In March 2023, the extended family of the Asaf Jahis coronated Raunaq Yar Khan as Nizam IX, after expressing their displeasure with Azmet Jah, who, despite being coronated previously as Nizam IX in line with succession custom, reportedly did not take control of all trusts and failed to take stock of the Asaf Jahi family’s issues. So, the descendants (sahebzadagan) of Nizams I-VI coronated Raunaq Yar Khan as the Nizam IX of the dynasty.
Even otherwise, Nawab Raunaq Yar Khan, given his moorings in Hyderabad, best reflects the city’s tehzeeb, history and cosmopolitan culture in royal splendour, be it celebrating Holi and Sankranthi or bringing communities together.
In an instructive conversation with The Pioneer’s Shikha Duggal, he throws light on his formative years in Hyderabad, life back then under the Nizams and how, as the chosen head of the extended family of Asaf Jahis, he proposes to address the tasks cut out for him.
Early childhood
My earliest childhood memories are from my school. After 20 years without contact, I was shocked to learn that the Parsi Pre-primary School in which I had studied as a toddler was located just two kilometers away from my current residence. Even though the interiors of it had been vivid in my mind, I was clueless about its location for years until I realised, “Hey, that’s my school!” when attending a Parsi wedding at the same location. I went to Hyderabad Public School, but I never knew that Jahandar-un-Nisa, my great, great grandmother, had given the property from her own estate. It is about 90 acres now, but it used to be 120 acres and her nephew, the 7th Nizam of Hyderabad, built the school buildings.
I suppose the reason my parents never told me that my ancestors had funded the school was because they thought if I knew how much of impact we had on it, I would become even more irresponsible in my mischievous behaviour. In the beginning, when Jagirdar’s Children became Jagirs College, my father was one of the first five children accepted and he eventually served on the board as well. Unlike other kids, I was never able to skip class since my teachers would always call my father to check on me and would be happy to have my good graces. This way, I would always be found out. I remember breaking up a beehive in the school next to my third-floor classroom so that the instructor would not come in before I did my schoolwork, which was frequently copied from pals.
Oldest sister raised him
My siblings include two sisters, a brother and me, separated by 10 years. My oldest sister, who resides in Hyderabad, raised me. As the first non-professional civilian president of the Secunderabad Club, my dad was a modern man. Prior to him, the club was under the Army.
Fondest memories in Hyd
My favourite memories are of my school, its campus and some backfield exploration. Making a slope for my endeavours on Road No. 25’s dead-end is another memory. That is a 7-acre plot of property. It is taller than Birla Mandir and motorable. It was only today that I visited. I am trying to construct a house there, but the ground is unstable; so, I am considering building a wooden house instead. Mud can sink if you fill it up too full. It is perhaps the only site in the world where a person constructed their own hill in a posh urban area. Nowadays, the hill is a well-known location for movie shooting; Rangistan was filmed there.
Limitations as a ‘young nawab’
Whenever my then-rare foreign expensive car came to pick me up from school, I used to wait for all the pupils to leave so that I would not be seen inside it. I was a little embarrassed to look pampered. For me, riding a bicycle was a symbol of independence and manliness. I was envious of some of the students who rode their bicycles to and from school. Since we were too young to get a licence in the first place, motorcycles were not even permitted on the student committee. As a protected nawab kid, I was not even allowed to go to restaurants-I was only allowed to go to friends’ houses or the Secunderabad Club. Despite having very little pocket money, I was able to sign at the club and purchase food. Even though I could eat, I would not dare sign for cigarettes; for, I was afraid that my parents would find out about it and would definitely not sign the bills for smokes.
Opulence and prudence
Once my mother was barred from retrieving her own jewellery that had fallen on the floor at a formal gathering. That was when I sensed for the first time that my background was different from that of others. Still, despite the opulence, my mother always made sure that I did not waste any food on my plate.
Bunked classes
After finishing school, I went to a science college. I remember bunking lectures in college and hanging out at the VST-owned club close to my school. I never felt the need to go back from a V.S.T. owned club that was close by during breaks because the campus looked like a chicken farm without any shade and the teachers were missing half the time. That place used to be a poultry farm; I should say! Its structure made it simple to infer. And, I had to get used to it after my amazing Hyderabad Public School experience! It affected my interest in studying in some way. I began taking FRP/fiberglass classes and since my father ran a small manufacturing business. I attended all classes and started taking care of the business.
