Mir Osman Ali Khan

Last Monarch of the Kingdom of Hyderabad (1886-1967)

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Lived 1886–1967, aged 81India

India Historical Figures

Wikipedia
35 languages
Cross-language footprint
Era
1886–1967
Aged 81
Awards
3
recognised works

Summary

Updated 2026-06-09

The last Nizam of Hyderabad sat on wealth so staggering — estimated at 2% of U.S. GDP — that Time put him on its cover in 1937. He used a £50 million diamond as a paperweight.

Biography

About

Mir Osman Ali Khan ascended the throne of Hyderabad, the largest state in British India, on 29 August 1911 at 25. His fortune came from the Golconda mines, the world's sole diamond source, and his private treasury held £100 million in bullion and £400 million in jewels. Across 37 years he built Osmania University, Osmania General Hospital, the State Bank of Hyderabad, dams to prevent flooding, and the oldest reservoir in what's now Telangana. After India's independence in 1947 he refused to accede, hoping to stay sovereign or join Pakistan, but the Telangana Rebellion and the rise of the Razak…

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