Maharaja Sir Kishen Pershad Bahadur
Maharaja Sir Kishen Pershad Bahadur Yamin us-Sultanat GCIE (1864 – 13 May 1940) was an Indian noble who served as Prime Minister of Hyderabad twice.
Born to a Hindu khatri family which traces its roots to Raja Todar Mal, Pershad studied at a western school under the patronage of Salar Jung I. He was a childhood friend of the Nizam and was a staunch Nizam loyalist throughout his life. In 1892, Pershad became the peshkar (deputy minister) of the state. Nine years later, Nizam Mahbub Ali Khan appointed him dewan (prime minister) of the state. During his first tenure as dewan, he was credited with increasing the state’s revenue and helping victims of the Great Musi Flood of 1908. In 1926, he was reappointed as dewan. During this period, he passed the Mulki regulations, which favoured local citizens over British for administrative positions.
A proponent of the Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb (culture of the central plains of Northern India), Pershad also wrote Urdu and Persian poems which were influenced by Sufism. He was a patron of poetry, paintings and music. He had seven wives including both Hindus and Muslims.
Early Life
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Political career
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Interests and beliefs
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Knighthood
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Maharaja Sir Kishen Pershad: The Sufi Prime Minister
An enigma to fans, this deeply religious bard’s scholarly pursuits can be seen in the wide canvas of shayeri and ghazals he penned. A poet first and a ruler next. He possessed the rare qualities of head and heart in abundant measure. That’s Maharaja Sir Kishen Pershad for you. He carried the love and fervour of shayeri of the sixth Nizam, Mir Mehboob Ali Khan and the seventh Nizam, Mir Osman Ali Khan, under whom he served twice as the Prime Minister. A childhood friend of the Nizam, he was conferred the [...]