SEVE ROTIS AND THE RULE OF ASIFJAHIS

SEVEN ROTIS AND THE RULE OF ASIFJAHIS


Prof Dr Col K Prabhakar Rao ( Retired)
Principal. Raja Mahendra College of Engineering. Ibrahimpatnam

The sun was shining fiercely on a hot sunny day and wind blew hot as a man was riding a horse on a dusty track. He was alone. The man riding the horse was dressed in the attire of a Muslim noble. He has crossed his forties and with a flowing beard had ceremonial appearance full of determination. A long sword at his side confirmed that he was a warrior of repute. As the sun grew hotter he stopped at a nearby tree, unmounted the horse and tied it to a tree. He spread a cloth on the ground removed his shoes unbuckled his sword and settled to relax. After few minutes he removed from his bag a packet containing Chapattis and a bottle of water. He leaned against the tree and took a deep sigh and closed his eyes for a while. He opened his eyes when he heard deep voice Baba…. Baba. He saw a fakir in tattered clothes with a begging bowl standing in front of him. My son! Plesae give me some food I am very hungry and I did not have food since two days. God bless you, the fakir prayed. The traveller got up and went to the Fakir and said, Come Baba it is too hot in the sun. Come and sit on this cloth under the shade and relax for a while. He escorted the Fakir to the tree and made him comfortable. He spread the rotis in front of the Fakir and placed a bottle of water he was carrying. The fakir hungrily consumed all the rotis and gulped water from the bottle. He took a deep sigh and leaned against the tree.
Son I am highly grateful to you for saving me from the hunger and thirst. Tell me who are you? You appear to be from a noble and reputed family and why are you traveling alone in this hot sun? the fakir asked. I am Qamruddin Chinkhilji Khan son of General Ghaziuddin Feroz Jung; I am subedar of this area appointed by the great Mughal emperor at Delhi. I am travelling alone because I sent my escort away earlier and there is nothing to fear for me, the noble replied in all humilities. That is very good my son, To day you saved a Fakir from hunger and thirst and without caring for yourself you gave away everything you had for your self, god bless you, I proclaim that you would soon rule this land as a king and I have consumed all your seven rotis and seven generations of you would surely rule this land in all glory. May Allah bestow his divine blessings on you and your future generations, the Fakir spoke looking at the sky. Soon the fakir took leave of the noble and walked away. Chinkhiljkhan rested for some time and as the hot sun reduced its ferocity, dressed up and rode away.
Chinkhilij Khan became the subedar of Deccan in 1713 under the orders of Farukhsiyar the Mughal emperor in Deccan. The Mughal Empire was struggling on its deathbed with worthless rulers ascending throne one after the other after Bahadur Shah I, son of Aurangzeb who died in 1712. Sayyad Brothers played dirty politics at Delhi and were king makers. Farooqsiyar followed Zahandar Shah who was killed in 1713.Farook siyar was murdered in 1719. Rafi-ud-daula and Rafi-ud-darajat one after the other ascended the throne and were murdered in 1719. Mohammed Shah (Rangila) ascended the throne and ruled till 1748. After the death of Faruqsiyar, Chinkhiljkhan had to go back to Malwa where he had to defend his position with arms against the Sayyad brothers. He made himself master of Deccan affairs in 1720. But was summoned back to Delhi to be a Wazir in 1722. He was fed up with palace intrigues and left for Deccan without permission. He fought Mubariz khan sent by Delhi to check him at Sakhar Kheda in Berar on 11 Oct 1724 and slew him.
He became very strong and Mohammed Shah the weak and wretched Mughal emperor had to bestow on him the title of Asif Jah and recognize him as the Viceroy of South. With this, he virtually became the ruler of Deccan and independent. He ruled with absolute authority and died on 21 May 1748.Soon the war of succession broke in Asifjahi dynasty. Nasir Jung a son and Muzaffar Jung son of his daughter of late Nizam quarreled for the throne and were supported by the English and French. respectively. They were killed in the battles that followed the quarrel, Salabat Jung, another son was elevated as the ruler and he ruled for ten years.He however is not recognized as a Nizam. He was overthrown by Nizam Ali khan another Son of late Nizam and was crowned as Nizam II. With this, the dynasty settled and there were successive rulers such as Sikandar Jhah, Nasiruddaula, Afzaluddaula, Mir Mahbbob Alikhan (Pasha) and the last Nizam, Mir Osman Ali khan. Although there was a gap of 10 years after the death of Nizam I, Only Nizam Ali Khan was recognized as Nizam II. The in - between rulers such as Nasir Jung, Muzaffar Jung and Salabat Jung are not recognized as the Nizams and there was no generation gap between them.
The dynasty produced seven generations of recognized Nizams till the last Nizam 7 was deposed after Police action by the Indian Armed forces on 17 Sept 1948. Unfortunately, the last Nizam although was a good builder and a man of taste tried his best to remain independent in a changed scenario when India was granted independence on 15 Aug 1947. He was grossly misled and abetted the formation of armed Razakar force of thugs and rapists under the fundamentalist, self-styled Field Marshal Kasim Razvi. The Razakar force that was armed committed grave crimes on Hindu population in the Hyderabad State with the connivances of Prime Minister Layak Ali, Police Chief Deenyar Jung and the Hyderabad Army. There were mass murders, lootings, dacoities, innumerable mass and gang rapes of Hindu women, public killings, burning of trains with the intention of subduing and terrorizing Hindu population. Shoibulla Khan the editor of Imroz daily was brutally murdered by the Razakars as the editor opposed the atrocities of Razakars and the policy of Nizam 7. The Nizam 7 remained a mute spectator to all these inhuman happenings and destiny played its card. He finally had to pay and loose his kingship after the police action by Indian Union Govt. Hyderabad State was merged with Indian Union and with this, the seven-generation rule of dynasty of Nizam I collapsed and ended Thus the great dynasty established by a valiant, able and efficient Qamruddin Chihinkhiljikhan, Nizam-ul-Mulk Asifjah in 1724 collapsed unceremoniously after police action during the rule of Mir Osman Ali khan Bahadur, Nizam-ul—Mulk Asifjah- 7 on 17 Sept 1948 after seven generation rule as professed by the Fakir. The yellow Flag of Asifjahis displays 7 rotis that the Fakir ate offered by Nizam I. No one can change the destiny in this world, however great he may be.

Osman Ali the Nizam was although great
Could not escape the destiny and his fate
The Fakirs word had the final say
And the Nizam by his misrule had to at last pay
The Nizam abetted the Razakars the criminals
Who killed and raped women folk
Dirtiest deeds the Razakars committed in the State
And the Nizam payed by the fate and its stroke

Dr K Prabhakar Rao