Quick Facts
Biography
Asaf Jah VI Mir Mahboob Ali Khan Siddiqi Bayafandi GCB GCSI (Urdu: آصف جاہ ششم میر محبوب علی خان صدیقی) (18 August 1866 – 29 August 1911) was the 6th Nizam of Hyderabad. He ruled Hyderabad state, one of the Princely states in India between 1869 and 1911.
Official full name and style
Nawab Bahadur Sirajud Dawlah, Lieutenant-General His Highness Rustam-i-Dauran, Arustu-i-Zaman, Wal Mamaluk, Asaf Jah VI, Muzaffar ul-Mamaluk, Nizam ul-Mulk, Nizam ud-Daula, Nawab Mir Sir Mahbub Ali Khan Siddiqi Bayafandi Bahadur, Sipah Salar, Fath Jang, Nizam of Hyderabad, Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, Knight Grand Commander of the Most Exalted Order of the Star of India, Honourable Lieutenant-General in the Army.
Not many people are aware of the fact that he was very good Telugu poet being well-versed in Urdu, Telugu and English languages.
Early life
Mir Mahbub Ali Khan was born on 18 August 1866 at Purani Haveli in Hyderabad State. He was the only son of Afzal ad-Dawlah, Asaf Jah V.
Life
When his father died he was two years and seven months old, and thus became the 6th Nizam of the Asaf Jahi dynasty in 1869. He was installed as Nizam by Mir Turab Ali Khan, Salar Jung I, Nawab Rasheed-ud-din Khan Shams-ul-Umra III who functioned as the Regent. Shams-ul-Umra III died on 12 December 1881 and Salar Jung I became the sole regent. He was retained as administrator and regent until his death on 8 February 1883. Special attention was paid to the education of Mahbub Ali Khan who was tutored by the English. With the concurrence of Salar Jung, Capt. John Clerk was appointed to tutor him and scholars well versed in Persian, Arabic and Urdu were also engaged as tutors. The personality and noble life of Sir Salar Jung had a great influence on Asaf Jah VI.
Asaf Jah VI was a respected ruler and was popularly known as Mahbub Ali Pasha. Dr. Abdul Husain, later given the title Arastu Yar Jung, was physician to Mahbub Ali Khan. As such, Asaf Jah VI often sought counsel for matters concerning the Bubonic plague epidemic that worried Hyderabad, and other matters as well. He died 29 August 1911, with a reputed annual income of US$10 million.
Lifestyle
Asaf Jah VI was well known for his lavish lifestyle and luxuries, and had an enormous fascination for clothes and cars. His collection of garments was one of the most extensive in the world at the time, with sherwanis, shirts, coats, collars, socks, shoes, headgear, walking sticks, perfumes – not one each, but dozens of almost each item. He devoted a whole wing of his palace to his wardrobe and would never wear the same dress twice. He bought the Jacob Diamond, which stands out among the Jewels of The Nizams now owned by the Government of India.
Mystic Powers
Page 59 of the book "Tulasī kī sāhitya-sādhanā: The Legacy of the Nizams" by Lallana Rāya, published by the H.E.H The Nizam's Urdu Trust Hyderabad states the King Mir Mahbub Ali Khan was also known to be a possessor of supernatural mystical healing powers. Lallana Rāya writes under the heading He was a conjure for snake bite: Mir Mahbub Ali Khan was known to possess healing power for snake bite. With his spell it is said that the venom of the snake would abate. It was his order that if anyone from the public had a snake bite, he could approach him. It happened a number of times when he was awakened from his sleep.
It is said that Nawab Muneer uddin Khan Taluqdar who knew this spell taught the mantra to Mir Mahboob Ali Khan. When a man suffered from a snake bite, the name of the Mahboob Ali had to be mentioned in these terms: "Mahboob Ali Pasha Ki Dohaee". Then the venom would not spread further or in other words the venom of the snake would abate. Hence the name of Mahboob Ali Pasha and the practice of spell of snake bite became famous throughout Hyderabad".
He was also fluent in Urdu, Telugu and Parsi languages. He also wrote poems in Telugu and Urdu; some of which are inscribed alongside the walls of Tank Bund.
Titles
- 1866–1869: Sahibzada Mir Mahbub Ali Khan Siddiqi Bahadur
- 1869–1877: His Highness Rustam-i-Dauran, Arustu-i-Zaman, Wal Mamaluk, Asaf Jah VI, Muzaffar ul-Mamaluk, Nizam ul-Mulk, Nizam ud-Daula, Nawab Mir Mahbub 'Ali Khan Bahadur, Sipah Salar, Fath Jang, Nizam of Hyderabad
- 1877–1884: His Highness Rustam-i-Dauran, Arustu-i-Zaman, Wal Mamaluk, Asaf Jah VI, Muzaffar ul-Mamaluk, Nizam ul-Mulk, Nizam ud-Daula, Nawab Mir Mahbub 'Ali Khan Siddiqi Bahadur, Sipah Salar, Fath Jang, Nizam of Hyderabad
- 1884–1902: His Highness Rustam-i-Dauran, Arustu-i-Zaman, Wal Mamaluk, Asaf Jah VI, Muzaffar ul-Mamaluk, Nizam ul-Mulk, Nizam ud-Daula, Nawab Mir Sir Mahbub 'Ali Khan Bahadur, Sipah Salar, Fath Jang, Nizam of Hyderabad, GCSI
- 1902–1910: His Highness Rustam-i-Dauran, Arustu-i-Zaman, Wal Mamaluk, Asaf Jah VI, Muzaffar ul-Mamaluk, Nizam ul-Mulk, Nizam ud-Daula, Nawab Mir Sir Mahbub 'Ali Khan Bahadur, Sipah Salar, Fath Jang, Nizam of Hyderabad, GCB, GCSI
- 1910–1911: Lieutenant-General His Highness Rustam-i-Dauran, Arustu-i-Zaman, Wal Mamaluk, Asaf Jah VI, Muzaffar ul-Mamaluk, Nizam ul-Mulk, Nizam ud-Daula, Nawab Mir Sir Mahbub 'Ali Khan Siddiqi Bahadur, Sipah Salar, Fath Jang, Nizam of Hyderabad, GCB, GCSI
Honours
(ribbon bar, as it would look today)
British honours
- Empress of India Gold Medal, 1877
- Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India (GCSI), 1884
- Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB), 1902
- Delhi Durbar Gold Medal, 1903
Foreign honours
Grand Cross of the Order of the Red Eagle, 1911
