Hyderabad State

Hyderabad State (pronunciation), also referred to as the Nizamate of Hyderabad, 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 Marathwada region of Maharashtra in the Republic of India.

The state was ruled from 1724 to 1948 by the Nizam, who was initially a viceroy of the Mughal Empire in the Deccan. It had also become a protectorate under the Maratha Empire, until the empire's overthrow in 1818 and gradually became one of the first princely state to come under British paramountcy signing a subsidiary alliance agreement. At the time of the British Raj in 1901, the state had a revenue of ₹41.7 million (equivalent to ₹15 billion or US$160 million in 2023). The native inhabitants of Hyderabad State, regardless of ethnic origin, are called "Mulki" (countryman), a term still used today. The ruler of the state was also called as Nizam-ul-Mulk (Nizam of the country).

The dynasty declared itself an independent monarchy during the final years of the British Raj. After the Partition of India, Hyderabad signed a standstill agreement with the new dominion of India, continuing all previous arrangements except for the stationing of Indian troops in the state. Hyderabad's location in the middle of the Indian Union, as well as its diverse cultural heritage led to India's invasion and annexation of the state in 1948. Subsequently, Mir Osman Ali Khan, the seventh Nizam, signed an instrument of accession, joining India.