Origins & Early Life

Mir Osman Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VII (5 or 6 April 1886 – 24 February 1967) was the last Nizam (ruler) of Hyderabad State, the largest state in the erstwhile British Indian Empire. He ascended the throne on 29 August 1911, at the age of 25 and ruled the State of Hyderabad until 1948, when the Indian Union annexed it. He was styled as His Exalted Highness (H.E.H) the Nizam of Hyderabad, and was widely considered one of the world's wealthiest people of all time. With some estimates placing his wealth at 2% of U.S.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

GDP, his portrait was on the cover of Time magazine in 1937. As a semi-autonomous monarch, he had his mint, printing his currency, the Hyderabadi rupee, and had a private treasury that was said to contain £100 million in gold and silver bullion, and a further £400 million of jewels (in 2008 terms). The major source of his wealth was the Golconda mines, the only supplier of diamonds in the world at that time. Among them was the Jacob Diamond, valued at some £50 million (in 2008 terms), and used by the Nizam as a paperweight. During his 37-year rule, electricity was introduced, and railways, roads, and airports were developed.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

He was known as the "Architect of modern Hyderabad" and...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Alfonso XIII — Contemporary (Born in 1886) (1886): King of Spain (1886-1931), whose reign spanned constitutional crises and republican upheaval.
• Clarence Birdseye — Contemporary (Born in 1886) (1886): Founder of the modern frozen food industry through rapid-freezing technology.
• David Ben-Gurion — Contemporary (Born in 1886) (1886): Primary national founder and first Prime Minister of the State of Israel.
• Akshay Kumar — Contemporary (Born in 1967) (1967): Veteran Indian actor and producer known for action roles and prolific career.
• Aleksandr Karelin — Contemporary (Born in 1967) (1967): Dominant Greco-Roman wrestler, nicknamed the "Russian Bear", celebrated for unmatched Olympic success.
• Arthur Tedder, 1st Baron Tedder — Contemporary (Died in 1967) (1967): Pioneering RAF officer, instrumental in WWII Mediterranean and North African campaigns.
• Albrecht Dürer — Shared historical date (04-06 · Died) (1528): Master of the German Renaissance, renowned painter, printmaker, and theorist.
• André Previn — Shared historical date (04-06 · Born) (1929): Versatile American musician, composer, and conductor mastering jazz, film, and classical forms.
• Alain Mabanckou — Shared historical date (02-24 · Born) (1966): Congolese novelist and academic exploring contemporary Africa and the diaspora experience.
• Alberto Sordi — Shared historical date (02-24 · Died) (2003): Pillar of Italian Cinema, master of Commedia all'italiana comedy.
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