The Paigah Tombs:
The Paigah Tombs complex is a little known necropolis lying behind the Santosh Nagar police station, amidst a warren of houses and lanes in an obscure locality known as Phisalbanda (Phisal - Slide, Banda -Rock).
The Paigah Tombs complex is the final resting place of the Paigah nobility, from which most of the prime ministers of the erstwhile Hyderabad State hailed, during the pre-independence rule of the Nizams.
Even for a city, known for its architectural splendour-manifesting itself in the building of extravagantly ornate palaces and onion-domed mosques-the Paigah Tombs still draw gasps of wonder from thier occasional visitor. And visitors are occasional here. Having lived in Hyderbad for a greater part of my life i was nonetheless quite unaware of the existence of this marvellous piece of architectural and historical importance till about a year back. While glancing through the various publications of the Archaelogical Department, i chanced upon a tiny booklet on the Paigah Tombs, and was quite surprised to discover that they existed within the Old City precincts. After quite a bit of looking around, and after losing myself in the catacomb of colonies that have sprung up around the Tombs, I finally located the place. And i must confess i was quite disappointed with the state of disrepair in which i found the Tombs. The glossed over pictures in the booklet do not brace the visitor for the filth and disrepair that is evident all around the complex.
Notwithstanding the depredations of human apathy and natural aging, the tombs still retain some vestige of thier former breath-taking beauty. Having visited the place and experienced thier beauty and historical importance, i cant help but wonder about thier relative obscurity , not just to the tourist from outside Hyderbad, but also to the residents of the city.
One of the probable causes for this almost cultivated obscurity could be the complete indifference displayed by the Department of Archaeology and Museums, (Govt of Andhra Pradesh) to which the complex was handed over by Begum Zaheer Yar Jung in 1983. The deplorably defaced condition of the once exquisite tombs stands testimony to the oft repeated lament that we Indians have no sense of appreciation or sense of preservation vis-a-vis our heritage.
The other fact, borne out by a visit to this place, is the unmistakable demonstration of the absolute incompetence and lack of any conservation ethic, on the part of the Archaelogical Department. It appears as if the Archaelogical Departments' idea of preserving invaluable heritage merely entails erecting a perimeter wall around a designated monument, exacting visiting fee from intrepid grafitti-etching visitors and then waiting patiently for the monument to fall apart and around thier ears.
Another disturbing trend one sees around monuments in Hyderabad (and i guess its a more pervasive phenomenon than just a peculiarity of Hyderbad) is that of the vandal visitor. This breed of visitor visits merely for the sake of an outing. They insouciantly desecrate and deface monuments, spit pan juice all over the place, dump plastic disposables all around as if the whole wide world was a huge dust-bin and depart in an unrepentant wake of litter. The other breed is a species of couples looking for a spot of privacy and who are in no possession of any historical interest whatsoever. What this species lacks by way of any historical curiosity is more than made up for by the possession of that irrepressible proclivity for making a history of their own by inscribing their legend of eternal love on the timeless monuments along with a faithful RSVP inscription of their adresses and names. This latter breed can be found in a prolific variety in the Seven Tombs Complex (near the Golconda Fort foothills) and in the Fort itself. So, visitors to any of these places , along with a sense of history, will also get first hand information about who loves whom, and how much, and exactly when the suit was made and accepted, and the approximate whereabouts of the suitor etc etc...
On a more serious note, whether its the Quli Qutub Shah Seven Tombs or the Shaikepet Sarai or the Paigah Tombs , all seem to be sharingthe same fate under the Archaelogical Department - disappear discreetly through neglect and decay.
Who were the Paigah Nobles?
The Paigah Tombs complex is a little known necropolis lying behind the Santosh Nagar police station, amidst a warren of houses and lanes in an obscure locality known as Phisalbanda (Phisal - Slide, Banda -Rock).
