New Delhi: India has no dearth of quirky rulers in its history and Mahboob Ali Khan, the sixth Nizam of Hyderabad, was one of them. His full name was Sir Mir Mahboob Ali Khan Siddiqi and was also known as Asaf Jah VI. Though he was not an independent ruler per se due to the colonial reign of the British Raj in India, Mahboob Ali Khan took several measures to improve the life of the common people. Interestingly, he would gain lasting fame for his alleged healing power for snakebites. In this article, we will learn more about him.
Mahboob Ali Khan: The Nizam who could cure snakebites
Born on August 17, 1866, at Hyderabad’s Purani Haveli, he was the youngest son of Afzal-ud-Daulah, the fifth Nizam of Hyderabad. After the death of his father, he ascended the throne and Mahboob was only two years and seven months old at that time. Dewan Salar Jung I and Shams-ul-Umra III used to rule the princely state of Hyderabad on his behalf till he became an adult. Being the first Nizam to receive a Western education, Mahboob learned the high English society’s customs and manners. On February 5, 1884. he formally became the ruler of Hyderabad in the presence of Lord Ripon, the Governor-General of India.
How was Mahboob Ali Khan as a ruler?
Even though Mahboob Ali Khan was known for his lavish lifestyle, he did a lot for the people. He established the Nizam’s Guaranteed State Railway to connect Hyderabad with the rest of British India. It was integrated into the Indian Railways after 1947 and the presence of the railway helped industries to flourish in Hyderabad. He founded the Hyderabad Medical College and while the city had 14 schools and the rest of the state had around 140, the number of schools reached 1000 when he passed away.
During the Great Famine of 1876-1878 that devastated the entire Hyderabad Deccan, the Nizam helped the common people by extensively distributing aid to famine victims. Later, during the Great Musi Flood which took place in September 1908 and affected at least 200,000 people and killed around 15,000, Mahboob turned his palace into a shelter for the flood victims. Also, he issued a royal firman on November 12, 1876, to ban the practice which was continuing in some parts of his kingdom despite being banned by the British Raj.
Could he really heal snakebites?
It was claimed that Mahboob Ali Khan had healing power for snakebites as he allegedly prepared a special medicine. He even reportedly ordered that anyone bitten by a snake could seek his help. Reportedly, victims of snakebites would ask him for help even in the middle of the night and he used to oblige those requests. He would spend time with the great Sufi Saint Hazrat Shah Khamoosh Shah to cure people of snakebites.
During the Great Famine of 1876-1878 that devastated the entire Hyderabad Deccan, the Nizam helped the common people by extensively distributing aid to famine victims. Later, during the Great Musi Flood which took place in September 1908, he turned his palace into a shelter. knowledge Knowledge News, Photos and Videos on General Knowledge