Fantasy of being member of Nizam family
My father had a major influence. At the request of Prince Basalat Jah, the younger brother of the previous ruling Nizam, my mother and him were married. There are others who argue that he should have been the true Nizam. I now see that attempting to claim the title of ‘The Nizam of Hyderabad’, even if it is only titular, is nothing more than fiction, fantasy, and a story from the past. Along with all other formal titles of the former Indian kings, this title was eliminated in 1971. After losing to the Indian Army in 1948, Nizam 7th became a member of the Indian Union in 1950. The Nizams took over Hyderabad after overthrowing the Qutb Shahis, originally serving as generals under Moghul Emperor Aurangzeb’s army. A tiny cannon round shot the grandpa of Nizam, the first Asaf Jahi founder, dead. As a commander of Aurangzeb, the founder Nizam Qamaruddin’s father later defeated the Qutb Shahis. That’s how, not too long later, we managed to finally take control. The general public believes that in the event of the father’s death, any son, even if he is not the eldest, will automatically inherit the throne. As an insider, I can demonstrate that it is not at all like that.
Inventions by the Nawab
I started attending Guindy’s FRP/fiberglass classes at IIT Madras. I began showing up at every class. There were courses offered by the Aviation Department! I thought of becoming as resourceful as my father, who in 1955 used imported glass fiber reinforced plastic-materials that were not even accessible in the country-to build a GFRP automobile. Is it even feasible to envision that? After I joined his company, I was certified as an inventor by E.C.I.L. for a few goods that soften! One of my personal wish-list items was a cooler kit that could be adjusted to use with an existing ceiling fan. Then, for people who could not afford an automobile, I designed a full fairing that would sit atop a bike and protect the riders and pillion from the sun and rain. I had no idea how to promote the helpful things I understood how to build for aam janata. Additionally, I made a lucrative recurrent order that was put on us frequently because of breakages at the user’s end decreasing by making the profitable product impenetrable; this clever deed resulted in the beginning of my company’s closure. Still, I don’t regret anything!
Designed traffic movement as pastime
Delhi was another place I went. I saw and heard that a large number of young people were dying in bicycle accidents. Coincidentally, Vijay Karan, then Delhi police commissioner, was previously a resident of Hyderabad. He told me that my grandfather, the Nizam, had appointed his grandfather as governor of Hyderabad state. I happened to witness the cops trying to inflate the number of children killed in bike accidents. Every morning, I observed them having a brief meeting for the explicit aim of misleading the media! Then, motivated to help, I spent the next eleven years optimising the traffic system. To the amazement of the police, I designed the traffic movement in Connaught Place as a pastime. I am happy it is still functioning! It was such fun to work with the police! At one point, though I was a little terrified of the constables, the commissioner treated me with utmost respect. It will always remain a fulfilling period in my life.
The discovery that there are 10 Nizams rather than the seven mentioned in history books is my most recent and most treasured significant accomplishment. But historians seem to be the only ones who find it interesting. But very soon this year, I will be revealing the facts that, following the founder’s death, three Nizams ruled as Monarchs apart from the Moghuls and were not recognised as Nizams because, in their independence, they never craved the Moghul titles that the other members of their family who held the position of Moghul Viceroys of the Deccan had acquired. Nearly all historical accounts notice this glaring omission, although historians acknowledge that they are unable to determine why it was done. You cannot succeed to an imaginary title. As a family that did not include outside intervention in a democratic country like India, they have the right to identify and refer to their head as the Nizam for their dynasty. Even Islam, which the Nizams looked to for guidance, only suggests the “Ijma” when other forces and powers are absent and might potentially have an impact on such successions.