The Paigah Tombs complex is the final resting place of the Paigah nobility, from which most of the prime ministers of the erstwhile Hyderabad State hailed, during the pre-independence rule of the Nizams.
Even for a city, known for its architectural splendour-manifesting itself in the building of extravagantly ornate palaces and onion-domed mosques-the Paigah Tombs still draw gasps of wonder from thier occasional visitor. And visitors are occasional here. Having lived in Hyderbad for a greater part of my life i was nonetheless quite unaware of the existence of this marvellous piece of architectural and historical importance till about a year back. While glancing through the various publications of the Archaelogical Department, i chanced upon a tiny booklet on the Paigah Tombs, and was quite surprised to discover that they existed within the Old City precincts. After quite a bit of looking around, and after losing myself in the catacomb of colonies that have sprung up around the Tombs, I finally located the place. And i must confess i was quite disappointed with the state of disrepair in which i found the Tombs. The glossed over pictures in the booklet do not brace the visitor for the filth and disrepair that is evident all around the complex.
Notwithstanding the depredations of human apathy and natural aging, the tombs still retain some vestige of thier former breath-taking beauty. Having visited the place and experienced thier beauty and historical importance, i cant help but wonder about thier relative obscurity , not just to the tourist from outside Hyderbad, but also to the residents of the city.
One of the probable causes for this almost cultivated obscurity could be the complete indifference displayed by the Department of Archaeology and Museums, (Govt of Andhra Pradesh) to which the complex was handed over by Begum Zaheer Yar Jung in 1983. The deplorably defaced condition of the once exquisite tombs stands testimony to the oft repeated lament that we Indians have no sense of appreciation or sense of preservation vis-a-vis our heritage.
The other fact, borne out by a visit to this place, is the unmistakable demonstration of the absolute incompetence and lack of any conservation ethic, on the part of the Archaelogical Department. It appears as if the Archaelogical Departments' idea of preserving invaluable heritage merely entails erecting a perimeter wall around a designated monument, exacting visiting fee from intrepid grafitti-etching visitors and then waiting patiently for the monument to fall apart and around thier ears.
Another disturbing trend one sees around monuments in Hyderabad (and i guess its a more pervasive phenomenon than just a peculiarity of Hyderbad) is that of the vandal visitor. This breed of visitor visits merely for the sake of an outing. They insouciantly desecrate and deface monuments, spit pan juice all over the place, dump plastic disposables all around as if the whole wide world was a huge dust-bin and depart in an unrepentant wake of litter. The other breed is a species of couples looking for a spot of privacy and who are in no possession of any historical interest whatsoever. What this species lacks by way of any historical curiosity is more than made up for by the possession of that irrepressible proclivity for making a history of their own by inscribing their legend of eternal love on the timeless monuments along with a faithful RSVP inscription of their adresses and names. This latter breed can be found in a prolific variety in the Seven Tombs Complex (near the Golconda Fort foothills) and in the Fort itself. So, visitors to any of these places , along with a sense of history, will also get first hand information about who loves whom, and how much, and exactly when the suit was made and accepted, and the approximate whereabouts of the suitor etc etc...
On a more serious note, whether its the Quli Qutub Shah Seven Tombs or the Shaikepet Sarai or the Paigah Tombs , all seem to be sharingthe same fate under the Archaelogical Department - disappear discreetly through neglect and decay.
Who were the Paigah Nobles?
So who were these people, who built such beautiful monuments? What was thier occupation, where were they from? What inspired them? In the succeding passage i will try to answer some of the questions.
The Paigah Nobles are not unknown to the Hyderbad of yore. In the pre-independence pecking order, they were second only to the Asaf Jahi (Nizams) family. The Asaf Jah's were the deputies deployed by Aurangzeb to adminster his Deccan acquisitions. After the collapse of the Mughal rule at delhi, the Asaf Jahi dynasty came into its own, ruling the Hyderbad State from 1724 to 1948, till the Hyderbad State was merged with the independent Indian State after Police Action.
