Who Was Mir Osman Ali Khan, The Last Nizam Of Hyderabad And India's First Billionaire?

Known as the architect of Hyderabad, Mir Osman Ali Khan was the last Nizam of Hyderabad and possibly the wealthiest man in India.

NEW DELHI: When we talk about super rich Indians, we naturally think about the Tatas, the Birlas, The Ambanis or The Adanis but not many of us would be aware that none of these came close to Mir Osman Ali Khan who was the richest man of India – possibly the country’s first billionaire if his net worth at time is adjusted to the current inflation.    

Yes, that’s true. Known as the architect of Hyderabad, Mir Osman Ali Khan was the last Nizam (or ruler) of Hyderabad. Before the princely state of Hyderabad was annexed into the Union Of India in 1948, Nizam was the wealthiest man in India.

During that time, of all the princely which agreed to become part of the Union of India - Hyderabad, Junagadh and Jammu and Kashmir – Hyderabad was quite a prosperous and wealthy state. 

Ascension To Throne

'Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan' ascended the throne after his father’s death in 1911 and ruled Hyderabad for 37 years from 1911 to 1948. According to the reports, Mir Osman Ali Khan's net worth was estimated at over Rs 17.47 lakh crore (USD 230 billion) after adjusting for inflation. The Nizam’s worth is estimated to be almost near the total net worth of Tesla founder Elon Musk, who is currently the richest man in the world with USD 286 billion.

Interesting Facts

Here are some very interesting facts about the last Nizam of Hyderabad 

-It is said that the Nizam owned around 50 Rolls Royces.

-He was one of the seven Nizams who ruled Hyderabad until the princely state was annexed by the Union Of India.

-The Nizam had a huge collection of gold that was worth over USD 100 million and a jewellery collection worth USD 400 million.

-He was also the proud owner of famous Jacob Diamond which is worth USD 95 million today, which he used as a paperweight.

-The Nizam is also called the architect of Hyderabad since several public buildings, including the Hyderabad High Court, the Central Library, Assembly Hall, State Museum and the Nizamia Observatory, were built during his time.

-In 1911, he was awarded the title of the Knight Grand Commander of the Star of India.

-He was known to be very loyal to the British Empire and was decorated with the title of the Knight Grand Cross of the British Empire in 1917.

-The Nizam was awarded the Royal Victoria Chain in 1946. 

After income of the Nizam began to decline after the merger of Hyderabad in the Union Of India. Mir Osman Ali Khan Majesty was also a benevolent ruler who made primary education compulsory for all citizens. Nizam is also said to have designed India’s first airport in Hyderabad. Osman Ali Khan died in 1967 at the age of 80.