Paigah (Hyderabad)

Paigah is a family in the senior aristocracy of Hyderabad State and each maintained his own court, individual palaces, and a standing army of three or four thousand soldiers.

Bashir Bagh Palace belonged to Sir Asman Jah, a Paigah noble and Prime Minister of Hyderabad (1887–1893). Sir Vicar-ul-Umra, the Paigah noble and the prime minister of Hyderabad state (1893 to 1901), in 1897-98 presented Falaknuma palace to the sixth Nizam, Mir Mahbub Ali Khan as Nazar (offering).

Paigah or the Shums ul Umra family was the Premier nobility of the Hyderabad State. Paigah was often referred to as a State within a State comprising 23 taluks, and 1,273 villages and covering an area of 4,134 square miles with a population of 774,411 (per 1901 census).

The Paigah nobles claim their descent through Baba Fariduddin Ganjshakar, one of the greatest Islamic Sufi Saints in India, whose shrine is in Pakpattan. Some writers traced the descent of Baba Farid back to the second Caliph, Umar ibn al-Khattab through his son Abdullah. However, amongst family members, there is a difference of opinion regarding the identity of "Abdullah", the second name which appears in the genealogy of the Paigahs who according to some historians is written as "Abdullah ibn Umar ibn al-Khattab", while other family trees list him as "Abdullah Daqdaq", the son of Imam Muhammad al Baqir.

Shaik Baha Uddin Khan, Governor of Shikohabad under Emperor Aurangzeb was also appointed to an Imperial mensab of 2,000 zat, was twelfth in direct descent from Shaikh Fariduddin (Rahmat ULLAH Aliah). To Shaikh Bahauddin was born a son, Abul Khair Khan. Under the tutelage of his father, Abul Khair Khan learned the arts of peace and war and grew up to be an accomplished young man. The Emperor Muhammad Shah bestowed upon him the title of "Khan Bahadur" and appointed him to the leadership of 200 cavalry and 500 foot. Abul Khair Khan's emergence as statesman was noticed by Emperor Muhammad Shah's senior minister, Mir Qamaruddin Khan, Nizam-ul-Mulk - the future Asaf Jah I.

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