The Paigah nobility traces its decent to Nawab Taig Jung Bahadur, the first Shams-Ul-Umra (an honorofic title that later became hereditary and was passed on to the next of decendent) on whom the title Paigah was conferred by the Second Nizam of the Asaf Jahi dynasty for rendering loyal service. Thus began an alliance that lasted the entire reign of the Asaf Jahi dynasty. The word Paigah is Persian in origin and literally means a foot-stool, figuratively it denotes pomp and rank.
Teg Bahadur was offered the prime-ministership of the nizamian dominion, in recognition of his service but he declined preferring to remain the soldier that he was. The later Paigahs were allied to the nizams family through many matrimoinial alliances.
Nawab Teg jung Bahadur's only son Fakhruddin Khan, born in 1781 was married to Bashir-un nissa Begum the daughter of The Nizam Of Hyderabad, Nawab Mir Nizam Ali Khan. Nawab Fakhruddin was a learned man and a great patron Art and Culture. He served three Nizams in his lifetime. He translated books from Arabic and English to Urdu and Persian. Fakruddin was far ahead of his time exhibiting a keen interest in Science. He had his own well appointed Observatory.
Asman Jah Bahadur, grandson of Fakruddin was married to the sister of sixth nizam, Mir mehboob ali khan. In 1887 he had visited England to reperesent the Nizam on the occasion of the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria. After return he assumed prime-ministership of Hyderbad till 1893.
Nawab Sir Vicar-ul-Umra Bahadur , was the grandson of the third Nizam, he was conferred a knighthood by the British Government, and was presented with the Kaiser-E-Hind gold medal. He became the Prime-minister of Hyderabad in 1894 and made valuable contributions esp in the field of education. The education department, the engineering school, the law classes , the legislative Council and the Asafia Library were opened under his prime-ministership. He was a connoisseur of art and the builder of the legendary Falaknuma Palace spending almost 40 lac rupees in the process (the Falaknuma Palace is now under the stewardship of the Taj Group of Hotels and this peice of National heritage is no longer open to the public).
The Paigah Tombs: Architectural style and importance
The Paigah nobles as we now know were builders par excellence. Some of the most beautiful palaces, mosques, tombs and monuments in Hyderabad were built by them. The Falak- Numa Palace being an exemplary case in point.
The style of architecture employed in the construction of the tombs is Indo-Islamic or Indo-Saracenic . The Tombs were built blending marble and lime. This was probably inspired by the similarly made Bibi-ka-Maqbara, built by Aurangzeb’s son Prince Azam in memorium for his mother.
The Paigah Tombs came under the Archaelogical Department in nineteen eighty three and were designated as the Taj of the South. Alas for all such bombastic talk the tombs soon fell into rack and ruin. Squatters have moved in and some live inside the Ghansi Miyan Tomb. The caretaker, on persistent questioning informed us that, repairs hardly take place. The delicate jali work is gouged out at several places leaving gaping holes in the latticces, which have then been filled with rude dollops of cement balls. The walls of most of the main tomb complex have blackened under the constant rivulets of rain water let out by the rain spouts. Some time ago the only guard on duty was moved out (?) and vandals from the nearby bustees had a field day vandalising the monument much of which is in varying states of decay. The plaster has peeled in many places. The elements have done thier work too, leaving the once stately structures a mere shadow of thier former princely self.
If immediate attention is not paid to this valuable piece of heritage, it will soon vanish from the map. some of the stucco work here is reminescent of and comparable to the Indo-Saracenic style of architecture found in the Alhambra Palace of Granada, Spain.
Nawab Teg jung Bahadur's only son Fakhruddin Khan, born in 1781 was married to Bashir-un nissa Begum the daughter of The Nizam Of Hyderabad, Nawab Mir Nizam Ali Khan. Nawab Fakhruddin was a learned man and a great patron Art and Culture. He served three Nizams in his lifetime. He translated books from Arabic and English to Urdu and Persian. Fakruddin was far ahead of his time exhibiting a keen interest in Science. He had his own well appointed Observatory.