Nizam of ‘Asaf Jahi dynasty’
I am the Nizam of the ‘Asaf Jahi Dynasty’, not of Hyderabad. The majority of the royal family, who officially descended from the 1st to the 7th Nizam, have asked that I be called the Nizam of the Asaf Jahi dynasty (their dynasty), and as general administrator, they have nominated me once more to manage their own family. I have chosen to be called the ‘Nizam of Dynasty’ as I am not your Nizam. I think that the wider public does not necessarily need to acknowledge me. It is my duty as the current Nizam to uphold the dynasty’s structure, safeguard its interests, and guard its possessions. My goal is to fund the costs of the court lawsuits that must be filed in order to achieve this goal. Every procedure must follow the correct legal precedent and follow the Indian Constitution’s prescribed procedures.
These days, a Hyderabadi Nizam is limited to becoming a tourist attraction; aside from that, they are essentially worthless. They are turned into a public fairytale! But my situation is different from everyone else’s. In my case, the entire family-including the decedents of all Nizams-gathered and signed a number of important and legitimate documents to guarantee my status as the family’s head, or Nizam, in legal affairs. We went through a process and I have the documents. I did not feel like they were making Raunaq the Nizam during the coronation ceremony; it was just like any other family head and I did not need to do anything more. In spite of this, I personally attach enormous significance to the title of Nizam, which designates the dynasty’s administrator-that is, the entire family.
Cost of being a Nizam
For the benefit of those who are unaware, the Hyderabadi royal family is the only party involved in this highly autonomous matter and my acceptance as the Nizam by the family has nothing to do with Indian laws. Occasionally, there are drawbacks as well because some family members tend to act badly. If you are unable to locate your property paperwork, the government will not easily return them to you. They will announce it as lost! There is a greater chance that we will be lynched since the people who are squatting on our lands as encroachers think we are trying to drive them out of their own purchased plots, which had been given to them for a cheap price through fake paperwork. Even now, through shaky documents, thousands of strange people are fighting over my great grandmother’s roughly 180 acres in Begumpet.
Drawbacks persist…
In royal families, we do not have equal power with all members; rather, one individual is designated as an administrator who controls most of the family’s funds and assets in trust for the other members. Therefore, I believe that somebody should also take on the role of caregiver for this division, particularly in trying times! Support and legal advice will now be required. Actually, those who were supposedly in charge before pretend to be the owners of the property and declare it to be ‘gifted property’, which means it is not to be shared up with the rest of the family. They ought to realise they were defeated! Since the head of the household is now in charge, Indian law that applies to regular Indian Muslims should take precedence. The appropriate devolution documentation for Falaknuma and Chowmalla Palaces are still missing. I am curious how one family was able to seize everything. As a result, the court has revived the double bench orders of Ahmedunnisa V/S union of India in All India Reporter A.I.R. 1969 and O.P. 147 of 1965, among other cases, in the civil case 404 of 2021. The central government currently owns our Osmania University. I think the word ‘autonomous’ is just a label since the most of it is owned by the government and UGC, as far as I am aware. A thesis on my succession, written by a university gold medalist, has been published in a double peer-reviewed journal.
Raunaq’s H.I.G.H. man-made hill
How I made this artificial hill on which we are sitting and having the interview is what matters to me and it is only mine. It is the highest point in Hyderabad that is accessible by vehicle. Radiation is being produced at this hilltop point in Jubilee Hills due to the abundance of rocks there. On the slope, I planted some trees, but most of them perish in the summer when the water evaporates. This makes the type of planting I am trying difficult. My doctorate is in nature conservation and community bridging. I strive not to be addressed as a doctor because it puts me at a disadvantage in my informal way of bringing people from different cultures together at events and through friendly casual means.
An ode to his great-grandfather
We have been hosting important celebrations, particularly Holi, here for decades in remembrance of Mahboob Ali Khan, my great-grandfather and one of the Nizams who was a Monarch of Hyderabad recognised as the 6th and most secular. The Great Musi Flood of 1908 affected at least 200,000 people and is thought to have killed 15,000 people. Hyderabad was completely destroyed by the flood. He extended an offer of his private palaces to thousands of affected subjects as a means of aiding the flood victims until normal conditions were restored. In an attempt to please the Hindu Gods, he carried out a potentially fatal Hindu Yagna in the rushing floodwaters of the Katta Maisamma Temple, overseen by the holy priest of the temple. I am not superstitious, but based on the testimony of Sir Vishweshvariah, a scientist who was subsequently tasked with creating Osman and Himayath Sagar to reduce the frequency of future floods, the destructive waters began to recede. The great-grandfather, who is closest to my heart, was revered by the Hindu community as a saint, according to a book that has been assembled and contains letters written by Sarojni Naidu announcing this fact. I do believe in the love he received from the Hindu-Muslim society. I have heard that tribal people pray at temple-like structures named after my great-grandfather and with part of his likeness inside. This information was recorded by a British Railway engineer in his log book, which was later published in a book titled ‘Memoirs of Cyril Jones’. I am simply trying to continue this wonderful tradition, not to draw attention to my grandfather but rather to highlight the love that was formerly shared by Hindus and Muslims in addition to all other committees. My ambition is to use this one primary means of bringing communities and faiths together to bring about societal harmony. Money is not my main priority; social harmony in the city is.
