Tarikh-E-Asaf Jahi (An Old and Rare Book)

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The rule of Asaf Jahis of Hyderabad is an epoch-making one in the sense that they have administered the state of Hyderabad with full vigour in westernizing the administration and social structure of the state. They have initiated a number of intellectual and modern concepts into the mainstream of the society which was predominantly Islamic. They patronised Persian as the official language and the same time encouraged Urdu to supplement it as the Court language. "Tarikh-e-Asaf Jahi", which is the precious possession of A.P. Government Oriental Manuscripts Library & Research Institute is in the author's own hand-writing dated 1266 A.H. 1851 A.D. Its author, Khader Khan Munshi Bidri was a contemporary historian who was lived and witnessed various historical events in the Court life of the Nizams. He has also witnessed the influence of the Britishers and the French on the early Nizams and the interaction between the IInd Nizam and Tipu Sultan, thereby recording reliable socio-political events that have taken place.

Dr. Zaib Hyder, Reader in the Department of Persian, Osmania University, has readily consented to translate the Persian text into English on the request of this Department. I thank her for her excellent rendering of the Persian text into English, which I am sure will be highly useful for the research scholars in particular and students of the modern history in general.

I deem it a privilege to thank Dr. P.V. Ranga Rao Μ.Α., Ph.D. (Political Science), M.A. (Indology), L.L.B., B.J., Honourable Minister of Education, and Sri P.V. Rao I.A.S., Principal Secretary to Government, for their willing patronage for publishing this book during this year.

I thank Sri Mir Karamath Ali, Research Officer and Sri A.E. Vardaraj, Administrative Officer and other staff associated with the above publication for their whole-hearted co-operation. I also thank M/s RARE Printers, Hyderabad who have neatly printed it in a record time and in a neat form.

The writer of this book is Mohd. Qadir Khan Munshi whose pen name is Munshi. In the beginning of this, he narrated himself his name and pen name. This is a rare book inspite of search the translator of this book cannot find any copy in any other library. The other books of t's writer was seen in other libraries and the copies also are available in more than one libraries, whereas this book is the only one this book consist of the History of Asaf Jah NAWAB ABID KHAN known as Qulich Khan to the NAWAB NASIR-UD-DAULAH the Asaf Jah fourth from 1070 to 1265 AH.

This book covers nearly the two hundred years, this is written in a beautiful Nastaliq and had many mistake as the tradition of writing is the same in that period. I have corrected all the mistakes while editing this book for example Golconda was written as Kolconda Tipu is written with ٹ ت instead of and many alphabets were written together. The matter of 43 folios of this book has taken from the Hadiqat-Ul-Alam of Nawab Mir Alam. The remaining 96 pages from folio No.44 to end the chapter of Zikere-a-nasab-hasab-i-SHER-JUNG are narratedby the author by his own, what he has seen with his own eyes and what he has received the news from the intelligence (AKHBAR OR WAQIAH).

The language of this manuscript can appropriately said the Hindavi Farsi (Indo-Persian). Because it is consist of many terms and words of Indian, local languages as PATWARI DESHMUKH, DESHPANDEY, CHAWNI, PANGUL, PANDIT PRADHAN SAHOKAAR-CHOUR-PEHRAH (Hidden guards) etc. The glossary of these terms has been prepared by the translator and given in the end of this book. However some terms are explain then and there for the convenience of the reader.