Asman Jah Bahadur, grandson of Fakruddin was married to the sister of sixth nizam, Mir mehboob ali khan. In 1887 he had visited England to reperesent the Nizam on the occasion of the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria. After return he assumed prime-ministership of Hyderbad till 1893.
Nawab Sir Vicar-ul-Umra Bahadur , was the grandson of the third Nizam, he was conferred a knighthood by the British Government, and was presented with the Kaiser-E-Hind gold medal. He became the Prime-minister of Hyderabad in 1894 and made valuable contributions esp in the field of education. The education department, the engineering school, the law classes , the legislative Council and the Asafia Library were opened under his prime-ministership. He was a connoisseur of art and the builder of the legendary Falaknuma Palace spending almost 40 lac rupees in the process (the Falaknuma Palace is now under the stewardship of the Taj Group of Hotels and this peice of National heritage is no longer open to the public).
The Paigah Tombs: Architectural style and importance
The Paigah nobles as we now know were builders par excellence. Some of the most beautiful palaces, mosques, tombs and monuments in Hyderabad were built by them. The Falak- Numa Palace being an exemplary case in point.
The style of architecture employed in the construction of the tombs is Indo-Islamic or Indo-Saracenic . The Tombs were built blending marble and lime. This was probably inspired by the similarly made Bibi-ka-Maqbara, built by Aurangzeb’s son Prince Azam in memorium for his mother.
The Paigah Tombs came under the Archaelogical Department in nineteen eighty three and were designated as the Taj of the South. Alas for all such bombastic talk the tombs soon fell into rack and ruin. Squatters have moved in and some live inside the Ghansi Miyan Tomb. The caretaker, on persistent questioning informed us that, repairs hardly take place. The delicate jali work is gouged out at several places leaving gaping holes in the latticces, which have then been filled with rude dollops of cement balls. The walls of most of the main tomb complex have blackened under the constant rivulets of rain water let out by the rain spouts. Some time ago the only guard on duty was moved out (?) and vandals from the nearby bustees had a field day vandalising the monument much of which is in varying states of decay. The plaster has peeled in many places. The elements have done thier work too, leaving the once stately structures a mere shadow of thier former princely self.
If immediate attention is not paid to this valuable piece of heritage, it will soon vanish from the map. some of the stucco work here is reminescent of and comparable to the Indo-Saracenic style of architecture found in the Alhambra Palace of Granada, Spain.
Bibliography
The Paigah Tombs; A companion Guide. Dr J Kedaswari. 2003.
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All pictures taken by Qurrat Khan on the Pentax SLR F7
Use by permission only
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4 comments:
Grew up at Hyderabad, but never heard about this place. Thanks for bringing this to our notice. Very well written.
History has its own ways to repeat itself. Many beautiful monuments were plundered by foreigners while locals watched. Its just that now the locals plunder and foreigners watch. We live in a land where we dont need outsiders to ruin us. Heard of Indian crab parable
I hadn't heard about Paigah tombs either, and appreciated this thoughtful, insightful piece. Your photos are stupendous, and a collection of these and other historical places of Hyderabad would make a lovely coffee table book.
