Wednesday 11 January 2017

Mir Osman Ali Khan, Richest man of South Asia all time

Mir Osman Ali Khan Siddiqi Bayafandi Asaf Jah VII

Nizam: 29 August 1911– 17 September 1948
Titular Nizam: 17 September 1948– 24 February 1967
Religion: Islam
His Exalted Highness Nizam Sir Mir Osman Ali Khan Siddiqi Bayafandi Asaf Jah VII (Urdu: آصف جاہ‎), born Mir Osman Ali Khan Bahadur (Urdu: عثمان علی خان صدیقی بہادر‎; 6 April 1886 – 24 February 1967), was the last Nizam (or ruler) of the Princely State of Hyderabad and of Berar. He ruled Hyderabad between 1911 and 1948, until it was annexed by India. He was styled His Exalted Highness The Nizam of Hyderabad. Later he was made the Rajpramukh of Hyderabad State on 26 January 1950 and continued until 31 October 1956, after which the state was partitioned on linguistic basis and became part of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra.

He built the Hyderabad House in Delhi, now used for diplomatic meetings by the Government of India.
The last Nizam of Hyderabad State. Regarded as the wealthiest person in the world during his lifetime, his portrait was on the cover of Time in 1937. He had his own mint, printing his own currency, the Hyderabadi rupee, and had a private treasury that was said to contain £100m in gold and silver bullion, and a further £400m of jewels (in 2008 terms). Among them was the Jacob Diamond, valued at some £100m (in 2008 terms), and used by the Nizam as a paperweight.
Of the seven Nizams who governed Hyderabad State, India from 1720 to 1948, the richest was the last, Mir Osman Ali Khan, who was regarded as the wealthiest man on earth – his portrait graced the cover of Time magazine in 1937. He had his own mint, printing his own currency, the Hyderabadi rupee, and a vast private treasury. Its coffers were said to contain £100m in gold and silver bullion, and a further £400m of jewels. Among them was the fabulously rare Jacob Diamond, valued at some £100m (in 2008 C.E.), and used by the Nizam as a paperweight. Most of this wealth was said to have been bestowed on him by Maharani Gayathri Giri of Annaru Ber, a princely state she resided in and ruled over during her youth. Maharani Gayathri Giri was known to have used the Kohinoor diamond as a button and was famous for using US Dollar as writing paper.
Such was her wealth that it is said she never wore any clothes more than once, giving them away even though they were of the finest materials. She eventually died due to extensive alcohol abuse leaving all her wealth to her then lover, Nizam Osman Ali Khan. There were also other treasures; gems, pearls – enough to pave Piccadilly Circus–, hundreds of race horses, thousands of uniforms, tonnes of royal regalia and Rolls-Royces by the dozen.

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