Mir Turab Ali Khan, Salar Jung I
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Sir Mir Turab Ali Khan, Salar Jung I, (21 January 1829 – 8 February 1883), known simply as Salar Jung I, was an Indian nobleman who served as
Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...
of
Hyderabad State Hyderabad State () was a princely state in the Deccan region of south-central India with its capital at the city of Hyderabad. It is now divided into the present-day state of Telangana, the Kalyana-Karnataka region of Karnataka, and the ...
from 1853 until his death in 1883. He also served as regent for the sixth
Nizam Nizam of Hyderabad was the title of the ruler of Hyderabad State ( part of the Indian state of Telangana, and the Kalyana-Karnataka region of Karnataka). ''Nizam'' is a shortened form of (; ), and was the title bestowed upon Asaf Jah I ...
, Asaf Jah VI between 1869 and 1883. His tenure is known for administrative reforms, which included a reorganization of the revenue and judicial systems, the division of
Hyderabad State Hyderabad State () was a princely state in the Deccan region of south-central India with its capital at the city of Hyderabad. It is now divided into the present-day state of Telangana, the Kalyana-Karnataka region of Karnataka, and the ...
into districts, institution of a postal service, establishment of the first modern educational institutions, and construction of the first rail and telegraph networks. A small offshoot of the
Indian Rebellion of 1857 The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against Company rule in India, the rule of the East India Company, British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the The Crown, British ...
took place in
Hyderabad State Hyderabad State () was a princely state in the Deccan region of south-central India with its capital at the city of Hyderabad. It is now divided into the present-day state of Telangana, the Kalyana-Karnataka region of Karnataka, and the ...
during his tenure, and he was partly responsible for quelling it. He was one of the five Prime Ministers from the Salar Jung family, one of the most prominent families of the state. His daughter Amat-uz-Zehra married Asaf Jah VI, and he was the maternal grandfather of the last Nizam, Mir Osman Ali Khan.


Early life

Khan was born in
Bijapur Bijapur (officially Vijayapura) is the district headquarters of Bijapur district of the Karnataka state of India. It is also the headquarters for Bijapur Taluk. Bijapur city is well known for its historical monuments of architectural importa ...
in 1829. He was a descendant of a family which had held various appointments, first under the
Adil Shahi The Sultanate of Bijapur was an early modern kingdom in the western Deccan and South India, ruled by the Muslim Adil Shahi (or Adilshahi) dynasty. Bijapur had been a '' taraf'' (province) of the Bahmani Kingdom prior to its independence in 14 ...
dynasty of
Bijapur Bijapur (officially Vijayapura) is the district headquarters of Bijapur district of the Karnataka state of India. It is also the headquarters for Bijapur Taluk. Bijapur city is well known for its historical monuments of architectural importa ...
, then under the
Mughal Empire The Mughal Empire was an Early modern period, early modern empire in South Asia. At its peak, the empire stretched from the outer fringes of the Indus River Basin in the west, northern Afghanistan in the northwest, and Kashmir in the north, to ...
, and lastly under the
Nizam Nizam of Hyderabad was the title of the ruler of Hyderabad State ( part of the Indian state of Telangana, and the Kalyana-Karnataka region of Karnataka). ''Nizam'' is a shortened form of (; ), and was the title bestowed upon Asaf Jah I ...
s. His father was Muhammad Ali Khan, the eldest son of Mir Alam, and his mother was the daughter of Saiad Kazim Ali Khan. He was educated privately.


Career

He was appointed the talukdar of Khammam in 1847. He held the position for 8 months.


Prime Minister of Hyderabad

He succeeded his uncle Siraj-ul-Mulk as the prime minister in 1853 at the age of 23. During this time, the administration of the Hyderabad State was infused with corruption, and there was no systematic form of government. His early reforms included constitution of courts of justice at Hyderabad, organization of the police force, construction and reparation of irrigation works, and establishment of schools. In 1854, the first modern educational institution in Hyderabad was established by the name, ''Dar-ul-Ulum''. On the outbreak of the
Indian rebellion of 1857 The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against Company rule in India, the rule of the East India Company, British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the The Crown, British ...
, he supported the British, and although unable to hinder an attack on the
British Residency The British Residency, also known as the Government Guest House or Residency Bungalow, is a two-storeyed palace situated at Asramam in the city of Kollam in the Indian state of Kerala. It lies close to the site of the old Kollam Airport situate ...
, he warned the British minister that it was in contemplation. The attack was repulsed; the Hyderabad contingent remained loyal, and their loyalty served to ensure the tranquility of the region. Salar Jung took advantage of the preoccupation of the British government with the rebellion to push his reforms more boldly, and when the
Calcutta Kolkata, also known as Calcutta (List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern ba ...
authorities were again at liberty to consider the condition of affairs his work had been carried far towards completion. In 1867, the State was divided into five Divisions (''
subah A ''Subah'' is a term for a province or state in several South Asian languages. It was introduced by the Mughal Empire to refer to its subdivisions or provinces; and was also adopted by other polities of the Indian subcontinent. The word is derive ...
s'') — namely Berar, Bidar, Bijapur, Aurangabad, and Hyderabad, and seventeen Districts, and ''
subedar Subedar ( ) is a military rank in the militaries of South Asia roughly equivalent to that of a warrant officer. Historically classed in the British Indian Army as a Viceroy's commissioned officer, the rank was retained in the Indian Army an ...
s'', or governors, were appointed for the five Divisions and '' talukdars'' and ''
tehsildar In Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan, a tehsildar, talukdar, or mamlatdar is a land revenue officer accompanied by revenue inspectors. They are in charge of obtaining taxes from a tehsil with regard to land revenue. A tehsildar is also known as a ...
s'' for the districts. The other important reform introduced by Salar Jung was the stabilization of currency. A central mint was established at Hyderabad and the district mints were abolished. He issued ''Hali Sikka'' rupees and this became the standard currency for all monetary transactions. A government treasury was established in the city, and the customs department brought directly under the government.