THE HISTORY OF MAJLIS ITTEHADUL MUSLIMEEN PARTY IN HYDERABAD
The grip of the Majlis-e-ittehadul Muslimeen on the community remains strong, With a Member representing Hyderabad in the Lok Sabha, five members in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly, 40 corporators in Hyderabad and 95-plus members elected to various municipal bodies in Andhra Pradesh, the All-India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen is one of the foremost representatives of the city’s Muslims and the most powerful Muslim party in India and one can see the partys strenghth if it goes to Hyderabad old city and Parts of Muslim Dominated Villages of Andhra Pradesh everywhere u look u can see MIM written on walls ,lightpoles and buildings leaving aside green flags and posters of its Leadership and there small Offices . The Majlis has brought lot of development to the Old part of the city even after it is said it hasnt done anything by its opponents who are mostly Ex Majlis workers.The Majlis was formed in 1927 “for educational and social uplift of Muslims”. But it articulated the position that “the ruler and throne (Nizam) are symbols of the political and cultural rights of the Muslim community… (and) this status must continue forever”.The Majlis pitted itself against the Andhra Mahasabha and the communists who questioned the feudal order that sustained the Nizam’s rule. It also bitterly opposed the Arya Samaj, which gave social and cultural expression to the aspirations of the urban Hindu population in the Hyderabad State of those days.By the mid-1940s, the Majlis had come to represent a remarkably aggressive and violent face of Muslim communal politics as it organised the razakars (volunteers) to defend the “independence” of this “Muslim” State from merger with the Indian Union.According to historians, over 1,50,000 such `volunteers’ were organised by the Majlis for the Nizam State’s defence but they are remembered for unleashing unparalleled violence against Communal Hindus and the communists and all those who opposed the Nizam’s “go it alone” policy. It is estimated that during the height of the razakar `agitation’, over 30,000 people had taken shelter in the Secunderabad cantonment alone to protect themselves from these `volunteers’.But the razakars could do little against the Indian Army and even put up a fight. Kasim Rizvi, the Majlis leader, was imprisoned and the organisation banned in 1948. Rizvi was released in 1957 on the undertaking that he would leave for Pakistan in 48 hours. Before he left though, Rizvi met some of the erstwhile activists of the Majlis and passed on the presidentship to Abdul Wahed Owaisi, a famous lawyer and an Islamic scholar from jamia nizamia who also was jailed for nearly 10 months after he took over the Majlis leadership as the then govt wanted to abolish the Majlis party but Owaisi refused to do so and was seen as a person who had financially supported the party when it was a bankrupt and weak one after the Police Action in Hyderabad State.Owaisi is credited with having “re-written” the Majlis constitution according to the provisions of the Indian Constitution and “the realities of Muslim minority in independent India”, and fought the legal case for winning back darrusslam mim headquarters for years according to a former journalist, Chander Srivastava. For the first decade-and-a-half after this “reinvention”, the Majlis remained, at best, a marginal player in Hyderabad politics and even though every election saw a rise in its vote share, it could not win more than one Assembly seat.The 1970s saw an upswing in Majlis’ political fortunes. In 1969, it won back its party headquarters, Dar-us-Salaam — a sprawling 4.5-acre compound in the heart of the New City. It also won compensation which was used to set up an ITI on the premises and a women’s degree college in Nizamabad town. In 1976, Salahuddin Owaisi took over the presidentship of the Majlis after his father’s demise who also was also Jailed Various times .This started an important phase in the history of the Majlis as it continued expanding its educational institutions,Hospitals,Banks, including the first Muslim minority Engineering College and Medical College. Courses in MBA, MCA ,Nursing, Pharmacy and other professional degrees followed and now a daily newspaper known as Etemaad Daily. The 1970s were also a watershed in Majlis’ history as after a long period of 31 years, Hyderabad witnessed large-scale communal rioting in 1979. The Majlis came to the forefront in “defending” Muslim life and property Majlis workers could be seen at these moments defending the properties of Muslims in the wake of riots and these workers were very hard even for the police to control them even now it is a known fact that there are nearly about 2500 units of strong members who only act if there is a seirous threat to the Owaisi family and these members are under the direct orders of the Owaisi family which leads the Majlis party leaving aside thousands of workers and informers throughout the State and even outside the country far away