Asaf Jahi Dynasty

Nizam-ul-Mulk of Hyderabad
Coat of Arms
Osman Ali Khan
Details
Style	His Exalted Highness
First monarch	Qamaruddin Khan
Last monarch	Osman Ali Khan
Formation	31 July 1724
Abolition	17 September 1948
Residence	Chowmahalla Palace
Pretender(s)	Prince Mukarram Jah

The Asaf Jahi (Hindi: आसफ़ जाहि, Urdu: آصف جاہ) was a Turkic dynasty from the region around Samarkand in modern day Uzbekistan. The family came to India in the late 17th century, and became employees of the Mughal Empire. As the Mughals, Turco-Mongol origin, were great patron of Persian culture , language, literature: the family found a ready patronage.

The dynasty was founded by Mir Qamar-ud-Din Siddiqi, a viceroy of the Deccan under the Mughal emperors from 1713 to 1721 and he intermittently ruled after Aurangzeb's death in 1707 and under the title Asaf Jah in 1724, the Mughal Empire crumbled and the viceroy in Hyderabad, the young Asaf Jah, declared himself independent.

Nawab Khwaja Abid Siddiqi, grandfather of the first Nizam, was born in Aliabad near Samarkhand in the kingdom of Bukhara. His father, Alam Shaik, was a well-known Sufi and celebrated man of letters. Khaja Abid's mother was of the family of Mir Hamdan, a distinguished Syed of Samarkhand.

Khaja Abid, who had held the high office of Qazi (Judge) and Shaik-ul-Islam, first visited India during the reign of Shah Jehan (Mughal Emperor) in 1655 on his way to Mecca. He presented himself at the Imperial Court where he won favours and robe of honour. He was offered a position in the Emperor's service, which he agreed to accept after his return from Mecca.

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Wikipedia