial view of the events. He explores the mindset of the eighth Nizam, elaborates on the legal battles that he was stuck with, though at times giving too many details that damages the otherwise impressive flow of events in his story. For those interested in India's history, here is a chapter that might narrate only a tiny tale if one considers the mere size of India and the richness of its past. But it is a chapter worth reading, a chapter worth appreciating, a chapter that did shape the lives of many men and women in this country!

[SHOBHA MENON · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating history of the Nizams of Hyderabad , from the first Nizam ul Mulk to the Eighth Nizam, Muharram Jah. His grandfather, Osman Ali Khan , declared him the next Nizam bypassing his father, who was a weak man. Over seven generations from 1724, the Nizams created a state that could rival Mecca in importance as a center for Islamic learning. In the detritus of the Mughal empire arose a kingdom that played a central role in the struggle for supremacy in South India between the British and the French, determined the outcome of the Mutiny, and challenged newly independent India' right to impose its sovereignty over its princely states. The Nizams became the most faithful allies of the British Raj and amassed more riches than all the other princely states in India put together. And then, in one man's lifetime, almost all would be lost among the dusty paddocks of a sheep station in Australia. A well-researched book, with material sourced from old archives and interviews. It makes a sad reading how the great wealth amassed by the Nawabs through dubious means and by owning the land where the Golconda mines existed, was squandered away. Nizam's subjects never benefited. Only the nobles and the extended family benefited. It is heartening that at least some of the jewels became part of Indian heritage and are safely kept in the vaults of RBI, where people can view them during exhibitions.

[Bairavi Vijay · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book delves into the 8 Nizams and how a kingdom so opulent was created and how it fell to dire straits. It walks you through how British made Nizam pay for something they themselves should’ve paid for and created debt in the princely state (while being fully aware of it). The pilfering continues with the Nizam’s own trusted people and also mishandling of their money. Entourage accompanying the Nizams wherever they went was mind boggling to read. The amount of jewelry and other riches just squandered away for pennies was hard to read. The last Nizam Asaf Jah was so removed from everyday lives and workings of Nizam because of his upbringing abroad, and his fiscally irresponsible character completely destroyed the legacy.
Osmana Jah was probably one who made such great impact and improvements in Hyderabad and was an interesting read.

[Bharath · Rating 3 out of 5]

The "Last Nizam" lays out a complex tapestry of Indian politics just before and after Indian Independence as well as the courtly life of the Nizams of Hyderabad. It is at times engaging, at times funny (tragicomic!) and at times the pace of the narrative is found to be slacking. While it's not easy to cram the history of more than 400 years of the Asaf Jahi dynasty into little more than 400 pages, I definitely would have liked the author to keep the narrative engaging. It could be unfair to hold this book to the works of William Dalrymple (of whom I am a big fan). Nevertheless, the author for the most part tries to balance history with the palace intrigue and interesting trivia surrounding the last bastion of Mughal rule in India

[Feroz Hameed · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading this book, the apt title for this could have been " The Last Nizam of Hyderabad Who Wasn’t"

Mukarram jah inherited the wealth of the world richest man - his grandfather, the seventh Nizam of Hyderabad, Mir Osman Ali Khan. But he quickly squandered it because of his no inklings to whatsoever of anything financial. Perhaps for him, money was not at all a priority even though he liked finer things in life, unlike his grandfather.

Mir Osman was splashed on the cover of Time magazine in 1937, which described him as the world’s richest man. (He was so wealthy that he was said to have used the 184-carat Jacob diamond as a paperweight) After Hyderabad became part of India in 1948, the family’s fortunes began a dramatic reversal.

A stark reminder that true wealth lies beyond material riches.

[Syed Mustafa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was painful to read as a Hyderabadi to see where Deccan was and where it is now post amalgamating into Indian union. The structures, the institutions & infrastructure from the Deccan era still functions and provides respite to many. As India lunges to right of political spectrum, the remnants of Deccani tehzib are fast evaporating. Mukarram Jah's life and the way the extra ordinary wealth of Nizams was robbed away by everyone including those meant to guard it is a ghastly unfolding. Even now, there are many beautiful buildings left in absolute ruin due to neglect that's expected from an incompetent regime.

[Sunny · Rating 1 out of 5]

Everything but riveting.

The author has certainly done his share of vast research. Even ignoring with the his strong biases, the book can serve as a fairly reliable reference textbook.
But that is all it can be.

The subject of the novel is indeed interesting, but the writing is dry. A lot of times, I felt lost as the information flow is not neatly structured. Tough to read.

Not recommended for leisure or curious reading. But good research material.

[Deepanshu Aggarwal · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is a biographical work on the Nizams who ruled the state of Hyderabad during British colonial rule in India. In terms of details, the book does a good job as the reader gets to see understand various aspects of the Nizam's rule : administration, financial management, external relations, succession etc. In terms of narrative, the work has a bias similar to those of Marxist historians who glorify Islamic rule in India at the cost of truth.

[Priyanka Pathak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished reading " The Last Nizam" by John Zubrzycki". I picked it up because of my favourite historian William Dalrymple's recommendation on its cover page. I can safely call it the William Dalrymple school of writing. John Zubrzycki does much the same with the Nizams of Hyderabad, mixing a historian's perspective, a scholar's research and a journalist's flair for language to chart the rise and fall of a dynasty and the fairy tale splendour that was Hyderabad.

[Sahil Gupta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book. Well researched. Brings alive the life and times of the State of Hyderabad. I disagree with the conclusion though, it sounds like the Nizam lost his fortune because it was appropriated by the state (buying jewels at a massive discount because they were a national treasure) and the lack of protection for property rights (large parts of the Nizams landholding were encroached or stolen through forged documents). Not to mention the taxes the state imposed on the Nizam.

[Reema · Rating 1 out of 5]

The book is highly venomous against the native Hindu kingdoms like the Marathas and says absurd sentences such as “Marathas had built a string of forts from where they could harrass the Mughals and other rulers of India. Seriously JZ? Either your research is bullishly one sided or you have deliberately tried to push your divisive agenda. Whatever! Cant bother to read much after such kind of illogical content

[Partha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good biography of the Last Nizam of the Hyderabad before the deccan was integrated with the Indian union. There was good back history of the Nizams and how they came into being and detailed narrative of the birth of Mir Osman ali Khan till his current abode in Turkey. Author was clever to not get involved with the right or wrong of the whole police action and struck to Mr.Khan's story.

[Tarinee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like most historians ..I am on the fence for this one ..2.5 stars for the story and one more star for the pictures included ...I love history ..and plan to read eons of books in future ..but this is the one..I would not have regretted giving a pass ,,and now that I have read it ..not regretting reading it.