His charitable endeavours
For eleven years of my life, I worked as a police advisor and trainer in Delhi, far from my home city of Hyderabad. I dedicated all of my financial resources to this charitable activities, primarily conducting business out of MP Renuka Choudhry’s home, which was next door to the traffic head office and allowed for cost savings. They became the costly years of my life. Even planning parties for the Holi celebration is a way for me to give back financially. The majority of other party planners only commercialised their events by selling tickets and bringing in well-known actors, purchasing newspaper advertising and receiving exposure in exchange. As I have become older and find Holi to be harsh and boisterous, I am shifting to Makar Sankranthi instead. Sankranti is fine with me, but in the last several years, I have seen that both my employees and visitors have run out of food and drinks. It seems that if I invite one person, 10 more end up coming along. Moreover, it is difficult to determine who is high right now! My great grandfather being my idol, most likely, he gave it to me because I can recall-his Purnima Havelock Hyd wardrobe was the largest in the world at the time. He never reused clothing; instead, he gave them to the underprivileged via his Armenian valet, Abid. The Nizam VI, my hero and my great-grandfather passed away in Falaknuma.
Getting going with Majlis-e-Sahebzadagan Society
The 7th Nizam founded this organisation in 1950, and it was revived in 2020 with the goal of safeguarding the Nizams’ progeny. A society named Majlis-e-Sahebzadagan Society initiated me into the role of 9th Nizam of Asaf Jah. Although the society had an appointed president, VP, the society wanted a Nizam to lead it. Executive and secretarial powers are held by secretaries. For the benefit of Nizams 1 through 9 and their beneficiaries, I have lately established a new committee. The members are of the highest rank and include, among other excellent officials, an ex-chief secretary and a home secretary. There are also a few DGP rank officers. All of the money in Hyderabad has been generated domestically, even though Mukkaram Jah’s immediate family had left the nation. For this reason, we have an army general, a naval officer and are currently looking for an air force officer to join our society and prevent the money from leaving India. The very least we hope to do shortly is to use the monies for the improvement of Hyderabad City or, at the very least, for the remaining impoverished royal family in India. Therefore, my society will use every legal means at its disposal to ensure that this money remains in Hyderabad, India.
Lowest point in his life
My parents’ deaths were the lowest points of my life, and I have since made plans to avoid thinking about it too much. Another factor is that my father got rid of the African slave that my mother’s mother had been given as a gift. The girl was retarded. We all grew to love her despite the fact that she was, at most, nine years old and completely African-looking. When I returned from my trip to Delhi, she had passed away. That I was unable to assist her made me very sad. In some ways, I felt worse off than my folks.
Plans for the years ahead
I have a lot on my plate because there are four thousand people with aspirations in my society. They have a lot of property registered in their names; therefore, I have to bring them on board with others on property matters. It is my responsibility to work in their favour! Paradoxically, they are against the seven Nizams that were killed. All I am doing is putting their case in Indian law.
RAPID FIRE
Describe yourself in three words: Casual: I don’t like responsibilities and these responsibilities petrify me and I can’t just shut them down. A royal section of my family has been after me for four years to take up the responsibility of the Nizam family. This time I couldn’t ignore it.
Spiritual or religious: 99% spiritual as religion is a stepping stone!
Guilty pleasure: I am guilty that I am destroying my ending years (that should have been available for my enjoyment with friends & loved ones) with so many duties on my hands that I can’t enjoy. My family has made my life complicated at this age.