till America and the Gulf countries.Salahuddin Owaisi, also known as “Salar-e-Millat” (commander of the community), has repeatedly alleged in his speeches that the Indian state has “abandoned” the Muslims to their fate. Therefore, “Muslims should stand on their own feet, rather than look to the State for help'’, he argues.This policy has been an unambiguous success in leveraging the Majlis today to its position of being practically the “sole spokesman” of the Muslims in Hyderabad and its environs.Voting figures show this clearly. From 58,000 votes in the 1962 Lok Sabha elections for the Hyderabad seat, Majlis votes rose to 1,12,000 in 1980. The clear articulation of this “stand on one’s feet” policy in education and `protection’ during riots doubled its vote-share by 1984. Salahuddin Owaisi won the seat for the first time, polling 2.22 lakh votes. This vote-share doubled in the 1989 Lok Sabha elections to over four lakhs.The Majlis has since continued its hold on the Hyderabad seat winning about five-and-a-half lakh votes each time.Despite remarkable economic prosperity and negligible communal violence in the past decade, the hold of the Majlis on the Muslims of Hyderabad remains, despite minor dents. And despite widespread allegations of Majlis leaders having “made money”, most ordinary Muslims continue to support them because, as one bank executive put it “they represent our issues clearly and unambiguously'’. An old Historian Bakhtiyar khan says the Owaisi family was a rich family even before entering Politics and he says he had seen the late Majlis leader Abdul Wahed Owaisi in an American Buick car at a time when rarely cars were seen on Hyderabad Roads and the family had strong relations with the ersthwhile Nizams of Hyderabad and the Paighs even now the family is considered to be one of the richest familes in Hyderabad.A university teacher says that the Majlis helped Muslims live with dignity and security at a time when they were under attack and even took the fear out of them after the Police action and adds that he has seen Majlis leaders in the front at times confronting with the Police and the Govt. Asaduddin Owaisi, the articulate UK educated barrister from Lincolns Inn College son of Salahuddin Owaisi and Former leader of the Majlis’ Legislature party and now an MP himself who has travelled across the globe meeting world leaders and organizatons and even in war zones compares the Majlis to the Black Power movement of America.The Majlis that emerged after 1957 is a completely different entity from its pre-independence edition, he says adding that comparisons with that bloody past are “misleading and mischievous”. “That Majlis was fighting for state power, while we have no such ambitions or illusions”.He stoutly defends the need for “an independent political voice” for the minorities, which is willing to defend them and project their issues “firmly”.“How can an independent articulation of minority interests and aspirations be termed communal,” he asks and contests any definition of democracy which questions the loyalty of minorities if they assert their independent political identity. “We are a threat not only to the BJP and Hindu communalism, but also to Muslim extremism,” Asaduddin claims. “By providing a legitimate political vent for Muslims to voice their aspirations and fears, we are preventing the rise of political extremism and religious obscurantism when the community is under unprecedented attack from Hindu communalists and the state'’. He can be seen in his speeches speaking against terrorism in the Country and says if the time arises Majlis will stand side by side in defending the Nation and Recently Majlis ittehadul Muslimeen MP Asaduddin Owaisi has Visited Lebanon after the war with israel and met the leaders of the resistance group Hezbollah and he has even visited Bombay and Malegaon Muslims and raised there issues in Parliament and has even represented the police torture victims to the Prime Minister and has given aid From Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen Party Fund.
hey, great article. i just came back from Hyderabad a few months back, i went there to find out about my family history. i also did some looking around historical buildings, but somehow i managed to miss the tombs.
i have to admit, it was very sad wondering around Hyderabad, seeing all those heritage buildings in ruins. there is so much history, which is disappearing in front of our eyes, and before you know it, a few generations down the line, there will be nothing left of the asaf jahi dynasty or its trusted aristocracy.
even my own family's history has disappeared. i went back to Hyderabad, hoping to find something on my forefathers who were jagirdars. i found roads named after them, with the houses they once lived in encroached on by other people's newly built houses and even their castles lay in ruins.
i would love to find a book on all the heritage buildings in Hyderabad, who they belonged to and what role they had to play in their time.
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