Razakars, Hyderabad and the Nizam’s bid for independence

Before we can discuss the problem created by the Nizam of Hyderabad in 1947-48, we must take a look at history. Hyderabad state was the largest state in India, but had a majority Hindu population (93%), but a Muslim ruler. The state was part of the Mughal empire under Aurangzeb. The emperor himself had campaigned extensively in the Deccan and Hyderabad was an important part of the Mughal empire.

Aurangzeb died in 1707 and after his death the empire became much weaker. This was the time when a Mughal-appointed Muslim governor Asif Jah, who had been given the title of Nizam-ul-Malik, rose in revolt, freed himself from Mughal rule in 1724, and declared independence. He was also the first Indian ruler to sign an agreement with the East India Company for his protection under a subsidiary alliance proposed by Lord Wellesley. This was the beginning of the Nizam dynasty. This dynasty was in power when British rule expired in 1947.

dreams of independence

Yon 1947 the Nizam was Osman Ali Khan. He ruled over a predominantly Hindu state, but was a rank communalist and promoted the Muslim cause. He did not wish to join the Indian union and negotiated a ‘stand still’ agreement with the new Indian government.

Furthermore, it began to bolster its armed forces by recruiting Muslims from Pakistan, Bihar and UP to form an irregular militia. This militia was called the Razakars and its commander was Sayed Kasim Razvi, an officer in the Nizam’s court. He was a lawyer by profession, but was a close friend of the prime minister, Mir Laiq Ali. He had great influence at court and fueled the Nizam’s optimistic dreams of independence. He was also confident that Hyderabad would survive an Indian attack when he raised the Razakar force to almost 200,000. Kasim Razvi was the founder of (MIM) Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, which still exists.

Actions of the Nizam

Despite the stay agreement, the Nizam approached England for Dominion status within the Commonwealth. He was rejected. He also sent a delegation to the UN via Karachi to advocate for an independent Hyderabad. His plea to the President of the United States, Harry Truman, had no effect. He continued to import arms from Pakistan, and an Australian citizen, Sydney Cotton, secretly ran an arms-running service to arm the Razakars.

The Razakars, who were all Muslims, began to terrorize the Hindu population and kidnapping, rape and looting became common. The Razakars wanted to turn Hyderabad into a Muslim state. Arya Samaj and the local Congress party opposed the Razakars but were ineffective.

Since the Nizam did not receive any support for an independent state, he decided to accede to Pakistan as provided under the terms of the transfer of power between the British and Indian leaders. The Razakars emboldened themselves with new weapons and unleashed a reign of terror against the Hindus. Documented cases of young girls who were kidnapped and raped and forcibly converted came to light. The Razakars also killed Muslims who wanted integration with India like Shoebullah Khan.

Indian intervention

With the Razakars gaining strength and the Nizams preparing to sign Pakistan’s instrument of accession, time was running out. Sardar Patel, the Indian Home Minister, wishing to prevent a repeat of Kashmir, ordered the Indian Army into Hyderabad. The plan for the invasion was prepared by Lt. Gen. EN Goddard, CinC Southern Command. The operational commander was Major General JN Choudhary.

The invasion began on September 13, 1948 and it was all over in 96 hours. The Nizam panicked and banned the Razakars and agreed to India. Kasim Razvi was arrested and jailed. He remained in prison until 1957, after which he was released and allowed to go to Pakistan. He died anonymous and unknown in Karachi in 1970. Thus the curtain was lowered and Hyderabad became part of the Indian union. Just for the record, Razvi’s family still resides in Hyderabad.

Last word. The state of Hyderabad ceased to exist with the reorganization of the states along language lines.