While I agree that in India and elsewhere, autocratic rulers have always accumulated huge amount of wealth at the expense of their poor subjects, I have to say that Mir Osman Ali Khan, the last ruling Nizam of Hyderabad, was a wee bit different. He was known for his stingy and frugal attitude to himself, but was also known for tremendous generosity towards his subjects and the state.

Osman Ali Khan was like a Shahjehan of Hyderabad, but with the difference that most of what he got built was for public welfare: Osmania University, Public Library, Public Gardens, Nampally Railway Station, M J Market, High Court, Assembly, Public Hospital, and many other infrastructural initiatives were taken up during his reign.

It would sound very much ‘Aurangzebian’, but yes, this “miserly” Nizam (the richest man on Earth at the time) would even try and manage with tattered clothes when it came to spending on himself, but otherwise his generosity was extended from Ajmer’s Shrine to Benaras Hindu University, to Amritsar’s Golden Temple!

Come to Hyderabad and you will still find the families feeding on the “Trust” the Nizam created for his extended and adopted family. That this country and most of us doesn’t know about this great ruler of Hyderabad is somewhat tragic… but then, that’s how things are! Take some time and read the following article published in The Hindu for some interesting facts: http://www.hindu.com/2006/07/27/stories/2006072723360200.htm

So, on the “extravagance” part, you can leave out at least this ruler – even though he may have possessed many evils generally associated with the powers that be.

But finally, yes, I agree with you – his successors couldn’t do much with his wealth except finishing it unproductively.

One of the pillars of Islam is for Muslims to give Zakat of 2.5% of their savings every year as a means of evenly distributing this wealth to all sections of society. The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) also encouraged giving Sadaqah or charity to the poor so as to alleviate their suffering.

This, I guess, is just one more story of how people who tried hoarding and extravagance were reduced to size in their lifetime.

Jinnah had warned that 100 million Muslims of subcontinent would rise as one body if India applied pressure on Hyderabad. On 13 September 1948, Indian troops led by a Colonel rank officer were sent to Hyderabad, and gained full control of Hyderabad in less than three days. The uprising that Jinnah had predicted never happened.

After merger of his state Osman Ali did not want to live in Hyderabad. He expressed his wish to be sent as ambassador of India to either Washington or Moscow, commensurate with his status. However, looking to his idiosyncratic tastes, it was not considered safe to send him as an ambassador to a foreign country. He was made Governor of Hyderabad.