As Regent

On 26 February 1869, Asaf Jah V died, and his eldest son Mir Mahbub Ali Khan, a boy of two, was crowned as the sixth
Nizam Nizam of Hyderabad was the title of the ruler of Hyderabad State ( part of the Indian state of Telangana, and the Kalyana-Karnataka region of Karnataka). ''Nizam'' is a shortened form of (; ), and was the title bestowed upon Asaf Jah I ...
. Salar Jung, at the insistence of the British government, was associated in the
regency In a monarchy, a regent () is a person appointed to govern a state because the actual monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge their powers and duties, or the throne is vacant and a new monarch has not yet been dete ...
along with the principal noble of the state, Shams-ul-Umara. In 1881, Shams-ul-Umara died and Salar Jung remained as the sole regent. During the lifetime of the Asaf Jah V, Salar Jung was considerably hampered by the Nizam's supervision, but during his tenure as regent, he enjoyed greater authority. Salar Jung also personally tutored the Nizam on matters of the state. In 1868, an attempt was made on Salar Jung's life, on the day of
Eid ul-Fitr Eid al-Fitr () is the first of the two main festivals in Islam, the other being Eid al-Adha. It falls on the first day of Shawwal, the tenth month of the Islamic calendar. Eid al-Fitr is celebrated by Muslims worldwide because it marks the ...
as he was proceeding towards the Nizam's court. Two pistol-shots were fired, of which one injured his attendant, while the other grazed his turban. The assassin was immediately captured, and would have been lynched by the crowd, however, Salar Jung forbade any further violence, and asked that he be handed over to the police. He sentenced to death by beheading, although Salar Jung himself had appealed for the sentence to be commuted to imprisonment. The motive for the crime remains unknown as the assassin never made a confession. Sir Salar was created G.C.S.I. on 28 May 1870. In 1876, he visited
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
with the object of obtaining the restoration of Berar. Although he was unsuccessful, his personal merits met with full recognition. A
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
journal remarked - "Our guest is the man who, when Delhi had fallen and our power was, for the moment, in the balance, saved Southern India for England". He received the honorary degree of D.C.L. from the
University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...
on 21 June 1876.


Art collection

In 1876 on a trip to France the unique "double sculpture " Mephistopheles & Margaretta sculpture was acquired by Khan. He also traveled to Rome where he purchased a marble statue called Veiled Rebecca. The Salar Jung family had a history of collecting art, and eventually the collection of art from Salar Jung I, II and III all ended up in the
Salar Jung Museum The Salar Jung Museum is an art museum located at Dar-ul-Shifa, on the southern bank of the Musi River, India, Musi River in the city of Hyderabad, Telangana, India. It is one of the List of museums in India, notable National Museums of India. ...
.


Personal life

He had two sons and two daughters. His daughter Amat-uz-Zehra married Asaf Jah VI, and he was therefore the maternal grandfather of the last Nizam, Mir Osman Ali Khan.


Death and legacy

He died of
cholera Cholera () is an infection of the small intestine by some Strain (biology), strains of the Bacteria, bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea last ...
at Hyderabad on 8 February 1883, and was buried at the
Daira Mir Momin Daira Mir Momin, (Urdu language, Urdu: , also called Daira-i-Mir Momin), is a Muslim grave, Muslim cemetery located in the Old City (Hyderabad, India), Old City of Hyderabad. History It was established during the Qutb Shahi dynasty, Qutb Shahi ...
. A three-day mourning period was declared for all of Hyderabad State. His son Salar Jung II succeeded him as Prime Minister. His grandson enjoyed an estate of 1486 sq. miles, yielding an income of nearly £60,000.


See also

*
Salar Jung Museum The Salar Jung Museum is an art museum located at Dar-ul-Shifa, on the southern bank of the Musi River, India, Musi River in the city of Hyderabad, Telangana, India. It is one of the List of museums in India, notable National Museums of India. ...
* Salar Jung family *
Hyderabad State Hyderabad State () was a princely state in the Deccan region of south-central India with its capital at the city of Hyderabad. It is now divided into the present-day state of Telangana, the Kalyana-Karnataka region of Karnataka, and the ...


References


Further reading

* * * * * * * *


External links


The First Salar Jung By Narendra Luther
{{DEFAULTSORT:Khan, Mir Turab Ali, Salar Jung I 1829 births 1883 deaths Jung, Salar Indian knights Salar Jung family Jung, Salar 19th-century Indian politicians People from Bijapur district, Karnataka Deaths from cholera Prime ministers of Hyderabad State