Born in Hyderabad in 1886 
Died 24 February 1967 (age 80) King Kothi Palace, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India (now in Telangana, India)
Reign 29 August 1911 – 17 September 1948 Titular: 17 September 1948 – 24 February 1967

Nawab Mir Osman Ali Khan Bahadur was known to be a wise, generous and skilled ruler. Installed at the Chowmahalla Palace itself, Mir Osman Ali Khan gave away incredible wealth in his lifetime, irrespective of superficial demarcations. The list of his beneficiaries included the Aligarh Muslim University, Benaras Hindu University, Shantiniketan, Shivaji Vidyapeeth, the Bhandarkar Institute, Lady Harding Medical College, the Red Cross, the Golden Temple at Amritsar; along with his last 14,000 acres of land to Acharya Vinobha Bhave for the Bhoodan movement.

The seventh Nizam declared, “In every way, I will do my best to do good to my people and my state.” The manifest policy of the state was to improve administration, develop natural resources, establish cultural institutions and improve the civilian condition.

A true symbol of independence– Hyderabad was the only state in British India that coined its own money, had its postal system, and printed its stamps. The Nizam had his own private army of 50,000 men.

The Nizam was to become the most decorated Indian ruler and the highest in the complicated hierarchy established by the British. For his services during World War I, the titles ‘Knight Grand Commander of the Star of India’ and ‘Knight Grand Cross of the British Empire’ were conferred on Mir Osman Ali Khan.

King George V elevated the Nizam’s title from His Highness to His Exalted Highness, an exclusive title among the Princes of India.

A prolific poet and thinker, his words have been held to heart while creating this website.